Scrum Master Toolbox part 1: Powerful Questions
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The document explores the significance of asking powerful questions in coaching, particularly for Scrum Masters. It outlines different types of questions—closed, choice, rhetorical, tag, leading, and open—and emphasizes how powerful questions generate curiosity, provoke thought, and invite deeper exploration. The document also provides guidance on constructing questions and examples of effective inquiries that can lead to meaningful insights and personal growth.
Scrum Master Toolbox part 1: Powerful Questions
- 1. POWERFUL QUESTIONS An e-learning out of the Scrum Master Toolbox by Bjorn van den Einden
- 2. INTRODUCTION • As a Scrum Master you are a coach • Coaching means the goals and steps towards that goal come from the coachee (not the coach) • Coaching requires active and curious listening • The art of asking well-formed questions is key ASK BETTER QUESIONS
- 3. WHAT IS A QUESTION? “A sentence worded or expressed so as to elicit information”
- 4. TYPES OF QUESTIONS CLOSED QUESTIONS CHOICE QUESTIONS RETORICAL QUESTIONS TAG QUESTIONS LEADING QUESTIONS OPEN QUESTIONS
- 5. CLOSED QUESTIONS • Often invite a short focused answer • What’s your name? • Can often be anwered by “yes” or “no” • Did you …. ? • Have you …. ? • Answers are often ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ • How old is he?
- 6. CHOICE QUESTIONS • Often project the questioners point of view • Can be generic or specific • Give the respondent two or more options? • Do you prefer “X” or “Y”
- 7. RETORICAL QUESTIONS • Often humorous • Don’t require an answer • Can help to keep listeners engaged • “Wouldn’t you like to stay healthy?”
- 8. TAG QUESTIONS • Request a positive answer to a positive statement • Request a negative answer to a negative statement • “that was good, wasn’t it?”
- 9. LEADING QUESTIONS • Point answers subtly to a certain direction • Is loaded with questioners opinion • Makes an (implicit) assumption • “do you have any problems with your boss”
- 10. OPEN QUESTIONS • Allow for longer responses and discussion • Allow for creativity • Enquire for the respondents thoughts • Make room for information • How.. • Why.. • What.. • Where..
- 11. WHAT IS A POWERFUL QUESTION? Powerful questions are provocative queries that put a halt to evasion and confusion. They invite the client to clarity, action, and discovery at a whole new level. “A paradigm shift occurs when a question is asked inside the current paradigm that can only be answered from outside it.” MARILEE GOLDBERG, THE ART OF THE QUESTION
- 12. POWERFUL QUESTIONS • GENERATES CURIOSITY IN THE LISTENER • STIMULATES REFLECTIVE CONVERSATION • IS THOUGHT-PROVOKING • SURFACES UNDERLYING ASSUMPTIONS • INVITES CREATIVITY AND NEW POSSIBILITIES • GENERATES ENERGY AND FORWARD MOVEMENT • CHANNELS ATTENTION AND FOCUSES INQUIRY • STAYS WITH PARTICIPANTS • TOUCHES A DEEP MEANING • EVOKES MORE QUESTIONS • OFTEN A SHORT QUESTION
- 13. THE CONSTRUCTION OF A QUESTION WHICH YES/NO WHO WHEN WHERE WHY * HOW WHAT
- 14. THE SCOPE OF A QUESTION UP-CHUNKING More global To what end Purpose What is this part off DOWN-CHUNKING More details Specifics How exactly Steps How can you improve your role in relation to your colleague How can you improve your role in the team How can you improve your role in the department How can you improve your role in the company
- 15. THE ASSUMPTIONS WITHIN QUESTIONS Does the question contain any implicit or explicit assumptions? DO I MAKE PRESSUPOSITIONS DO MY BIASES SHOW DO I GENERALIZE ? (ALL/NEVER) DO I CLAIM ANYTHING TO BE TRUE? DO I PROJECT MY OWN THINKING?
- 16. WHY BE CAREFUL WITH WHY • Sometimes lead to overly simplified answers • Other times leads to overly rationalized answers • Put pressure on the respondent • Can lead to defensiveness • Can lead to a socially-acceptable answer
- 17. HOW COME HOW • Tend to be of a curious nature • Elicits thinking patterns • Elicits beliefs and values • Elicits the respondents internal map
- 18. EXAMPLES • How do you know? • How does succes look? • How would that work? • How have you tried to solve it so far? • How does that make you feel? • What is your intention here? • What assumptions could be in there? • If our success was completely guaranteed, what bold steps might we choose? https://bit.ly/39BnRxK
- 19. EXAMPLE SITUATION (1/2) With a manager explaining everything that was going wrong in the teams, his employees not taking ownership and being unresponsive to the issues at hand. “What do you think is the cause?” Led to him thinking about systemic factors and his own influence. He came to the conclusion that his behavior hinders the teams to take ownership.
- 20. EXAMPLE SITUATION (2/2) A coachee dealing with uncertainty about a new team with several knowlegable and dominant people. Struggling to find ways to deal with her uncertainty and/or not to show it.. “How would you rather feel?” She was so focused on the feeling and its effect, that she hadn’t stopped to think what alternatives she had. She decided that curiosity might be a better feeling. A feeling she knew well how to trigger.
- 21. AKS BETTER QUESTIONS • Is this a genuine curious question? • What reaction is this questions likely to trigger? • Is this question relevant enough to him/her now? • Is this question different enough to lead to new thinking? • Does this question leave/create room for more exploration? • Is this question focused on the future?
- 22. START EXPERIMENTING! EXPERIMENT WITH POWERFUL QUESTIONS! DON’T OVERDO IT. KEEP IT SIMPLE. AND REMEMBER: THE RESPONSE YOU GET DETERMINES THE TRUE POWER OF THE QUESTION!
- 23. “ ” I hear and I forget I see and I remember I do and I understand - Confucius - - ANY (POWERFUL OR NOT) QUESTIONS - Bjorn van den Einden
Editor's Notes
- #20: Ik zou het vet vinden als je een concreet voorbeeld pakt, een gesprek met Powerful Questions, wat vind jij dan Powerful… welke kanten kan je opgaan met je Questions? Wellicht een voorbeeld wat echt gebeurd is… zowel goeie als slechte voorbeelden.