In this episode of the Nico Misleh Podcast, Nico shared a small, unassuming moment that revealed a pattern he had carried for years. At a live event, a colleague handed him a coffee mug with the words “Great question” printed on it. The room laughed because many people recognized the phrase as something Nico said often. That mug did more than spark a joke. It kicked off a reflection on why that short response matters so much in medicine, teaching, and business.
More Than A Catchphrase: The Power Behind The Words
Saying “great question” is not an empty compliment. For Nico, it became a ritual of safety. The phrase tells a person that their curiosity is welcome, their uncertainty is expected, and their vulnerability will be held with respect. In a clinic or classroom, one small sentence can stop someone from prefacing their question with “sorry” or “this might be dumb.” That shift matters because when someone hides uncertainty, mistakes increase, and growth stalls.
Lessons Learned From Mentors
Nico traced the habit back to his early clinical days working on a neurotrauma unit, where two mentors shaped his approach. They met mistakes with calm, used explanation instead of shame, and closed every day with kindness. Those mentors treated questions as opportunities to teach rather than moments to criticize. In turn, Nico chose to replicate that treatment when he became a mentor himself. The result was clear: students who felt safe asked more, learned more, and stayed in the profession.
How Culture Beats Checklist Culture
Culture is often dismissed as soft. Nico argues it is the invisible architecture of every successful team. He pointed to a simple comparison: Chick-fil-A’s signature sign-off, “my pleasure”, and its consistent employee behavior. That phrase isn’t measurable on a spreadsheet the way revenue or KPIs are, yet it helps shape hiring, training, and customer experience. A short, sincere phrase repeated across a team becomes a reliable signal of what the organization values.
What “Great Question” Does In Practice
When a clinician, manager, or parent answers with “great question” instead of an eye roll, several things happen:
- The asker relaxes and becomes open to learning.
- Trust builds faster between people who may have to move quickly together.
- Repeated vulnerability leads to stronger teams and fewer hidden mistakes.
Three Concrete Steps To Start Using It
- Stop the pre-judgment reflex. When a question arrives, pause for a breath before reacting.
- Respond with a phrase that signals welcome. It can be “great question”, “tell me more”, or your own variation that feels authentic.
- Follow the phrase with practical help: clarify, explain, or show how to correct the course without shaming.
Where This Works
This approach is useful across settings: healthcare teams, classrooms, family conversations, and customer service. It helps when people must build rapport quickly, when mistakes carry risk, and when learning depends on asking the right questions. It is also a brand-building tool. A simple, repeated courteous phrase weaves into the identity of a practice or business and attracts people who want to belong to that culture.
Welcoming questions does not mean tolerating poor standards. It means creating a structure where mistakes are corrected with dignity and curiosity. That yields better performance. People will give honest updates, report errors faster, and feel more invested in collective improvement. In other words, kindness is efficiency disguised as compassion.
Nico suggests trying the phrase out for seven days. Use it with team members, trainees, and family. Notice changes: quieter people speaking up, fewer prefaced apologies, faster problem solving, and a different tone in interactions. Small rituals create outsized results when repeated consistently.
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FAQ
Q: What exactly does saying “great question” accomplish in a practical way?
A: It signals welcome and reduces the shame attached to uncertainty. Practically, that increases honest communication, speeds problem-solving, and lowers the chance that people hide errors. The phrase primes the conversation to be instructional rather than punitive.
Q: Is this approach effective in fast-paced environments like emergency care?
A: Yes. Even in urgent settings, a brief signal of receptivity builds trust quickly. The goal is not long conversations but rapid, respectful acknowledgment that enables immediate collaboration and clarity.
Q: How can a business make this a habit across an entire team?
A: Embed it in training, role-model it from leadership, and make it a visible part of the team’s values. Reinforce it in hiring and feedback loops so the phrase becomes more than words; it becomes a shared practice.
Q: What if someone abuses the safety and asks trivial or repeated questions?A: Safety should be paired with boundaries. Acknowledge the question, then guide the person toward resources or a better way to find answers. The aim is to teach independence while preserving dignity.
