Powerful Questions

(Taken from the latest issue of my newsletter)

One of the ways in which you can help yourself to make progress in your life and work is to know good questions to ask. Here are some of my favourites. Over the next few issues of my newsletter I will be dealing with some of them in detail.

What needs to be done now?
What am I resisting about this?
What will happen if I do nothing?
How would you like this to be?
What am I prepared to do about this?
Could I let go of this?
What’s the one thing that would have the greatest effect if I did it ?
What isn’t working?

These are of course not just questions you can ask yourself. They are questions you can ask other people who come to you with problems. For instance it’s probably much more helpful to ask someone “How would you like this to be?”, than to say what most people say in similar circumstances: “If I were you, I’d. . .”

There are lots more powerful questions of course. Let me know in the comments about your favourites.

Comments

[Bruce]

Good questions!

I expect most coaches at least know this one. You have to ask it with a poker face.
Coach: What would you like situation X to be like?
Client: I don't know.
Coach: What would it be like if you did know?
Client: Well ... [long and detailed answer].

Works almost every time except on my 7 year old niece.