Agile Coaches' Corner How to Ask Powerful Questions with Christy Erbeck
This week, Dan Neumann is joined by a special return guest — Christy Erbeck! Christy is a Principal Transformation Consultant at AgileThought and a Certified Dare to Lead™ Facilitator. She has over 25 years of experience in domestic and international consulting, training and coaching, and working in both software development and non-product-focused environments, including manufacturing (discrete and process), distribution, and sales and marketing.
Today, they’re going to be exploring the topic of how to ask powerful questions. Powerful questions can lead to powerful change if they are asked in the right way. In this episode, Christy explains what makes a question powerful vs. a not-so-powerful one, how to ask powerful questions, when and when not to ask a powerful question, and important qualities and skills for a facilitator or coach to have that is asking these powerful questions. Christy also shares some fantastic resources for further reading on the subject and provides some examples of what powerful questions look like!
Key Takeaways
What makes a ‘powerful question?’
A powerful question is one that gets the person being asked to think about the situation in a way that they may not have if the question had not been asked
Powerful questions elicit a thoughtful response
They provide a way to help the individual being asked to become ‘unstuck’
The Co-Active Training Institute defines a powerful question as: “A provocative query that puts a halt to evasion and confusion”
The person asking the question is inviting the client to clarity, action, and discovery at an entirely new level
They help people think differently
How to ask powerful questions:
Kickstart coaching sessions by asking, “What’s on your mind?” to simply begin the conversation in a way that allows the coachee to bring forward a topic in a way that is non-judgemental and invites additional inquiry
Ask a question in a neutral way versus a ‘loaded’ way
Stay neutral and ask the question in a curious way rather than in a judgemental way
Use the Five Whys technique
Take into consideration the layering and sequencing of the questions you’re asking
Make sure that the person you’re engaging with is interested and engaged
Ask yourself if you have earned the right to ask the question in the first place (i.e. a level of mutual respect has been reached and the person being asked believes you to be credible)
Important qualities and skills for a facilitator or coach asking these powerful questions to have:
Understand what type of questions or decision-making needs to happen in the moment
Understand the different types of questions and the different intents and outcomes that those questions will provide
Have a natural curiosity and perspective of care when working with clients
Create space and allow for silence for people to answer the questions
When shouldn’t you ask a powerful question?
When you don’t have time to debrief and explore
Potentially, in a group setting (it is important to consider the dynamic of the room)
Ask yourself, “Is now the time to ask this question?” because the trust and safety may not be strong enough yet to be asking certain questions
Questions that are uninvited, at an inappropriate time, or out of line
Examples of powerful questions:
“What do we need to do to wrap this up and have clarity around our next steps?”
“What’s preventing us from moving forward?”
“What’s keeping [decision] from actually being enacted?”
“Tell me more” questions
Clarification questions
Open-ended questions such as who, what, when, where, why, and how
Powerful resources to learn more about powerful questions:
The Co-Active Training Institute
The Coaching Habit, by Michael Bungay Stanier
The Complete Book of Questions, by Garry D. Poole
Vertellis — a card game
Mentioned in this Episode:
The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever, by Michael Bungay Stanier
The Complete Book of Questions: 1001 Conversation Starters for Any Occasion, by Garry D. Poole
Christy Erbeck’s Book Picks:
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