GROWing effective coaching questions
Wed, 2009-12-23 12:22 — Sami Honkonen, Arto Eskelinen
Level: Practicing
Questions are a great tool for driving a conversation. However, some questions lead to unproductive states, which prevent learning. Good questions are aimed at descriptive answers that let us explore options freely. We will talk about the characteristics of good questions and exercise creating them. The skill of generating open questions is beneficial for all.
We will also introduce a structure for discussions called GROW. GROW consists of four phases: Goal, Reality, Options and What. Participants will be facilitated to generate questions for coaching a team through an obstacle using GROW.
Process/Mechanics
- (5 mins) Lecture: role of coach - create awareness and responsibility
- (5 mins) Lecture: questions as a tool to drive conversation, characteristics of good (and bad) questions
- (10 mins) Facilitated exercise: generating good questions
- (5 mins) Lecture: structure for coaching sessions (GROW)
- (5 mins) Lecture: Setting goals
- (10 mins) Facilitated exercise: questions for setting goals
- (5 mins) Lecture: Talking about reality (= current situation)
- (10 mins) Facilitated exercise: questions for reality
- (5 mins) Lecture: Talking about options
- (10 mins) Facilitated exercise: questions for generating options
- (5 mins) Lecture: Talking about what to do
- (10 mins) Facilitated exercise: questions that encourage action
- (5 mins) Facilitated exercise: wrap up, key learnings
Learning outcomes
- importance of open questions
- using questions to drive a conversation
- asking open questions that lead to descriptive answers
- GROW - structure for asking questions
- exercise on the above
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