By Julian Toy, H.S.C. Substance Abuse Professional
Member of The Ontario Association of Mental Health Professionals

Part 4 Asking Effective Questions

Asking questions is an important part of any supervisor’s job. Good questions can be used to support employee’s Mental Health. How you ask questions can put employees at ease. There are two basic types of questions, open and closed.

Open questions are excellent to support employees because they encourage a talking response. E.g. “How are you dealing with all these COVID 19 precautions?”

Closed questions require a single word to answer, often yes or no. E.g. “Are you OK with the COVID 19 precautions?”

An open question will give your employee a chance to say what’s on their mind and give them a chance to tell you what they think and/or feel. By asking an open question you are showing the employee that you care because you’re willing to listen to their response.

Next week I will be writing a special article on how Substance Abuse on the jobsite can be ignored even if people are aware it’s happening.

If you have questions, need training or literature please contact Julian directly:

Direct Line: 905-866-7301
E-Mail: juliantoy@myaddictionexperts.com
Web: www.myaddictionexperts.com
Services: Fit for Duty/Drug and Alcohol training, COVID 19 Mental Health Training, Fit for Duty/Drug and Alcohol policy development, Defensible Documentation Training and employee Substance Abuse Assessments.
Literature: “Optimizing Mental Health during COVID 19” E-Booklet.
Preferred provider of Fit for Duty/Drug and Alcohol training and COVID 19 Mental Health Training - Eastern Construction Ltd.