LOC Green Questions

When starting a coaching relationship, it's important to be mindful of your language. Avoid using "why" questions in the beginning. Instead, use dovetailing, where you ask about strengths and areas for improvement. Be upbeat and friendly, and ask at least three "what" questions. Take notes and ask drill down questions for more clarity. Stay positive and engaged throughout the conversation. When you're questioning and you're starting out a coaching relationship, it is imperative to really be conscientious of your language. We really encourage you to focus on what questions. Stay away, especially in the beginning process of coaching using questions starting with the word why. Now, what we're going to teach you is something called dovetailing. When you are starting out a coaching relationship and you want someone to engage with customers more successfully or readily or proactively, ask a question such as, when it comes to your client or your customer interaction, where do you feel like you have three strengths and not but, and where do you feel like you have an opportunity to improve? That will start the relationship. Remember at that green light moment, you are just starting the process. Your ability to coach and ask questions at that stage is critical. Start with three what questions. You can start with dovetailing where you lead with three strengths and then ask, and what is an area where you feel like you'd like to improve or have an opportunity to improve? What are your thoughts if I shared an area where you could improve? Remember, your tone should be upbeat. It should be friendly. You're at an inquisitive stage. The questions will do their work. Yet if you ask a question and they answer and you demonstrate disagreement, they may shut down. That green light moment, what questions, what questions, what questions. Now, when they answer, like what do you do really well with your customers, and they answer, you can ask what is called the drill down question, such as, well, how do you do that? Why have you been successful? That's where a why question is more appropriate. So again, our encouragement at the green light moment is to ask at least three what questions. Have those planned out. If we don't plan our questions, we tend to show up and we start to dictate. We start to tell. That becomes more of a leadership downward coaching conversation. Even if it's called a coaching conversation, you want it to be engaging. You don't want it to just be them nodding and listening. So three what questions. Be prepared to take notes. Be present. Remember when they answer ambiguously or vaguely, you can ask drill down questions such as how, where have you been successful? Why would you do it that way? That's interesting. You want to be upbeat and positive.