Judgers and Learners ask different kinds of questions. Judgers are often rigid in their thinking, focus on problems and mistakes, and tend to make assumptions without checking first of their views are accurate. Learners are usually more curious and possibility focused. They tend to seek first to understand before drawing any conclusions.
Below is a comparison table of typical Judger and Learner questions, with a focus on scenarios relevant to team leaders and managers:
| Scenario | Judger Question | Learner Question |
|---|---|---|
| Team Performance | Why can’t my team get this right? | What can we learn from this outcome? |
| Accountability | Who is to blame for this mistake? | What happened, and how can we improve next time? |
| Conflict Resolution | Why are they so difficult to work with? | What might be important to them in this situation? |
| Change Management | Why do people resist change? | How can I support the team through this transition? |
| Delegation | Why can’t I trust anyone to do this properly? | What support or resources does my team need to succeed? |
| Innovation/Problem-Solving | Why do we always run into the same problems? | What new approaches could we try to solve this? |
| Feedback | Why did you make that error? | What was your thought process, and what did you learn? |
| Personal Leadership Reflection | What’s wrong with me as a leader? | What am I doing well, and where can I grow? |
Judger questions tend to:
- Assign blame or focus on faults (“Whose fault is it?”)
- Close off possibilities (“Why bother?”)
- Assume negative intent or incompetence (“Why are they so clueless?”)
Learner questions instead:
- Seek understanding (“What happened?”)
- Focus on solutions and growth (“What can I learn?”)
- Explore options and perspectives (“What are my choices?” “What’s possible?”)
The Learner mindset opens us up to possibilities while the Judger mindset leaves us, at the very least,
in an unproductive state. The Learner mindset is a choice. The Judger mindset is a reaction to our
circumstances.
Most of the time, we’re shifting back and forth between Learner and Judger mindsets, barely aware
we have any control or choice. Much of what we experience can just seem true or real or logical to
us. We go along as if what we experience is the way things are. Real choice begins when we are
mindful enough to observe our own thoughts and feelings as well as the language we use to express
them.
The trick is to be mindful of the path we are on and make the appropriate adjustment. We make
that adjustment by changing the questions we are asking. For more details about how to do this, check out Marilee Adams’ book, Change Your Questions, Change Your Life.
If we can accept the fact that we tend to gravitate to Judger, but can choose Learner, we can make
progress by changing the questions—asking switcher questions like: Am I in Judger mode? Is this what
I want? How else can I think about this?
Marilee Adams has also developed a workbook to help work through triggering situations and adapt
and develop a learner mindset. It’s a helpful companion to the book. In the workbook, she outlines the Judger and Learner attributes. The chart below is very useful in understanding the change your questions, change your life process.
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