Tip 170 - Communication Skill Coaching Competency 2: Ask Questions

Asking the right questions may be one of the most powerful tools in your coaching toolbox. They demonstrate that you are listening, provide the means for gaining more information and knowledge, strengthen a relationship because questioning shows you care and clarify communication.

In coaching situations, asking questions is rarely about finding the correct answer; it is more about what your leader learns through the questioning process. Powerful questions are a successful link to that process. They help your leaders explore alternative solutions, make progress toward their goals, discover different ways to consider how they see leadership, gain insight into themselves, and make decisions that move them closer to what they want.

Powerful questions generate creative thoughts and stimulate reflective conversations. Leaders turn to powerful questions over and over in their minds and touch a deeper meaning. They are thought-provoking questions that may lead to thinking, behaving, and leading differently.

The best powerful questions come naturally. Practice by finding opportunities to formulate and ask powerful questions in all your personal and professional settings. Observe others as they ask questions and reflect on the kind of questions that seem to lead to the best outcomes, understandings, and results.