Michael Bungay Stanier wrote this book for busy managers who want to coach without becoming full-time coaches. He gives us seven simple questions. Three of our favorites: What's on your mind? And what else? What's the real challenge here for you?
The idea behind them is easy to grasp: stay curious a little longer before jumping in with advice. The book reads in an evening, and the questions fit into any conversation, even five minutes in the hallway.
Talent Takeaway
It reminds us how often the best help is a good question. A small experiment for the week ahead: pick one of the seven questions, write it on a sticky note and use it in your next three conversations. "And what else?" is a good place to start. People often have a second thought waiting, and it is often the important one.
Our Take
Easy to read, easy to use and a quiet game changer for anyone who leads people. If you only try one question, make it "And what else?"
Bungay Stanier, M. (2016). The coaching habit: Say less, ask more and change the way you lead forever. Box of Crayons Press. Find it