These questions are perfect for coaching someone to come up with the solutions to their own challenges and problems. No more do you have to foster a team that’s reliant on you for all the answers.
These questions challenge people to come up with the answers, while you guide and support them through the process.
Remember, treat these questions like a buffet – take what you like and leave what you don’t. Depending upon your situation and the individual you’re coaching, all questions don’t work for everyone, which is why you have a list to choose from. Keep in mind, you can always use these questions for some self-coaching to challenge yourself and increase your level of awareness.
- If you were me, how would you coach yourself around this?
- What do you suggest?
- Listen to what you just said. What are you hearing?
- What’s the outcome that you’re looking to achieve?
- How have you typically handled something like this in the past?
- What are some of the ideas you thought of that might work?
- What’s the first thing that you need to do to resolve this?
- What resources do you have available that might help?
- What process can you put into place to make sure you consistently achieve the results you want?
- What question, if you had the answer, would give you the solution you’re looking for? (What question, if you knew the answer, would solve that problem? What do you need to ask yourself?)
- How should I coach you on this one?
- Why is that important to you?
- What did you just hear?
- If you had to (generate more qualified prospects, boost the effectiveness of your presentations, qualify your prospects better, get more organized, etc.), what would that process look like?
- Imagine for a moment that you are the client. How might you respond to your approach?
- If you want to generate a specific response from your customers after presenting a solution to them, what approach do you think may be more effective?
- If you were the coach in this situation, what changes would you like to see?
Photo Credit: Bruce Guenter
