Active Questions help more than Passive Advice!

Wrestling with questions is better than receiving advice!  Consider some of these questions…

• What might you want to get clear about? 

• Where do you see God at work in your ministry? 

• What keeps you awake at 3 o’clock in the morning? 

• What if you ignore this argumentative person?

• What if you get up an hour earlier/later? 

• Where can you go to think? 

• How often do you rest? 

• What part of your day do you embrace? 

  And on and on the questions go!

In working with my clients, the first thing we get clear about is my method of doing this work.  Most modern-day coaches are trained in the fine art of asking questions.  And, we are trained in the disciplined work of active listening.  I ask questions to help you hear what you think.  And, I do active listening to help you keep moving forward.  These two techniques are much different than what people expect.

  Said one client, “I came to you looking for advice and you keep asking questions.  I’ve gotten nothing that I thought I would and I’ve gotten so much more than I could have imagined!”

  Giving advice is easy.  The “expert” hears your problem/challenge and then tells you how to fix/solve the dilemma.  Advice giving approaches everything in the same way.  The client tells what the struggle is.  The expert tells the client what to do.  The expert assumes no responsibility in the telling.  The expert moves on to overlay their “problem solving advice” on the next potential client.

  Coaching is partnership.  The client tells me some of their stress.  Together we explore options based on what my questions might uncover.  As coach, I help my clients hear what they are saying, thinking, needing.  My questions probe deeper and deeper until we come to some conclusions.  We then explore the answers to determine the best course of action. 

  Advice giving rarely leads to positive solutions.  It’s just ME telling YOU what I think.

  Coaching almost always leads to positive solutions.  The client and coach dig deep to explore together situations and solutions.  The coach supports the client in the implementation.  The client usually gets nothing they thought they would.  Almost always, the client goes away with more!

Wanna try this???  What’s keeping you from coaching?  What might happen if you reached out to me?