7 Key Reasons Why Asking Powerful Questions & Coaching Works Better Than Giving Advice

We’ve all got an irresistible urge to offer advice. It’s a basic human instinct. We often switch to our expert, advice-giver, answer-it, solve-it, fix-it mode. A recent medical research study revealed doctors interrupt their patients with advice within 11 seconds. ( Phillips, K.A., Ospina, N.S. & Montori, 2019)

But why do we feel compelled to advise to be helpful? Is it because we can predict the other person’s future mistake? Or we assume our knowledge will fast track their success? Or maybe it’s our ego — a need to use their situation to flaunt our knowledge and self-importance.

Coaching is a style of management characterized by asking questions, instead of the usual command and control style. You will find this article valuable if you manage people or have people coming to you for help often. I will share the 7 key differences between coaching (by asking questions) and giving advic e, and why the former works better than the latter.

“Answers are closed rooms, and questions are open doors that invite us in.” — Nancy Willard.

7 Key Difference Between Coaching And Giving Advice

Think of it this way. If a member of your team comes up to you for advice, would you…