Choose one player to assume the role of the client. The remaining players are coaches.

The Client player selects a card from the "Change scenarios" (other choices are Business, Family, Wellness and Teams). It reads:
" I am being promoted to a position that seems like a big stretch. What if I don't make it?"

The Coach players listen to the situation and select a question card from their hand (they will have a selection of Enlighten, Empower, and Excel coaching questions in their hand to choose from).

The first question from the Enlighten deck reads: "What do you really want?"

The Client player reflects (taking on the character on the Change card) and says:

"It's really important to me to remember that I was selected for this position because I'm knowledgeable about our key processes, and I have great relationships with people. I want to be successful without sacrificing the relationships."

*Other Coaches may ask additional Enlighten questions.

Note: Coaches can take the conversation off track by asking too many questions too rapidly at this stage. The GQ Coaching Map identifies this trap as "Question Congestion".

The second Coach selects a question from the Empower deck and asks:
"What would you need to be successful?"

The Client player responds: "I need to pay attention to when I get too focused on the task that need to be done, and short-change my relationships. I can get anxious about deadlines and snap at people when I'm under pressure. Some reminder to slow down would help me stay on track."

The third Coach asks a question from the Advanced Deck which reads: "Personal Story: Tell a story from you own experience that might be relevant to the client's situation. Ask how (or if) they think it applies."

The coach's story is about a time when she was handling multiple deadlines on her first project. She wanted to keep her door closed all day so she could focus on the tasks. However, she had a team that also needed her attention. What she found worked best for her was to have a briefing meeting every morning to make sure everyone had what they needed, and then they agreed on whether they would need more check-ins during that day. They also had lunch together just to give them some social time.

Note: The Empower part of the conversation can get off track if the coaches are invested in giving the client a solution at this stage. The GQ Coaching map identifies this potential trap as "Solution Pollution"

The Client replies: "Interesting- we do have a briefing meeting planned for Monday morning, but maybe that's not enough. I think morning coffee and check-in might work for my team."

The next Coach asks a question from the Excel deck. "What would amazing results look like?"

The Client's eyes light up : "This could be the best experience of my life! I'm in a position to really make a difference, and to treat the people I care about with respect while producing fantastic results"

Note: This could signal that the round is complete, because the client has made a shift in attitude, and has a plan for what to do. It is important that both coaches and clients stop to celebrate this breakthrough, or they will loose the opportunity to celebrate. The GQ Coaching Map identifies this lost opportunity as "Celebration Expiration".

Enjoy your own rounds of Great Question! Be prepared for surprising results!