Curated Questions: Conversations Celebrating the Power of Questions! Why the Right Question Feels Like an Invitation | Dr. Matt Lampe #46
"The meaning of your communication is the result you are getting." - Dr. Matt Lampe
With a Doctorate from Alliant International University's California School of Professional Psychology, Matt has dedicated his career to transforming how organizations approach change, leadership development, and workplace agility.
He is currently leading enterprise-wide organizational change efforts as part of Business Oregon's flagship modernization initiative, which focuses on aligning internal systems, strengthening operational infrastructure, and enhancing statewide service delivery to help businesses throughout Oregon.
Sponsored by the non-profit Science For Work, Matt hosts the "Science for Work Podcast," where he explores the science behind creating healthier, more effective work environments through conversations that translate heady scientific research findings into practical action steps.
His consulting practice helps organizations navigate complex transformations through change management, leadership development, strategic planning, and project management—combining data-driven insights with compelling storytelling.
Matt's philosophy centers on creating cultures where people can thrive. He's learned that data alone isn't enough to drive change; it's the combination of solid research with relatable storytelling that truly motivates action and engagement. And if that wasn't enough, he is also a contributing writer to PositivePsychology.com.
In this podcast episode, host Ken Woodward delves into the significance of questions in both professional and personal spheres with Dr. Matthew R. Lampe, an expert in organizational change and leadership development. Highlighting the vital role questions play in verifying communication, navigating change, and building trust, Matt shares insights from his experience in managing organizational transformations and personal growth.
The conversation also touches on the deep tradition of yearly trips to Yosemite, offering a unique perspective on how consistent reflection against an unchanging backdrop can facilitate personal growth and evolution. Additional elements include updates about the curated questions community, announcements of new features, and an introduction to the Science for Work Podcast.
Episode Notes
00:00 Introduction to Change Management
00:33 Engaging with the Audience
00:57 Podcast Updates and Announcements
03:16 Welcome to Curated Questions
04:00 Introducing Dr. Matthew R. Lampe
05:35 Matt's Early Curiosity and Career Beginnings
06:36 The Power of Questions in Sales
11:50 Transition to Organizational Psychology
14:10 The Role of Questions in Education
16:28 Maintaining Curiosity in Organizations
17:57 Fun and Empathy Through Questions
19:36 Questions in Change Management
24:21 Voluntary vs. Voluntold Change
29:23 Evolving Workplace Practices
30:59 Balancing Shareholder and Employee Needs
36:33 The Importance of Continuous Feedback
44:47 The Power of Asking the Right Questions
45:21 Potential Pitfalls of Questions
48:38 Understanding Workplace Survey Hesitancy
49:14 The Impact of Psychological Safety on Survey Responses
49:57 Challenges in Employee Engagement Surveys
52:28 Building Trust in Organizations
53:17 The Importance of Context in Asking Questions
54:55 Introducing the Science for Work Podcast
55:45 The Mission of Science for Work
56:52 The Role of Evidence-Based Research
57:45 Global Perspectives in Research
59:54 The Value of International Collaboration
01:03:30 Exploring the Concept of Place
01:05:51 Matt's Yosemite Tradition
01:06:49 The Significance of Nature in Personal Growth
01:08:45 Reflecting on Annual Traditions
01:09:55 The Power of Disconnecting from Technology
01:14:21 Memories and Family Legacy
01:20:57 The Awe of Nature
01:22:49 Final Reflections and Takeaways
Resources Mentioned
Science for Work Podcast with Matt Lampe
John Muir - The mountains are calling and I must go.
Questions Asked
When did you first understand the power of questions?
Why not?
Do you like blue? Do you wear a lot of blue? Do you only wear blue?
When you were doing sales, did you stumble into the gut feeling? Was it more of an empathy thing in making a little bit of that switch to inquiring instead of just assuming?
What about you?
What about the customer, the client, the person who is buying?
How can we develop and evolve the way that organizations operate so that there is more of that curiosity?
What motivates that?
What does living a good life look like?
What does that even mean when somebody says living a good life?
What are you gonna do when you graduate?
What's next?
