Create Thriving Workplaces By Asking Better Questions with Garin Rouch

Coaches, consultants, and leaders know the power of asking questions in order to find the next step in unlocking a barrier or solving a problem.

For Garin Rouch, asking the right questions is a superpower, one with a lot of consequences, since he's building better workplaces where hopefully people can thrive.

Garin Rouch is an Organization Development expert with over 25 years of experience, working with leaders and teams to unlock the barriers that prevent higher performance. Garin is also the Co-Founder of Distinction Consulting and he’s the co-host of the OrgDev Podcast, both with his business partner, Dani Bacon.

One of the things he’s learned in that time is the best solutions come from within those organizations by the people closest to the problems, and tapping into their sense of agency and ownership to develop and implement solutions.

I’m curious to learn more about the role of joy in achieving our potential, and in each episode of season 2, we are diving into joy. And Garin is great in getting out of his comfort zone here to share his satisfaction, or joy, with creating workplaces that thrive.

Garin is quick to point out the value in being an effective consultant is not in having the right answers, it’s in asking the right questions.

 In this episode, Garin answers the following questions:
- How do I become a better consultant?
- How do you stand out in consulting?
- How to create better workplaces?
- What is Organization Development?

My favorite quote from the episode: “If I had one wish for organizations, it’s just slow down.”

This resonated deeply with me, and I want to make it more personal: leaders, slow down. Mistakes were never made by going too slow, but by going to fast. And as Ferris Buehler said, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

What I know to be true about the episode: Garin is a voracious learner. He consumes a lot of Org Dev, teaming, neuroscience, an leadership content. If there’s ever an Org Dev pub trivia night, I want Garin on my team.

What I learned from the episode: I am reminded how grateful I am to be able to connect with people like Garin from around the world who are working on similar efforts, with the purpose to improve the conditions of workplaces so people can thrive and flourish. 

Resources mentioned in the episode:
-  Consulting firm Garin co-founded: Distinction http://www.distinction.live

- Org Dev Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@distinctionconsulting

- Book: “Polarity Intelligence: The Missing Logic in Leadership” by Tracy Christopherson and Michelle Troseth: https://bookshop.org/p/books/polarity-intelligence-the-missing-logic-in-leadership-tracy-christopherson/19948202?ean=9781636981888

- Podcast: “The Ready” https://www.youtube.com/@the-ready

Keywords
#BetterWorkplaces #AskQuestions #OrganizationDevelopment

Music in this episode by Ian Kastner.
"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superhero power, so that we can learn something about the special talent in each of us which allows us to connect more deeply with our purpose and achieve our potential.

For more info about the podcast or to check out more episodes, go to: https://whatdoyouknowtobetrue.com/

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is hosted by Roger Kastner, is a production of Three Blue Pens, and is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-la