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               ??????       QUESTIONS ARE  
              ?????         POWERFUL TOOLS 
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Have you questioned the power of questions?

The quantity and quality of questions improve the information you receive from, and the connection you have with, the person answering them.

LifeLabs Learning, a research-backed leadership training company, recommends the SOON Funnel for manager coaching conversations though you could use them elsewhere. SOON stands for the four categories of questions to be asked in order: Success, Obstacles, Options, and Next Steps.

Here's a list of sample questions:

Success

• What do you hope to achieve with this project?

• What would tell you that you’ve reached your goal?

• What are you optimizing for?

Obstacles

• What is preventing you from achieving your goal or success?

• What concerns you most about this?

• If you could wave a magic wand, what is one thing you would change?

Options

• What have you tried so far?

• What would you do if you had the resources?

• Who have you talked to so far and what have you learned?

Next Steps

• Where do you want to go from here?

• What is the first small step? What’s an even smaller step you can take?

• What support do you need to accomplish this?

Where could you apply the SOON Funnel?