Have you heard of organizational psychology?
Was there any particular role that questions played in the schooling portion?
Tell me more.
Is this working?
How is this landing?
How is it being received?
How am I communicating this?
What is the perception of this?
Are we still on track?
How is this resonating with them?
How do you keep curiosity fresh as you go into these organizations?
Why am I here?
What are we wanting to do?
How has that served you?
What does support look like for you?
How are questions assisting you?
What kind of heavy lift are questions doing to help you to help an organization accept the change they're undergoing?
How is this landing with you?
What are things that might change in your day-to-day behavior as we move through this, and how do we make sure that when we introduce this new piece or these new pieces, or these new processes, whatever it might be, are you prepared for it?
Did we provide the right resources, understanding, knowledge, education, information, and training so that you understand how this works?
Where are you in this process?
How are we meeting you, where you are?
How can we continue to build on that momentum so that he continues to champion and advocate for this new initiative?
You have a bunch of tools; which tool makes the most sense?
How are you doing through this?
How is your team doing through this?
What questions are still uncertain?
What are some gaps where we can provide some clarity?
What do resources look like to you?
What do people need in that moment?
How are the people actually doing?
How do we run the business to make sure that we keep the shareholders happy?
How do we make sure that this quarterly report bumps the share prices?
What could it look like if we did things a little bit differently?
What does the research say?
What is the metrics fatal flaw?
Do we fully understand what all the implications are?
What kind of behavior is that driving?
Where are we now blind as a result?
When you stop asking questions, is this working?
Is this still getting the result that we want?
Is this still working as intended?
What else is now a part of the equation that we didn't realize or that we didn't know, or that wasn't even around when we first started using this?
Does this still work?
Does this actually make sense for our organization?
Have you stumbled across any questions that are ineffective
Am I asking the question with genuine curiosity, or am I approaching it with an agenda where I want to get a specific answer from you to help my case?
What is your process for figuring that out?
What is your experience here?
What was the end result that we were trying to understand, and is there a different way we can ask that?
Was there a specific situation or a specific event that disrupted or broke any sense of trust?
What does it look like without having that trust?
If we had more trust, what would it look like to you?
Do others feel the same way?
Who else can I talk to?
Who else would I want to talk to?
Who do you go to when you need to talk to somebody?
Why are you asking about my blood pressure?
When you did this research, what did you find; what does that look like in practice?
If somebody was listening and they said, this all sounds great, but how can I start doing this today, what would you suggest?
When you found this, what was the most surprising insight? Where do you think that this will continue to go?
What's working there?
How are you doing that?
How is that impacting?
Does that make sense?
What influences this?
What are the behaviors that you're doing?
What does the data say on this?
What components are similar between the two that could actually translate over with an impact?
Whose stories have we not yet heard that can reciprocate back some of that benefit?
Can you tell me about your Yosemite story and, what that tradition has looked like?
Where are we riding our bikes today? What hike are we doing? Can we go to the river here? Can we jump in there? Can we go see this? Can we go do that?
When I come back, do I want all those things piled up and waiting, or do I wanna pull some of those things off the plate?
Do I wanna be able to come back to a different experience?
When I come back down the mountain, what do I want to carry back with me into the rest of my life, into everyday life?
What do I want that to look like?
Do I still want to have the hustle and the grind and the busyness that I have right now? Or do I want to reevaluate and sort of bring to a close some of those things that I've really enjoyed?
How long have we been coming up here?
What is your right now question?
What does balance look like?
Do you wanna do this? Do you want to go there? Do you wanna be a part of this? Can you help with that?
What does that balance look like in order for me to make space for those opportunities?
What does it look like to make work better?
Is there anything else we need to address, or anything we may have missed?
What is the motivation for you, or what has prompted you to host and have curated questions?
In your next meaningful conversation, what would change if you replaced your prepared questions with curiosity and simply saying "tell me more"?
What important message have you assumed was understood without ever verifying how it actually landed?
What system in your life, personal or professional, are you following without questioning whether it still serves its intended purpose?
What would become possible if you regularly created spaces completely disconnected from your daily demands to reflect on what truly deserves your energy?