Questioning and Feedback
Imagine you are about to start a presentation
You are presenting a workshop on athlete
selection issues
You want to capture every person’s attention
and ‘buy in’ from the absolute beginning
What possible questions could you ask?
The Power of Questions
Brainstorm the positive impacts quality questioning
can achieve as a coach development facilitator
or as a coach.
A GREAT Opening Question
An opening question that sparks a vivid image is
key to a successful session. It can start the flow
of ideas and interaction.
“Imagine you are about to start a presentation
You are presenting a workshop on the issues surrounding
selection
You want to capture every persons attention and ‘buy in’
from the absolute beginning,
What possible questions could you ask?”
Questioning Styles
4 types of questioning;
Closed
Open
Runway
Hypothetical
Did you win?
How did you do?
What do you do if you are presenting
at a workshop and ….. happens?
If this scenario was created in the next
game how do you think you might deal
with it?
Activity
1.Working in pairs, choose a topic below and
for that topic, develop a question for each
style listed in slide 4.
2.Then ask each other the questions and take
note of the depth of thought required and
depth of the response.
Topics;
Ask about the last workshop they facilitated
Ask about the last time they had a coaching success
Ask for their thoughts on how they feel about
facilitating workshops
Small Group Discussion
What style of question(s) is/are likely to be
most effective in the environment of
facilitation?
“You can achieve more effective results when
solutions are created, understood, and accepted by
the people impacted”
Michael Wilkinson
Activity : Guess Who
Using a volunteer from the group. They pretend they are
someone else (e.g. a sportsperson). The group asks
them questions to find out who they are.
The volunteer does not have to answer any open or closed
questions, only answering runway or hypothetical
questions.
The group has 3 strikes.
The group will achieve a strike if someone asks a closed or
open question
Question Styles
CLOSED
OPEN
RUNWAY
HYPOTHETICAL
DEPTH OF UNDERSTANDING
Questioning for Creating Understanding
The aim of questioning is to create depth and
detail of thought that leads to a future action
G
R
O
W
Goals, aim, what do they want
Reality, what is happening now
Options available
What actions will they take
Example;
“What can I help you with?.” “Ideally what would you like from this?”
“So tell me about where you are at now?”
“What are some of the different ways you can achieve your aim and get around
some of the hurdles?”
“So what are you going to do now?”
Handling Questions
It is common to be asked for your opinion when facilitating
or presenting a workshop.
If valid and appropriate, give your opinion with the reasons
or justifications behind it. This allows the group to
understand and adapt your thoughts to suit themselves.
Below is a simple tool that can be helpful;
P
R
E
P
Point of view
Reason
Example
Point of view
Activity;
In pairs, taking turns, aim to learn as much
as possible about the other person’s
feelings towards their own facilitating skills
etc.
Try using the GROW model where possible.
Where valid, try using the PREP concept to
answer.
1.
2.
You each have 1 minute to prepare
You each have 1 minute after the questioning to
take down notes
Getting Clarity
Obtaining an accurate understanding in the
listening and questioning process is essential.
What, When, Where, Who and How questions
can help increase detail
Summarising or Paraphrasing statements
confirm your understanding of the question
before starting the process
Summarising - Example
Question;
“If I’m coaching a group of adults that I normally tell ‘how
and what’ to do at training and they respond well to that,
are you now saying I should stop telling them what to
do?”
Summarised question;
“So, you are asking if I am saying to stop using a ‘telling’
approach?”
Exercise;
In small groups,
1.
Develop a paraphrase to the previous question.
2.
Answer the question giving your own opinion and
using your own knowledge
PARAPHRASING;- REPLACING THEIR WORDS WITH ONES THAT
BETTER EXPRESS WHAT THEY MIGHT BE TRYING TO SAY.
FEEDBACK
“The body-mind is a system that requires
feedback from its environment in order to
function properly”
Myles Downey
In small groups,
Brainstorm some ideas and concepts of
effective feedback.
4 Keys to Giving Quality Feedback

Information in the feedback should be of the highest
quality possible (accurate, specific, measurable if
possible)

Observed and owned by you (Second hand makes it
impossible for the information to be discussed or
challenged)

Without personal judgement (Be careful of body
language and tone of voice)

Without room for interpretation
Activity; (in pairs)
The aim is to throw screwed up pieces of paper at
a target and score as many points as possible.
BUT….
The person throwing the paper does not know
where the target is nor can they see it. They are
reliant on the feedback from their partner.
2 Types of Feedback to Receive
In small groups note down in both cases how each
type of person might receive feedback;
Extrinsic (external)
Facilitator
Coach
Athlete
Coach
Athlete
Intrinsic (internal)
Facilitator
Activity
On your own, note down 2-3 areas that you
would like to improve on in the next few
months, with regard to giving and
receiving feedback.
Discussion/exercise
For your next presentation think about
planning how you will you go about
increasing the amount of feedback you
give/receive?
Extrinsically…
Intrinsically….