A Coaching Challenge:

Stacking Questions

It's a common scenario: A coach asks a question, and then another, and perhaps another before the coachee begins to answer. Why? Perhaps the coach is excited, or nervous, or second-guessing themselves. Perhaps the coachee has been hesitant and quiet, and the coach is trying to hit on the question that finally inspires a response. Whatever the cause, asking a series of questions all together -- referred to as stacking, or sometimes stringing, questions -- can reduce the effectiveness of the conversation. The coachee may become confused about what to answer; the coach may lose focus; fruitful lines of questioning may be abandoned. 

Coaches, how can you avoid stacking questions? Start with honoring processing time -- for both yourself and your coachee. As executive coach Antonia Bowring notes in this article in Forbes, "A good coach is comfortable with pauses." If you notice that you tend to ask a series of questions together, investigate the cause.  

• Do you speak before you think, and then feel the need to clarify and reword? You may benefit from taking time to think through the clearest, most concise question before you speak.

• Are you uncomfortable with silence if the coachee doesn't respond right away? Remember that the coachee may need some quiet time to process the question.

• Does your head fill with ideas of questions you would like to ask? Shift your attention away from your busy mind (perhaps by writing down questions you want to remember) and toward listening to what the coachee is communicating. 

Processing time is your friend -- when you honor the need to process, you increase clarity, focus, and understanding. In this case, less (questioning) is more.

Bottom line: slow down and trust the process. You've got this. 

Sign up today to learn more coaching tactics:

1 Day Introduction to Coaching

Saturday, April 23