March 2007

Powerful questions

by Judith Cohen

Dear Judith, 
I just finished the Fundamentals course, and I am very excited about being a coach. I have tons of questions because I am just a beginner. One question that I am particularly wondering about is “What is a powerful question?” It seems to me that all questions are powerful. What specifically defines a powerful question? If this question is too simple for your general audience, could you write me back privately? Thanks in advance. 
N.C.

Dear N.C., 
Welcome to the world of Co-Active Coaching! Your question is not too simple. In fact, it is the perfect example of a powerful question. There are probably a number of ways to define “powerful question.” I will tell you what I believe are the fundamental characteristics of a powerful question.

A primary characteristic of a powerful question is that it is short and to the point. Your question, “What is a powerful question?” is not embedded in a series of words that obscure the question. The more words in a question, the more the mind has to focus on. This frequently causes the power of the question to be diluted and even lost.

Another important characteristic of a powerful question is that it is open-ended and can elicit a layered response. As you will see from my answer, I have many things to say about the definition of a powerful question. I can answer your question with a concrete response, such as I am doing, or I can answer it metaphorically, as I will do later on. There is not one specific type of answer required.

Perhaps the most important characteristic of a powerful question is that it elicits a deepened awareness of presence from the respondent. It can also call forth an intellectual response, but in my experience, the most powerful questions cause change in awareness and perspective in our clients. Powerful questions serve as pathways to deepen our clients’ learning and motivate them to take action.

One of the most powerful questions that I believe anyone can ask of another person is “What do you want?” In fact, it is not even enough to ask the question once. Repeating the question several times in a session, as the client’s awareness of his or her desires deepens, can be transformational.

I once read an article written by a therapy client who spoke of one session in which his therapist only asked one question repeatedly through the entire session. That question was “What do you want?” At first, the client felt angry at having to deal with the question in a less-than-superficial manner. By the end of the session, the client had seen how much he didn’t let himself know what he wanted and how deep his desire for recognition truly was. I would imagine that even underneath his desire for recognition was something equally compelling, and had the therapist continued to ask the question, more feelings and desires would be elicited.

As I think about it now, one useful definition of a powerful question is that it is a question that reveals a never-ending answer. It stops the flow of thoughts that keeps us removed from our experience and brings us into the present moment. Each moment in the present is fresh and distinctive. A powerful question is designed to elicit invigorating and unique responses.

On a metaphorical level, I see a powerful question as a space into which a client can either jump or gently fall. In either case, it is an invitation to experience a piece of their lives more deeply and heighten their awareness. As their awareness increases, so do their options and possibilities.

You couched your powerful question in an apology. There is no apology necessary in being a beginner. It is a very honorable place to be. In fact, as the venerable Zen teacher Shunryu Suzuki wisely said, “In the beginner’s mind, there are many possibilities; in the expert’s mind, there are few.” Powerful questions bring us back to the place of openness and possibility. For that reason, your question, “What is a powerful question?” is neither too basic nor too easy for me to answer. It is a profound question that bears repeating over and over again as you hone your curiosity as a coach and craft your questions to elicit the immense creativity and possibility of each of your clients.