Q01
Question — Tell me about the last new tool, process, or external provider you personally pushed from first discussion to real use.
Uncovers — Operator agency, execution history, change-driving behavior, credibility of enthusiasm.
Why it stays clean — It asks for actions the person actually took, not self-description.
Follow-up probes —
- What did you do first?
- Who resisted?
- What changed after rollout?
Polite-answer trap — Useless/evasive: “I am generally interested in new technology.” Redirect: “Which change did you personally move forward, and what was your next action after first hearing about it?”
Q02
Question — What is the most recent example where you spent budget or political capital on something unproven inside the firm?
Uncovers — Risk tolerance, budget authority, internal influence, willingness to act early.
Why it stays clean — It asks for committed resources rather than stated risk appetite.
Follow-up probes —
- What did you spend: money, staff time, meeting capital, or reputation?
- Who questioned it?
- What did you show them afterwards?
Polite-answer trap — Useless/evasive: “We are open to trying things.” Redirect: “Which trial or purchase cost you something internally before it was obviously safe?”
Q03
Question — Which technology or process change did you try that failed, and what did you do after it became clear it was failing?
Uncovers — Learning behavior, decisiveness, experimentation quality, honesty about failure.
Why it stays clean — It asks for a past failure and response.
Follow-up probes —
- How did you know it was failing?
- Did you stop, change, or double down?
- Who heard the post-mortem?
Polite-answer trap — Useless/evasive: “Not everything works perfectly.” Redirect: “Which failed attempt has a clear beginning, middle, and end?”
Q04
Question — When you last heard about a potentially useful tool from a peer, client, vendor, conference, article, or staff member, what did you do next?
Uncovers — Action after exposure, curiosity-to-action conversion, sourcing behavior.
Why it stays clean — It follows observed behavior after a concrete stimulus.
Follow-up probes —
- Did you ask for a demo, forward it, ignore it, try it personally, or ask someone to investigate?
- How long did that take?
- What stopped it or moved it forward?
Polite-answer trap — Useless/evasive: “I keep an eye on the market.” Redirect: “What is the last thing you forwarded, trialled, or booked a call about?”
Q05
Question — What internal evidence did you gather the last time you wanted others to adopt a change?
Uncovers — Evidence-building behavior, internal selling skill, adoption seriousness.
Why it stays clean — It asks about documents and proof used in a real change effort.
Follow-up probes —
- Was it a spreadsheet, usage data, cost estimate, project story, reference call, or demo?
- Who asked for evidence?
- Did the evidence change the decision?
Polite-answer trap — Useless/evasive: “You need to bring people along.” Redirect: “What document or example did you actually use last time?”
Q06
Question — Who inside the firm do people go to when they want to try something new, and what has that person actually helped get adopted?
Uncovers — Informal innovation network, practical sponsor map, adoption brokers.
Why it stays clean — It identifies real adopters by actions and reputation.
Follow-up probes —
- What did they help with most recently?
- Do they control budget, access, credibility, or just enthusiasm?
- Who ignores them?
Polite-answer trap — Useless/evasive: “We have a few innovative people.” Redirect: “Which person has a visible track record of getting something into use?”
Q07
Question — What was the last time you killed or stopped a technology effort you had previously supported?
Uncovers — Judgment, non-sunk-cost behavior, evidence threshold, governance maturity.
Why it stays clean — It asks for action against self-interest, not enthusiasm.
Follow-up probes —
- What changed your mind?
- Who did you tell?
- What happened to the users or budget afterwards?
Polite-answer trap — Useless/evasive: “We review things objectively.” Redirect: “Which effort did you personally decide was no longer worth continuing?”
Q08
Question — Which project or team in the firm usually becomes the first place to try a new tool or process, and why that one?
Uncovers — Pilot environment, adopter cluster, operational constraints, rollout path.
Why it stays clean — It asks where past trials have actually started.
Follow-up probes —
- What was last tried there?
- Who on that team made it possible?
- Which project or team refused to be first most recently?
Polite-answer trap — Useless/evasive: “We choose the right project for the trial.” Redirect: “Which project was last used as the first test site, and what made it suitable?”
Q09
Question — Which external relationship has helped the firm learn or adopt faster than it could alone?
Uncovers — Openness to outside expertise, trusted advisers, learning channels.
Why it stays clean — It asks for actual relationships and outcomes.
Follow-up probes —
- Who introduced that relationship?
- What did they help adopt or understand?
- Did the firm pay them, refer them, or keep them informal?
Polite-answer trap — Useless/evasive: “We learn from our network.” Redirect: “Which named person or firm changed what you did, not just what you knew?”
Q10
Question — What is the most recent example where the firm acted before competitors or peers seemed to act?
Uncovers — Early adopter behavior, timing advantage, market comparison, confidence.
Why it stays clean — It asks for a dated action rather than a self-label.
Follow-up probes —
- How did you know peers had not acted yet?
- What did it cost?
- Did the early move help, hurt, or make no difference?
Polite-answer trap — Useless/evasive: “We try to stay ahead.” Redirect: “Which specific action happened earlier than peers, and when?”