Leadership development

A Few of Our Favorite Books for Asking Better Questions

A Few of Our Favorite Books for Asking Better Questions

Curated book recommendations are one of my love languages. For our August theme of Powerful Questions, I’m sharing six books that have shaped how I think about curiosity, listening, communication, and the questions that help people think more deeply.

Why Not Why? Shifting From Judgment to Curiosity

Why Not Why? Shifting From Judgment to Curiosity

Open-ended questions can create insight, curiosity, and better conversations, but not all of them work the same way. Here’s why “why?” can sometimes trigger justification or defensiveness, and how shifting to “what” or “how” can lead to more productive inquiry.

From Signals to Strategy: The Evolution of Two Piers

From Signals to Strategy: The Evolution of Two Piers

By listening to patterns across hundreds of coaching conversations and creating space for reflection, Two Piers is clarifying how its work connects individual growth, team effectiveness, and organizational systems.

The Coaching Edge, Part 2: Building a Coaching Culture in Your Organization

The Coaching Edge, Part 2: Building a Coaching Culture in Your Organization

In Part 1 of this series, we explored the myriad benefits of a coaching culture and how it creates a ripple effect throughout an organization. In Part 2, we explore the “how” of implementing and embedding a coaching culture within your organization.

The Coaching Edge, Part 1: Why Organizations Need a Coaching Culture

The Coaching Edge, Part 1: Why Organizations Need a Coaching Culture

In today's climate of financial uncertainty and organizational belt-tightening, employee development is often at risk of being cut. The irony? It's precisely during these challenging times that targeted and strategically implemented coaching delivers its greatest value.

The Dreaded Annual Performance Review

The Dreaded Annual Performance Review

It's the most wonderful time of the year! 🎶 Ehem. You know, the time when we get to have genuine and deeply insightful conversations between managers and direct reports about what went well and where we can grow next year. 

Oh. Is that not how the annual performance cycle feels to you? 

Well you're not alone. Plenty has been written and researched in terms of the ineffectiveness (and literal harmfulness) of year-end performance conversations. Even the Society of HR Managers gives them a failing grade.