The next time you’re coaching and have a burning desire to give a suggestion, see if framing your suggestion as an observation works better than masking it as a question.

Develop a repertoire of open-ended coaching questions that you feel comfortable using. Some of my favorites include: • What is the issue? Can you bottom-line it for me?

Open-ended questions. As opposed to a close-ended question (one that can be answered with a simple “yes” or “no”), an open-ended question elicits a longer, more thoughtful response.

It also discusses open-ended questions for counseling that you might encounter during your sessions and how such questions can also be used in everyday conversations.

21 Questions to Make Your Next One-on-One Meeting More Productive and Meaningful How every manager can use coaching questions to facilitate significant conversations ...

Advantages and disadvantages exist in using either form. Open-ended questions are good for really getting at what is on people’s minds and having people talk about issues in their own words.