Coaching Questions to take Everyday Conversations to a Next Level
You know those regular greetings we have where you say something like, "Hey, how ya' doing?" Maybe you really want to know, but more likely you just want to say more than a simple "Hi".
Or how about the classic, "How was your day?" that you ask a spouse, or child, a friend, or family member. It's usually met with another classic, "Fine, and yours?"
Let's take some coaching concepts and build a list of questions that could take our conversations deeper, helping us to know each other more and strengthen our conversations and our relationships.
Think of a few relationships you would like to go a little deeper. Which of the following questions could work for you in different scenarios?
- Tell me about your day - what was funny or sad or weird?
- What was hard for you today?
- What was the best thing that happened today, or on vacation, or over the weekend, or ?.
- Who is someone that inspires you?
- Where did you see God at work today?
- What is something you are praying for?
- What is a ...
Just Delete This If...
I kind of hate it when I get emails that say things like, "last chance" when you know they will offer "it" again, or when they say "only X spots left" when you know they would open up space for as many people as signed up.
We lean away from that kind of marketing at Bridges, but I do feel compelled to let you all know where we stand when a cohort is about to launch so:
DELETE THIS EMAIL if:
- You have already taken Bridges Coach training and are not interested in this cohort, but please stay on the list, I promise we will get back to our regularly scheduled coaching culture prompts after this email. (Feel free to consider who you know that might benefit from coach training and chat with them.)
- You have prayed about Bridges Coach training and now is not the right time for you.
If you are still reading here's a few things that could help with your decision.
1- Registraion for this fall's cohort closes Sunday, Aug 31.
2- This is the last time the course will be at this price po...
Three Kinds of Readers - and CTA's for all Three!
There are basically 3 kinds of people reading the Bridges blogs, and we have a CTA (call to action) for each kind.
1) Those who have taken Bridges Coach Training and want to stay in the groove and be reminded of ways to keep a coaching mindset in the forefront of their interactions. (They get that Coaching IS discipleship, in that its primary tenet is to help people learn to discern God's voice and have the courage to follow - NOT solving their problems for them or telling them what to do.)
If you have already taken coach training - can I ask you to open the link below and post it on your preferred social media and share a line or two about what coaching has meant to you and how you have used it?
Why Coach Training Isn't Just For Potential Professionals
2) Those who are thinking about taking Coach Training but may not be sure of the timing. Can I propose that you ask yourself some of these questions to help discern your decision:
- Can you name what is holding you back? If it's a ...
Meet Michelle: Using Coaching in 3 arenas!
Meet Michelle! Michelle hails from Diamond Bar, CA, doesn't that seem wonderful! She's been a part of Bridges for over a decade now and facilitates our Next Level Coach training. I love what she shared about coach training!
What's Changed? (Think of last year this time.)
People don't often stumble into change.
Goals are rarely met without a plan.
"Situations" usually need attention to be resolved.
THIS IS WHERE COACHING COMES IN!
Whether you are the one who needs forward movement OR you want to truly help others on their journey, coaching and/or coach training is likely just what you need.
Personally, we've all been there - excuses, blame, or minimizing lead our thinking patterns regarding any particular area, and we just don't do anything. Maybe we wouldn't even define it as being "stuck", maybe we don't like that word, or we haven't even thought about being intentional in a certain area. We just carry on with our lives as usual.
Maybe you have family members, co-workers or friends that either talk about a certain area all the time, but aren't doing anything about it, or they avoid a certain area, and you wish they would talk about it and do something.
Coach training helps will ALL of these arenas!
You can be a conduit for change!
Next c...
This 3 Minute - 6 Question Quiz WILL Help!
Give yourself 1-5 points as directed for each line.
-I have a desire to help those around me move forward in their faith. [1= not really, 5= very much so]
-There are a couple of people in my life who keep talking to me about the same things over and over. [1= not a thing for me, 3= once in a while, 5= there are people I avoid for this reason]
-It seems like people want me to fix their problems or at least tell them what to do. [1= no one around me has stuff they are dearling with 5= There is so much stuff!]
-My schedule has plenty of margin. [1= I have time on my hands 5= It seems like there are more things I would like to do than I have time for.]
-I ask people insightful questions that consistently move them toward "Aha" moments. [1= I'm not sure 5= I wish I felt sure]
-i regularly care for people without carrying the weight of what they are going through. [1= It seems at times I care more for them than they care for themselves 5= Is that even possible?]
Tally your score and h...
Okay - Third Essential for a Growth Mindset
We've been looking at the 2, maybe 3, essentials for a Growth Mindset.
Without #1 - humility - we will have a hard time being willing to acknowledge there is something we need to focus on.
Without #2 - intentionality - we acknowledge the problem or the goal, but we haven't actually moved the needle. It's like when we say, "You know what I need to __________________ (lose some weight or insert other Aha moment here)" or "I guess I do have a problem with __________________ (anger, insecurity, addiction, or whatever)" or "If I don't start, I'll never ______________ write that book build that thing, find a spouse, get that degree."
You can't address something you can't name.
But perhaps, before it all, or maybe during it all, the greatest essential for a growth mindset is HOPE!
Without #3 - Hope - it's like trying to drive a car with no fuel. Hope fuels our preferred future. Hope helps us see what could be. Hope changes everything.
Without hope, humility is just a sad recognition o...
2 Essentials For A Growth Mindset (okay - maybe 3) [Part 2]
A Growth Mindset means you don't need to be stuck. You can move forward.
People get stuck when they feel there is no way out; we all tend to excuse ourselves from seeing what needs to be seen and doing what needs to be done to move ahead.
Last time we talked about the 1st essential for a growth mindset - the need for humility. If we can't see where we need help, we are not likely to receive what we desperately need. (Probably worth the click if you haven't read it yet.)
The promised 2nd essential is: Intentionality.
When I worked with youth years ago, we promoted the idea of spiritual journeying. If you are not on a journey with God, you are missing out on experiencing your faith! If you can't say what you are learning or how you are growing, you are likely dealing with pride or apathy.
Humility is the antidote for pride. Intentionality is the antidote for apathy.
Apathy says things like, "What? I'm just doing me", "Don't be so serious all the time - just relax and enjoy life"...
2 Essentials For A Growth Mindset (okay - maybe 3) [Part 1]
A growth mindset does not come naturally for most, maybe even all, of us. Let me explain.
What comes naturally is excuses or blame. When faced with adversity, the common go-to is to reason is that we got the short straw and should be pitied or rescued from what we are facing. It's most common to think things are not supposed to be the way they are.
I don't mean to minimize difficulty, especially when it is traumatic, but the truth is that God always offers a plan. He is the King of making a way out for us. He has provided what we need to move forward.
A growth mindset, by definition, includes ... (you guessed it) growth. The opposite of growing is being stuck. When we make excuses or blame shift, we are choosing to remain stuck and not move forward.
A growth mindset is not only used for when facing difficulty, but also for any goals God has placed in our journey. A growth mindset requires us to take initiative and move forward to the destiny He has for us. Sometimes that destiny i...
Meet Eric: A Minster's Take On Coach Training!
Next up in our "Meet _________" series is my absolute favorite - my husband, Eric. He's been in this with me from the beginning, so I asked him a few questions.
How did you first hear about coaching?
I first heard about coaching from my wife, Cindy, who started Bridges Coaching. I must admit I did not understand it at first, and what I did not understand, I became skeptical about at first. I wanted to know how it came from a biblical foundation. Little did I know, Jesus used coaching regularly as He worked with His disciples in the Bible. I just needed to look for it!
What prompted you to take the training?
Because a large part of what I do in ministry involves caring for people, I was burned out. Eventually, I sought counseling help through a ministry called Care for Pastors in Orlando, Florida. My problem was that I was caring for people, but I was also carrying people. In time, the counseling and the coach training helped me let go of the ownership of a person’s problems and al...