Published : Saturday, June 16, 2012 00:00 Article Views : 112 Written by : MOJE RAMOS-AQUINO, FPM

WE have a tendency to spoon-feed our coachee especially when we think we have all the answers. Effective coaching and mentoring asks questions, not provide answers.

Questions are very powerful tools and are very empowering. They work like magic. Here are some benefits of questioning and, from the book Co-Active Coaching (ISBN978-089106198-4) here are some examples:

Provocative questions make us think for ourselves and explore possibilities. Example, what do you want? What is it to have a full rich life? What is it to be powerful? What is it to be always present and punctual? What do you regret or resent? What are you unwilling to change? Where are you slowing down?

Questions encourage us to look at different perspective, different sides of the coin, so to speak. Example, what are possibilities? If you had your choice, what would you do? What are possible solutions? What will happen if you do, and what will happen if you dont? What options can you create?

They enable us to explore and look deeper, wider, intensively, extensively at the focal point. What is here that you want to explore? What part of the situation have you not yet explored? What other angles can you think of? What is just one more possibility? What are your other options?

They motivate, capture, hold and sustain attention and interest of our coachee. What do you need in order to reach your goals? What is the distinction between feeling good and fulfillment? Great goals are compelling; vague goals are forgotten. Which type are your goals? What is it to be undaunted? What is it to speak from and act from the heart? What is it to be tenacious? What is it to be passionate?

They are diagnostic tools to analyze readiness of our coachee and their difficulties in learning and doing the tasks at hand. How do you operate? What is choice? What is it to choose? What is the difference between a wish and a goal? What is present when you are at your best? What is your structure to win?

They help sort, organize, synthesize and evaluate data, information and lessons learned. What works? If you got it, what would you have? How do you know you have reached it? What is your conclusion? Hows this working? How would you describe it? What do you think this all amounts to? How would you summarize the effort so far?

Also, from data and information, questions can help the coachee generalize and find applications for lessons learned. If your life depended on taking actions, what would you do? Where do you go from here? What are your next steps?

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Effective coaching and mentoring through questions, not answers