Logan Leadership

This entry is part of a week-long series on powerful coaching questions.

Sometimes in coaching we can spend a great deal of time identifying the key issues, brainstorming potential solutions, and crafting a plan for change. But all of this comes to nothing if we don’t conclude with one simple question: What’s next?

This question moves us away from the often overwhelming bird’s eye view of a complex issue and helps us zero in on the one next step we need to take.  Only with questions like “What’s next?” can we continue forward motion toward our goal.

This entry is part of a week-long series on powerful coaching questions.

Right after a client has had a major “ah-ha” moment– that breakthrough insight, like God just woke them up and made everything clear– they will usually state it: “Now I know what I need to do… THIS.” And they describe their breakthrough.

Whenever a client has that kind of “ah-ha” moment, the next question I always ask is, “What action steps can you take in the next 30 days that move you toward THIS”? And for THIS, I make sure to use their exact phrase.

This entry is part of a week-long series on powerful coaching questions.

This question– “How will you stay on track?”– is one that I often ask after a person has established their goal and put their action plan in place. It’s particularly helpful when the goal is something that’s going to be challenging– a difficult situation or a new skill they’re trying to learn. They’re going to need some kind of plan to help them stick with it.

This entry is part of a week-long series on powerful coaching questions.

Dennis Beatty, who was mentoring me at the time, originally asked this question of me when I was a university student: “If you knew you couldn’t fail, what would you do for the glory of God?” Whenever he would ask this question, which was frequently, he would always add Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.” When I ask this question, I personally like to add Ephesians 3:20-21: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine…”

This entry is part of a week-long series on powerful coaching questions.

Let’s say you’re working with a leader who is wrestling with something or having difficulty putting together a plan. When you start asking them questions to help them brainstorm, like “What are some options?” they sometimes give responses that show that they really have no idea. Even if you try to unpack their responses, they simply don’t know where to start.

Sometimes when I’m coaching people who are running up against very challenging circumstances or wrestling with very difficult problems, I need to remind myself of this: If it were easy, they wouldn’t need you.

When people need coaching is when they’re struggling with something. There are numbers of issues in my life where I don’t need coaching– I just need to do it. But then there are those other issues that require more thought, are more complicated, or where– for whatever reason– I just haven’t gotten traction. That’s where coaching is shows its true value. And when you as the coach roll up your sleeves and help your clients sort things out and figure out how to move forward, that’s when you really feel how powerful coaching is.