The Six-Question Business Coaching Process
Marshall Goldsmith presents a structured six-question process for business coaching that transforms how leaders provide...
Marshall Goldsmith presents a structured six-question process for business coaching that transforms how leaders provide feedback, clarity, and direction to direct reports. The framework involves conducting a one-on-one dialogue every two to three months covering six foundational questions about direction, performance, improvement, support, and mutual feedback. The key innovation is the concept of 'mutual responsibility' - both leader and direct report commit to their roles in maintaining clarity. Goldsmith reports this process has worked with six major CEOs with a 100% success rate. One CEO moved from the 8th percentile to the 98th percentile in providing feedback and coaching - while actually spending less time with people, because the time was more structured and directed.
- Where Are We Going? (Organizational Direction)
- Where Are You Going? (Individual Direction)
- What Are You Doing Well? (Recognition)
- Where Are We Going? (Organizational Direction)Share your perspective on where the bigger business is heading and where your organization is going. Then ask: where do you think we should be going? This creates two-way alignment on the big picture.
- Where Are You Going? (Individual Direction)Share where you see the direct report and their part of the business going. Ask where they think they should be heading. This creates alignment both big-picture to small-picture and manager to direct report.
- What Are You Doing Well? (Recognition)Share what you observe the person doing well, then ask: what do you think you're doing well? What are you most proud of? This reveals accomplishments you may not be aware of and creates recognition opportunities you'd otherwise miss.
- Suggestions for Improvement (Feed-Forward)Offer future-focused suggestions rather than feedback about the past. Then ask the powerful coaching question: 'If you were the coach for you, what advice would you have for you?' More than half the time, their self-coaching ideas are superior to yours.
- How Can I Help?Ask directly how you can support them in achieving what you've discussed. This shifts the dynamic from top-down direction to collaborative support and partnership.
- What Suggestions Do You Have for Me?Make the process two-way by asking for feedback on your own effectiveness as a manager. This creates a culture where everyone is helping each other improve, not just the leader directing the team.
CEO George Borst of TIAA Financial Services was shocked by what he learned when asking direct reports 'If you were the coach for you, what ideas would you have for you?' He initially expected fluffy responses like 'I work too hard.' Instead, more than half the time their self-coaching ideas were superior to his own. He frequently ended up saying: 'Let's just go with your ideas.'
Goldsmith developed this process through his executive coaching practice working with major CEOs around the world. He tested it specifically with Jim, CEO of John Hancock Life Insurance Company, who went from scoring in the 8th percentile for providing feedback and coaching to the 98th percentile using nothing but this six-question framework. The key discovery was that Jim spent less time with people when scoring 98 than when scoring 8 - the structure created efficiency.