Month: July 2020

When was the last time you heard someone tell you a good story? Think about your colleagues, friends and family – are there any great storytellers in the group?

In business, stories are critical because they persuade, help us understand how things work or why things matter. Many business leaders are accomplished storytellers. I often coach executives on storytelling techniques and just hosted a webinar for 50+ engineers on how tell a story. Of course the perfect form of storytelling is a … joke.

Just ask, and then stop talking and deeply listen. There is so much to learn from asking good questions. It is a bit of an art form, and a skill that executive coaches work hard to develop.

Open questions are the best because they are open. I imagine that sounds basic, but it is so revealing when someone can answer a question the way they want and share what is on their mind or in their heart. When you ask great questions, with a sense of genuine curiosity, you can learn so much. My favorite short open question is just one word, “why?”