3 Types of questions to ask when Coaching your direct reports

Mar 10

For many people, coaching as a manager can be tough. If you’re a manager trying to build relationships with your direct reports, it can feel daunting to try and have meaningful conversations while incorporating the perfect mix of talking and listening.

The truth of the matter is, if you want to be a good manager, you must be a good coach. Knowing what questions are appropriate for certain situations is a critical part of being an effective coach to your direct reports.

Sometimes you might not have all the answers, but asking the right questions is a powerful way to get direct reports to understand and overcome roadblocks.

Below are three types of questions managers should utilize when acting as coaches to their direct reports:

Open-Ended Questions

Using open ended questions is an easy way to get the most information from your direct report. It gives your team the ability to tell their story and have managers pick up themes that emerge.

"Is there anything preventing you from doing your job well?"

This question type empowers direct reports to contribute their voice and opinion, especially when they feel they aren’t heard enough.

Probing Questions

Probing questions can be used as follow-up questions to allow direct reports to think deeper about what is working, not working, or considering a new perspective on a given problem.

"What do you mean by that?"

Using more probing questions builds upon active listening skills, and can help reveal the true cause of roadblocks that direct reports are facing.