T2. Ask First – Coach and Practice
This behaviour develops a leader’s ability to use curiosity and questioning to unlock insight before offering solutions.
Behaviour focus
Encouraging leaders to listen actively and ask open questions that empower others to think for themselves.
Purpose
To strengthen relationships and ownership by shifting conversations from instruction to discovery.
| Action Steps | Key Questions | Practice |
| Identify a conversation to approach differently. | Where could curiosity create more buy-in or understanding? | Ask the leader to choose one upcoming meeting and prepare three open questions to guide it. |
| Practise active questioning. | How can you avoid jumping to advice too quickly? | Practise a coaching-style conversation using only questions for the first three minutes. |
| Reflect on impact. | What changed when you asked before telling? | Ask the leader to debrief on what they noticed about the tone and engagement, and share any new insights. |
| Build a habit of inquiry. | How can you make curiosity part of your daily rhythm? | Set a goal to ask one purposeful question in every meeting or briefing this week. |