What Does Your Instinct Tell You?

Phil Jackson used to say, “When in doubt, do nothing.”

As coaches we are expected to have the answers, and in general there is a lot of pressure in our business. So it’s natural to try and find a solution right away. First of all, that doesn’t necessarily give you the time you need to think the problem through. And secondly, you aren’t teaching your players to solve the problem. You are just giving them solutions. That leads to a compliant team - one where they always look to you to provide the answers. The problem with that is, in the heat of a game, they need to solve the problems. They need to find the answers.

By asking “What does your instinct tell you?” or a similar question, you force your team to think. You ask them to solve the problem. You get them away from relying on someone else to provide a solution. It also allows you to learn more about their mindset, what the root of the problem is, and how you can go about helping them.

Whoever asks the most questions wins. Asking the right questions is a great leadership tool.

Thought-provoking stuff from Admired Leaders:

Immediate answers to questions don’t allow those team members to develop their own insights and wisdom. To develop fully, team members need to wrestle with the issue before they listen to the advice of others.

After fielding an inquiry or request for feedback, good leaders start the conversation with a simple but effective question that asks the other party to think through the issue on their own: What advice would you give yourself?

This temporary pause doesn’t derail the discussion, nor does it suggest the leader doesn’t want to help.

What it does is to ask the other party to be their own source of insight for just a moment. This also tells them that the leader won’t always be around, and they need to think through issues on their own to develop and grow.

Other questions like, “What does your instinct tell you?”, “What has worked in the past?”, and “What have you seen others do?” are equally powerful.

Such questions slow things down and also allow the leader to gain more context before they offer their view. Interestingly, in many cases, the advice they would give themselves is exactly what the leader would offer, further cementing their confidence and insight.

Is it possible that you respond to questions and requests for advice too quickly?

You can help others, including children and those who are highly inexperienced, by asking them to share their own insights first before you respond.

Leaders develop people. They won’t always be there to guide them. Investing in others has a bigger payoff when team members have already invested in thinking through issues for themselves.