Experience Coaching

Participant Workbook

Changing the World One Conversation at a Time

Contents Contents .......................................................................................................................................................... 3  

Learning Outcomes: .................................................................................................................................. 4  

Breakout Exercise One ............................................................................................................................... 5  

Powerful Questioning ............................................................................................................................ 5  

In Pairs, four minutes each way (total 10 minutes) ...................................................................... 5  

Breakout Exercise Two .............................................................................................................................. 6  

The Sunglasses Exercise ....................................................................................................................... 6  

In Triads, eight minutes per person (total 24 minutes) .............................................................. 6  

Breakout Exercise Three ............................................................................................................................ 7  

The Backtracking Exercise .................................................................................................................... 7  

In Pairs, four minutes each way (total 10 minutes) ...................................................................... 7  

Breakout Exercise Four ............................................................................................................................. 8  

The Planning Questions Exercise ..................................................................................................... 8  

In Pairs, four minutes each way (total 10 minutes) ..................................................................... 8  

 

Learning Outcomes:

Learners will be able to:

• Define powerful questions as they relate to the coaching context

• Apply to their conversations one (of our five) Ericksonian Coaching Principles.

• Apply a powerful conversational tool to deepen the level of listening and ensure clarity

• Ask 4 Powerful Questions to create a plan for a desired goal

• Experience today’s learning as fun as well as instructional

Breakout Exercise One

Powerful Questioning

In Pairs, four minutes each way (total 8 minutes)

Person A is the “Coach”. Person B is the “Client”

Aim: To experience the power of questions

The Coach’s goal is to get the Client to relive a fun memory

“Questions for the Coach”

“Tell me about a time when you had a lot of fun”

“And what else?”

“Tell me more”

Breakout Exercise Two

The Sunglasses Exercise

In Triads, eight minutes per person (total 24 minutes)

Person A is the “Problem Child”. Persons B and C are Advice Givers

Aim: To experience the difference of advice giving to coaching questions

Person A briefly describes a small problem

Persons B and C take turns giving advice (3 each) using these opening phrases:

If I were you...”

“What I would do...”

“Have you thought about...?”

“Why don’t you...?”

All three stand up and shake off the advice giving

Person A repeats the small problem

Persons B and C take turns asking coaching questions (3 each) using these examples

“Well, if you didn’t have ___, what would you have instead?”

“What would you rather have?”

“How do you want that to be?”

“What was your original outcome/focus?”

“Why is it important for you to have that”

“Describe what having that would be like”

“What might be some of the ways you could achieve that goal?”

Breakout Exercise Three

The Backtracking Exercise

In Pairs, four minutes each way (total 8 minutes)

Person A is the “Coach”. Person B is the “Client”

Aim: To use the backtracking tool

The Coach’s goal is to backtrack as often as he or she can during the conversation

The coach can use these opening phrases:

“Let me be clear about this...did you say…”

“Let me see if I've got it right…”

“In the past few minutes you said.. .Is that correct?”

“For the purpose of being completely certain of what you said, I would like to repeat your words…”

“I want to simply backtrack for a moment…”

“These are the things that you’ve said so far... Is that right”

Breakout Exercise Four

The Planning Questions Exercise

In Pairs, 8 to 10 minutes each way (total 16 to 20 minutes)

Person A is the “Coach”. Person B is the “Client”

Aim: To use the Planning Questions

The Coach’s goal is to use the planning questions to assist their client towards an action plan for their goal.

The coach can use these questions

What do you want? Alternatives:

If you didn’t have this problem, what would you be doing instead?”

What would you actually love to have happen (around this situation)?”

If you were to make a change so you could have it anyway you’d like, what would you be doing (having)(being)?”

How might you get it? Alternatives:

“What are some of the ways you have already thought of how you might achieve this?”

“Let’s pretend that it is a week (month, year) from now and you’ve already accomplished this. How did you accomplish that? What were the steps?”

“How did you accomplish something similar in the past? What did you do then that you could apply to this situation?”

How might you commit to that over time? Alternatives:

“How might you ensure a long-term commitment to this goal?”

“You know your habits... What can you do now before you even begin to be sure you stay committed?”

“What would deepen your commitment to achieving this?”

“What would really allow you to maintain your momentum over time?”

How would you know you’ve got it? Alternatives:

“What would let you know you were successful?”

“What would you have to see? What would it look like?”

“What would you be saying to yourself? What might others say to you?”

“And what would you be feeling, in your body. How would you know this is completed with satisfaction?”