Powerful Questions

Tap the ones you want to practice. They stay marked on this phone.

1. 1Yes or no questions carry a hidden verdict. "Do you really want to win?" means "I don't think you do," and it leaves no room for discovery.
2. 2Why questions trigger the defense lawyer, who explains and justifies. Or they send the person into memory to recite the right answer.
3. 3The goal isn't to ban these questions. It's to know what each one triggers and choose on purpose.
4. 4Switch to what and how. "What were you seeing in that moment?" opens a door that "Why didn't you pass?" closes.
5. 5After someone answers, pause and say "Tell me more." Resist jumping in with your own take.
6. 6A powerful question stops a person because there's no rehearsed answer. It reaches past logic into values and feeling.
7. 7Never ask a powerful question cold. Earn it first with open questions, deep listening, and real connection.
8. 8Patterns live in fast, automatic thinking (System 1). Video and explanation speak to slow, deliberate thinking (System 2). Powerful questions slow the person down so change becomes possible.
9. 9With youth, open questions are usually enough, and the whole bench learns from how you question one player. With older athletes, try: "What would it take for you to believe in yourself the way the team believes in you?"
10. 10Ask yourself the questions your coach would ask you, especially when you start building a defensive story. Consider getting a coach of your own.