Agile Mooses List of Powerful Agile Coaching Questions
A place to start...
In the spirit of Michael Bungay Stanier’s – The Coaching Habit books’ seven questions, I’m channeling my own critical seven powerful coaching questions for Agile Coaches.
1. What is your professional journey story?
a. Or, what is your story?
Use this at the beginning of your coaching to build relationships, understanding, and empathy. You can use it with individuals, teams, and groups. It might also open an opportunity for you to share your story in your ongoing efforts to build relationships.
2. How are you?
This question needs to be delivered with genuine curiosity. It might also require patience as you build your relationship. It’s not a one-time question but should be used often. Genuine curiosity and caring are key, as is active and deep listening.
3. What keeps you up at night?
This is not about exploring fear but the challenges facing your coaching client. It’s also about showing empathy and better understanding the problemscape. Bring a systems view into play here. But early on, don’t fall into the solutioning trap.
4. How has (“Agile” or “agile”) delighted and/or disappointed you?
Using “agile” in its broadest sense can uncover misconceptions, misunderstandings, alignment gaps, and the need for education (teaching and mentoring). It can also find past agile failures and trauma for you to explore.
5. What do you want to see from…
a. Your team(s)? your colleagues?
b. Your direct reports?
c. Your organization?
d. Me?
These questions try to explore your client's vision for these groups. Try to explore the depth and breadth of the vision. Get dreamy and go big. It can provide you and the client with an expansive dreamscape. Also, try to develop metaphors here that represent their goals and vision.
6. What problem(s) are you trying to solve?
a. You may have to repeat it a few times (think 5 Why’s)
This is a place where you might want to use Appreciative Inquiry to “flip” from problems to potential strengths and opportunities. But first, listen and drill down into the issues without trying to solve them. Go deep with your client.
7. How can I partner with you on that?
a. Or, what is the most valuable thing I can do with you?
Building and achieving balance in your partnership is crucial to building a relationship. That said, get in the game with your client and deliver on your part and your promises. In fact, overdeliver.
8. How can I help you?
a. Or, what is the most valuable thing I can do for you?
This question uncovers more direct ways to gain skin in the game as a coach. Please don’t shy away from it and the inherent risks. Much more focused on Advising/Leading stance.
I want to give you a bonus question. This is most relevant for the Endgame of the coaching arc.
9. How can I improve my Agile Coaching for/with you?
This is your retrospective question. Inspire the conversation to be broad, deep, and focused on the value you deliver. Listen intently. Then, immediately begin to weave some of the feedback into reality.
The essence of each question has little to do with agile. It’s much more focused on establishing a solid relationship with your client, building your empathy, and joining them in the Arena.
Meta-Skills
To go along with the questions, I thought I’d share some complimentary meta-skills to exercise during your conversations—
Deep & Powerful Listening
Curiosity
No judgement
Empathy
Wrapping Up
The key to any coaching conversation is the conversation. Making it about, or focusing on, your client.
And connecting with them to help them solve their problems, meet their challenges, and deliver valuable business outcomes.
Now, how can I, or the Agile Moose, help You?
Stay agile, my friends,
Bob.
