Too Much Telling!

In chapter four of Edgar Schein’s book, Humble Inquiry, he argues that in U.S. culture we value telling more than asking. How true! All of us, as human beings, really do love to tell and to give advice!

Conversely, in coaching, posing questions as a means to discovery, growth and development of the client is paramount. Both the method and the goal of coaching is not to tell, but to curiously inquire, because not only does asking questions imply humility and respect, it also promotes learning. For the client it says, “As a coach I am interested in your inquiries, thoughts and perceptions. I do not propose to give you answers or tell you what to do. I endeavor to help you to discover your own answers.”

As Lao Tzu (date unknown) informed us, “Give a man a fish; feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish; feed him for a lifetime."