THE ART OF ASKING META-QUESTIONS

“Meta-Questions! Meta-Questions! I know them, I can ask the ten meta-questions that we practiced at Coaching Mastery, but when I start coaching, I forget them. What can I do to be better at meta- questions?” That question was recently sent to me by a Meta-Coach. Nor was it the first time I’ve heard it. It seems that many Meta-Coaches struggle with being skilled in asking meta-questions.

So, what’s the story that makes asking meta-questions seemingly difficult? What can I do to integrate meta-questions into my coaching style?

In answer, I will first re-state what a meta-question is, our understanding of meta-questions in the coaching experience, and why they are so important. Our working definition of a meta-question is that it is a question about how you are experiencing your experience. Regular primary questions start the process by asking about the experience: When did you have that experience? Where? With whom? What was the context? What was the experience like? What did you think and feel?