If you could change one thing about the organization, what would it be? What's a potential benefit that we could offer that would be helpful to you?

As John Wooden, the legendary and highly successful basketball coach, declared, “It's what you learn after you know everything that counts.”

We have probably all heard the adage, you become what you think about. What perhaps is even more true is that we become what we ask about. The people who are the most successful in life do not get to the top because of what happens to them or the statements that they make to others; they get to the top because of how they question what happens to

Insight Questions Where do you see yourself in 2,5,10? What do you want to be doing? To reach your goal, what skills and knowledge will you need? What kinds of experiences will prepare you to be successful? What might you need more of?12

I have gone from trying to find solutions to often superficial symptoms to now getting to the real problem. I am actually a better problem solver because I am a better problem identifier.

What are the most important goals of each side? How can we generate options that can be used to solve the problem? What objective criteria will we use as a basis for our decisions?

Similarly, have you asked so‐and‐so what his concerns are? can be used to offer someone the option of inviting so‐and‐so to speak about his priorities.

Here are some examples of questions asked from the learning mindset, according to Adams: What's good or useful about this? What possibilities does this open up? What can we do about this? How can we stay on track? What can we learn from this?

Bobb Biehl, executive mentor and founder of Masterplanning Group International, has worked one‐to‐one with over 5,000 executives. Here are seven of Bobb's favorite questions: