“How’s the project going?” gets you “Fine.” “Any concerns?” gets you “Not really.” Surface questions get surface answers, and you learn nothing about what’s actually happening.
Try “What’s the biggest challenge you’re facing right now?” instead of generic check-ins. “What would success look like for you?” reveals motivations beyond the brief. “What are you worried about that you haven’t mentioned?” surfaces the real concerns.
The coaching approach works internally too. When Corporate Communications needs insights from Strategy, “What context am I missing?” works better than “Can you explain this again?”
Stop asking questions you think you need answers to. Start asking questions that get you to the heart of the matter, bridging the gap between what you’ve done and what was expected.
When clients feel heard, they share more. When they share more, you can serve them better. Great questions don’t just gather information; they create trust.
Great questions plant seeds of trust: from interrogation to conversation.
