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Any good coach asks their players (people who are being coached)
questions. A great coach asks questions that open doors to help
their players achieve things they never dreamed were possible.
Surprising to some, answers are not the most potent tool a coach
has. Questions are! Questions empower people to invent their own
answers and solutions, thus developing them for future
challenges.
To discover new possible actions or to move your players toward
their intended objectives, always ask these 5 most powerful
questions:
1. What must happen? What specific, interim outcomes should be
accomplished in the timeframe to achieve your ultimate
objective? Depending on the objective, this could be the next
day, week, or month.
2. Why do you think so? Examine reasons for the selection of
interim outcomes. Are there more important or more urgent
outcomes that may have been overlooked?
3. How might that be accomplished? Explore a number of
approaches and alternatives. Keep exploring until all known
options are exhausted and begin to create new ones. Select
actions from the list that will help achieve the interim or
partial outcomes.
4. Who will/should/could be the one(s) to do it? Who will
perform the tasks? Is it you or should you delegate the action
to an employee or request a colleague to do it?
5. When must this be accomplished? Set specific dates of
completion for each of your objectives.
Responses to these five questions will form a plan to help
players realize their objectives. But, it shouldn't stop there.
Arm yourself with a cornucopia of possible questions. Then, and
only then, can you unlock new creative pathways and help your
player achieve their dreams.
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