Questions questions

“Neuro-psychologists have demonstrated that the parts of the brain that are used by a coachee when a question is asked are different from those used when someone receives an instruction,” says psychologist Jonathan Passmore, programme director of the Masters in Coaching Psychology course and director of the Coaching Psychology Unit at the University of East London, quoted in Personneltoday.com.

 

This comes from a useful article written by Stephanie Sparrow which first appeared in “Training and Coaching Today” and points to evidence of the science behind coaching: if an executive coach can ask their client the right questions they can stimulate their client’s brain in a new way and generate new insight. However, as the piece goes on to point out, too many questions can get in the way of listening and according to Erik de Haan of the Ashridge Centre of Coaching, “asking only a few questions is the mark of a successful coach”. Sparrow also lays out five useful coaching questions suggested by de Haan together with the intention behind them:

 

Question: Why is this issue important for you now?

Intention: To discover more about the relationship between the coachee and the issue.

 

Question: What do you expect from coaching?

Intention: To establish objectives for the coaching.

 

Question: Where have you come across a similar issue?

Intention: To find out more about the coachee’s reaction to past challenges.

 

Question: What would you advise yourself?

Intention: To help the coachee take responsibility.

 

Question: If this is a symptom of something else, what is that?

Intention: To bring out another dimension of the problem.

 

I look forward to readers sharing their own favourite executive coaching questions…