Professional Coaching is all about asking questions, listening actively and focusing on your client. If you are able to do that and you really, sincerely care for your client (who I personally prefer to call “Coaching Partner”), and relentlessly believe that your Coaching Partner is capable of achieving her goals, you are bound to become a good coach, if you’re not there yet. No rocket science, though it is not easy for many people to get to that point of connection which is required, if not mandatory, for coaching to be as powerful and successful as it is meant to. Hence, if you are not interested in getting connected to another human being the coaching way, you can stop your reading here.
Ok, now that we are among us, let’s focus on the technical side of it.
Given that, as coaches, we are required (and we should all be happy with that) to talk less and listen more, sometimes we have to speak. Summarizing and rephrasing, of course, but most of all it is questioning our biggest talk. Basic rules, such as “the simpler, the better”, “be consciously disruptive”, “gently challenge your coaching partner”, “if you feel you can dig deeper, do it”, and powerful questioning become an intriguing and fascinating exercise for coaches in any field. Questions that you always use, and questions that you use once in a while, and others that suddenly come to your mind like if they are asking you to be asked. Questions that sound obvious and are not, and vice versa. Questions which are there just to take you to another question, and questions which are transformative per se. “Never stop asking” is not just the BBC News motto, but it is also our mission (or at least a part of it) as coaches.
Let’s go straight to the point. So, for you, what is the best coaching question ever? Would you like to share it here?
I have a few of them, and two for all: “If you do not know what you want, make a list of what you do not want”. And: ”And now, where do we go from here?”.
I invite you to add yours, do feel free to share!
PS If you are not a professional coach and you are interested in having your say (mostly welcome!), please post open questions if possible :-)
Ok, now that we are among us, let’s focus on the technical side of it.
Given that, as coaches, we are required (and we should all be happy with that) to talk less and listen more, sometimes we have to speak. Summarizing and rephrasing, of course, but most of all it is questioning our biggest talk. Basic rules, such as “the simpler, the better”, “be consciously disruptive”, “gently challenge your coaching partner”, “if you feel you can dig deeper, do it”, and powerful questioning become an intriguing and fascinating exercise for coaches in any field. Questions that you always use, and questions that you use once in a while, and others that suddenly come to your mind like if they are asking you to be asked. Questions that sound obvious and are not, and vice versa. Questions which are there just to take you to another question, and questions which are transformative per se. “Never stop asking” is not just the BBC News motto, but it is also our mission (or at least a part of it) as coaches.
Let’s go straight to the point. So, for you, what is the best coaching question ever? Would you like to share it here?
I have a few of them, and two for all: “If you do not know what you want, make a list of what you do not want”. And: ”And now, where do we go from here?”.
I invite you to add yours, do feel free to share!
PS If you are not a professional coach and you are interested in having your say (mostly welcome!), please post open questions if possible :-)
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