Asking Great Questions

So why do coaches ask questions anyway?

John Whitmore in his ‘Coaching for Performance’ book says about questions;

“the answers are of secondary importance. The information is not for me (the coach) to make use of and may not have to be complete. I only need to know that the coachee has the necessary information. The answers given by the coachee frequently indicate to the coach the line to follow with subsequent questions, while at the same time enabling him to monitor whether the coachee is following a productive track, or one that is in line with the purpose or goals”

Here are our top tips for developing your questioning skills as a coach...

• Use effective questions – telling or asking closed questions keeps people from having to think

• Ask open questions as it causes them to think for themselves

• Ask questions that generate awareness and responsibility

• The most effective questions begin with “WHAT” “WHEN” and “WHO”

• “WHY” is discouraged

Powerful coaching questions have 5 key characteristics: 

• They usually begin with the word ‘what’

• They lead to action

• Oriented towards goals rather than problems

• Future focused rather than past

• Contain powerful assumptions that are helpful for the coachee

Components of questioning:

• Break the habit of only making statements

• Ask questions that invite exploration and produce a solution

• Avoid asking questions that lead the person to your conclusion

• Use neutral non-judgemental language

• Develop your own list of good open questions

• Practice, practice, practice

Types of questions:

• Leading questions – prompts or encourages the answer wanted – not effective when coaching

• Closed questions – commands a yes or no answer – less effective when coaching

• Open questions – gets people thinking – effective when coaching

• Probing questions – gets people thinking more deeply – effective when coaching

• Neutral questions – does not direct or bias the answer – effective when coaching

The most effective questions...

• Compel attention, observation and thought

• Focus for precision and detail

• Generate a rich feedback loop

Constructing questions:

• Ask open and probing questions (for facts and details, use caution when asking ‘why’ and ‘how’)

• Start broad, then narrow to generate focus

• Follow their interest and use their words

• Be non-judgmental

Process:

​​For a list of powerful questions to ask at each stage of a coaching conversation click on the button below: