Mary Lou LeyWI Peer Coaching Collaborative

Coaches Guide to Probing Questions

Based on material from the Southern Maine Partnership www.nsrfharmony.org

Probing Questions are Tricky

People tend to ask more detailed clarifying questions that pertain to what the speaker wishes to say or know,

rather than questions clearly for the benefit of the presenter.

What makes a probing question a good one?

The quality of a Probing Question is determined by:

Its impact on the receiver

Attributes

Are for the benefit of the receiver and the colleagues and students he/she impacts

Deepen and expand thinking and conversationSustain thinking beyond the momentAre relevant and important to the receiverKeep learning at the centerAre conciseElicit a slow, reflective responseAre exploratory - they do not contain explicit

recommendations or directivesAre non-judgmental - neutral rather than positive or

negative

We choose when and how we express our judgments.

Judgments are expressed in a variety of ways: • word choice, • “tone” of voice, and • body language.

Judgments cause people to shut downExpression of negative judgments puts

people in the “Danger Zone”

Guard against asking probing questions that:• contain an expression of negative judgment,

e.g. “Why, in heaven’s name, did you do that?”, or

• “Don’t you think you should at least try to…?”

Don’t avoid discomfort and risk Honor your trust level

Comfort

Discomfort

Risk

Danger

Examples of good exploratory probing questions:

• a. What criteria did you use to…?• b. How did you decide/conclude that…?• c. How was __________ different from

__________?• d. What’s your hunch about…?• e. What do you think the connection is

between ___________ and ___________?

Examples of suggestive but still probing questions:

What’s another way you could…? What sort of impact would there be if you…?What would it look like if you…?What might you see happening if you…?What would have to change in order for…?What would happen if…?

Examples of probing questions:

• What could you do that might cause x to…?• Have you considered/explored/looked

into/thought about…?• Would it be possible to…?• Is there a way to…?• How would it work if you…?• Do you think there needs to be…?