A Great Way to Learn a Key Coaching Core Competency

Listen to interviewers on television or over the radio. 

Irrespective of the subject matter of the interview, see if you can identify what makes a great interviewer or one not so gifted.   Bearing in mind that interviewing on television or radio is not coaching, neither is it intended to be, there are important similarities to what we coaches know as Powerful Questioning.

·         Great interviewers connect with each guest, ask brief relevant questions, allow guest to speak much more than interviewer, and of course, listen to what is said and unsaid. Powerful Questions are the norm.

·         Not-So-Great interviewers tend to dress up their questions with their own opinions, research, knowledge, extra words, and egos.  Powerful Questions are rare indeed.

 Those of us who listen to many people coach (via exam recordings) bear witness to the large number of coaches who truly do not know what a Powerful Question actually is, how it is sourced, why it works, and what is sounds like.

 Examples that fit both interviewers and coaches:

“What happened?”

“Is this a topic we should talk about?”

“What do you think will happen next?”

“How did you feel about it?”

“Is there a lesson to be learned from this event?”

“What has fame brought you?”