About asking 3 questions at once!

There's a small line in the International Coaching Federation (ICF) coaching standards that I find quietly brilliant. Professional coaches are assessed on whether they ask questions one at a time.

One. At. A. Time.

It's an actual professional standard, because even trained coaches fall into the trap: two, three, four questions in a single breath. The Stack Attack.

What struck me when I looked closer: stacking is almost never about the other person. It's about us. 💡

We stack because silence feels uncomfortable. Because we doubt our first question was clear, so we instantly "improve" it. Because we're excited, impatient, or quietly steering toward the answer we want.

The other person gets mental gymnastics. They juggle your questions, forget the early ones, answer the last. Sometimes they even have to ask, "Sorry, what was the question again?" That's time lost, not saved.

The repair is simple and a little humbling. When you catch yourself mid-stack, name it: "Sorry, that was three questions in one. The one I really care about: what's holding things up?"

Which driver makes YOU stack: the silence, the doubt, or the steering?