From long experience as a coach trainer I have noticed there are many question asking mistakes that can be made. Here’s two examples of asking mistakes coaches make. Question Asking Mistakes #1. Closed Questions Our #1 offender is—closed questions! Open questions have two important benefits: they let the coachee direct the conversation (you can answer […]

One of the biggest stumbling blocks for beginning coaches is the quest for the Holy Grail: the coaching question that will unlock the secrets of the universe for the client. Before each question there is a long, awkward pause while we search our mind for just the right thing to say—and meanwhile the momentum of

“Can you give us some more great coaching questions? Do you have a list of them anywhere?” Fielding that request over and over in coach training workshops provided the original impetus to write Coaching Questions. It’s a way to share some of the great questions I’ve collected and used (or that have popped into my

Why ask? What’s the benefit of using coaching questions instead of advising or telling in a mentor or consultant role? Quite simply, questions hold the power to cause us think, create answers we believe in, and motivate us to act on our ideas. Asking moves us beyond passive acceptance of what others say, or staying

Sharing authentic life stories is a great way to catalyze a deeper coaching relationship. Here’s a way to use your stories in a friendship, coaching situation or peer relationship to take your relational intimacy to the next level. The value of your peer relationship depends a lot on how much you open up to each

During the research I did for The Calling Journey (a book for life coaches on coaching transitions and the stages of Christian life purpose), one of the most interesting findings was how prevalent difficult late-life transitions were for mature leaders. Here are some common characteristics I observed: Being ejected from a long-time role. Loss of

The search for life meaning and purpose is as old as humanity itself. In some of his first words to mankind, God gave Adam and Eve a life mission: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it…” Our sense of purpose about life is rooted in the way we were made. We