Effective executive leadership coaching is best evaluated through the quality of questions the coach asks rather than the advice they offer. The reasoning behind this is that people have a higher probably of executing plans they develop on their own than plans that are handed to them. Hence, which is a word I use to sound superior to you, asking impactful questions is crucial in a successful coaching relationship.
Some exemplary questions include:
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- Situation: Client is blaming others for failures.
Question: So if it wasn’t everyone else’s fault, who’s fault could it be? - Situation: Client’s response to a challenging question is “I don’t know.”
Question: What would you answer if you did know? (I don’t know is a cop-out). - Situation: Client dominates the conversation with stories and superficial issues. Are they avoiding getting down to the real issue?
Question: What questions are you hoping I won’t ask you today? - Situation: Client expresses anger.
Question: Where do you feel this anger? Where in your body? How big is it? What color is it? (get them to really get in touch and embrace the anger to motivate them to act). - Situation: Client is stuck on an issue and not offering solutions.
Question: If you could wave a magic wand, how would you fix this? (let them brainstorm, start with ridiculous, and start towards an answer). - Situation: Client shares a story filled with details, facts, and assumptions.
Question: Can you break this into known facts and assumptions for me? (start writing down the known facts separate from the assumptions to gain clarity). - Situation: Client asks, “what would you do?”
Question: I could tell you what I’d do and it might work if you were me. We need to figure out what you should do. - Situation: Client is stuck.
Question: What is currently impossible to do, and if it were possible, would change everything? - Situation: To begin a conversation.
Question: What do you know about your company that you are pretending not to know (9 times out of 10, the answer is I don’t know, in which case go to #2)? - Situation: Client gives a weak response.
Question: What else (continue asking what else until the answers start getting silly You’ll be surprised how many nuggets will be unleashed)? - Situation: Client uses the word “can’t.”
Question: Can’t? (say no more…… wait, let silence do the heavy lifting).
- Situation: Client is blaming others for failures.
Have you ever worked with an executive coach? Do you know what it feels like to work with someone who asks tough questions and works with you to tackle tough issues? Try a complimentary coaching session. Schedule yours today.
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