Question Questions Questions

At the heart of coaching is the ability and skill of being able of ask the right questions in the right way at the right time. Questions are the life blood of coaching - especially executive and business coaching because they prompt the client to think about what they are doing or thinking. The prompt the client to think harder and come up with their own responses to whatever it is they are trying to achieve or struggle with. This is critical in coaching and differentiates it from simply giving advice or counselling (in some styles). Clients are not always in the best position to ask themselves the right questions. It often takes an 'outsider' to put things to them that may well not occur to them. Seeing the wood for the trees is essential for most managers and executives but being among the trees so much makes this difficult. Questions have the power to elevate people out of the trees to see the wood. Or indeed vice versa ... looking at the wood from a distance can alienate you from the detail of the trees. A question put in the right way at the right time liberates, challenges and galvanizes the client - I'll be saying more about this soon and suggesting a movie you just have to watch to understand this.

My Experience of Public Speaking

I speak in public pretty often. Didn't always. In fact I hated it at one time. But I learn a few brilliant techniques that I now teach to other people. Many of theme start out speaking in public because they have to and they too hate it. But as they learn key techniques they learn to cope - many learn to love it. I am going to use this blog to chart my many experiences of public speaking and training and coaching others.