Develop a repertoire of open-ended coaching questions that you feel comfortable using. Some of my favorites include: • What is the issue? Can you bottom-line it for me?

Open-ended questions. As opposed to a close-ended question (one that can be answered with a simple “yes” or “no”), an open-ended question elicits a longer, more thoughtful response.

The next time you’re coaching and have a burning desire to give a suggestion, see if framing your suggestion as an observation works better than masking it as a question.

It also discusses open-ended questions for counseling that you might encounter during your sessions and how such questions can also be used in everyday conversations.

A conversation naturally unfolds with an exchange of open-ended questions and listening, even if the topic is sensitive. In these conversations, challenging business problems or sticky team dynamics ...