Coaching World Issue 20: Industry Trends & Insights | Page 10

From the Toolbox

Oh, the Questions We Ask
Core Competency #6

Powerful Questioning
Ability to ask questions that reveal the information needed for maximum benefit
to the coaching relationship and the client.

“Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers
are simple.” —Dr. Seuss
Are our questions too complicated? Alternatively, how can we simplify
our questions?
As professional coaches, we need to reflect on our questions to ensure they are
powerful. Clients’ responses open opportunities to move forward or change. What
impact do vague or meandering questions have on clients’ ability to reflect, proceed and
transform? I say, “When our questions are powerful, the answers become clear.”
Many novices learn to ask powerful questions with a model. To be transform ative, we
need to show up and bring our “Seuss-like” sense of wonder, curiosity, deep listening
and intuition to the fore.
Below are my top five tips to improve your questions. Don’t discount their importance
due to their simplicity.

10

Coaching World

Barb Girson, ACC

Barb has more than 20 years
of experience in training,
coaching, business consulting
and facilitation. Her custom
training and Executive Coaching
programs help companies,
teams and entrepreneurs gain
confidence, get into action and
grow. She is the president of
ICF Columbus and a member
of the Worldwide Association of
Business Coaches. Learn more
about Barb at
www.mysalestactics.com.

1. Keep questions short
and simple.
A Mentor Coach I once worked with
challenged me to shorten my questions to
seven words or less. This was difficult to
hear after I had spent much effort working
on this competency, and it initially threw
me into self-consciously thinking about
my delivery while coaching—and back to a
beginner’s mindset.
This exercise helped me internalize the
knowledge that the more complicated and

convoluted our questions are, the harder
they are to process. Lengthy questions
freeze our clients’ minds just as sending
multiple keyboard commands does to
our computer. Everything locks up, and
our clients metaphorically need to press
control-alt-delete.
To help you create an awareness of
shorter questions, see “KISS,” at right. My
favorite example is, “What else?”
Try the seven-word challenge and reflect.
What does forming shorter questions do
for your coaching? How so?