I think “And what else?” is the best coaching question in the world. It does two things: It extends the period of curiosity, and it tames your advice monster.
Saved by Matthew Thompson and
I think “And what else?” is the best coaching question in the world. It does two things: It extends the period of curiosity, and it tames your advice monster.
The way I define coaching is behavioral. Can you stay curious a little bit longer? Can you rush to action and advice-giving a little bit more slowly?
The single best advice I ever got on conversation is “ask questions the other person will enjoy answering” which sounds insultingly obvious, but almost nobody does it, and it instantly makes conversations vastly more fun.
Henry Shevlin • Tweet
“What was it like the first time you…?”
“What’s your interpretation of…?”
“Which way do you see this going in the future…?”
“If you were to walk someone through how to do this, what would the steps be…?”
“How would you solve this…?”
Dig deeper by asking quick follow-up questions. Golden information comes the deeper into a conversation you go.
Pat Flynn • Will It Fly?: How to Test Your Next Business Idea So You Don't Waste Your Time and Money
Adaptive Curiosity
High ones ask the right questions:
• They challenge assumptions before making decisions.
• Treat failure as a puzzle to solve, not a roadblock.
• Always seek to learn from others.
Quick tip: Ask someone on your team, “What’s one thing I could improve?”