A Question Worth Asking

I’m currently participating in Bring Out Their Best, a course facilitated by Michael Bungay Stanier (MBS), author of The Coaching Habit and several other terrific books. MBS encourages us to become a little more coach-like by staying curious longer and resisting the urge to jump immediately into advice-giving.

While I’m strengthening my coaching skills, I’m also collecting brilliant learning design techniques. Throughout the course, MBS weaves several of his seven essential coaching questions into our learning experiences, modeling the very practices he teaches. (I’ve shared a few other design insights from this experience in Admire, Acquire, and Adapt.)

The seventh question in his framework, which he calls the Learning Question, really captures my attention:

“What was most useful for you?”

MBS introduces this question as a way to conclude a coaching conversation, but he encourages us to use it throughout conversations, too. During our live webinars, he frequently revisits the question after a segment of learning, inviting participants to identify what they found most useful before moving forward.

Consider the conversations educational leaders navigate every day: a principal checking in with an assistant principal, an instructional coach supporting a teacher, or colleagues collaborating to solve a problem. What might happen if we incorporated this question more intentionally into those conversations? Or into leadership team meetings, PLCs, and professional learning experiences?

One simple question can help people recognize their own learning, learn from one another, and offer insights that help us lead and design more intentionally.

Recognizing What’s Useful

In The Coaching Habit, MBS explores why this seemingly simple question carries so much potential. One reason that resonates with me is that this question nurtures retrieval practice.

When someone asks, “What was most useful for you?” we revisit the conversation or experience, recall something meaningful, and articulate our learning. Rather than a leader prescribing a takeaway, the question invites us to make sense of the experience for ourselves.

Also envision a monthly check-in between a principal and assistant principal or a coaching conversation between an instructional coach and teacher. They might discuss progress toward a goal, explore a challenge, or consider possible next steps. Before moving on, the leader asks, “What was most useful for you?”

The response might reveal a new perspective, clarify a next step, or help the person recognize growth they hadn’t previously acknowledged. In each case, the person answering actively reflects on the conversation rather than simply receiving information or advice.

MBS intentionally emphasizes the words for you in several of his coaching questions. Those two words matter. Rather than directing someone toward the insight we expect, we give them the agency to determine what resonates.

A principal might anticipate that an assistant principal will identify a particular leadership strategy as the most valuable part of their conversation. Instead, the assistant principal might respond, “I realized I’ve made more progress toward my goal than I thought.”

The person answering, not the person asking, determines what’s most useful.

And there’s another subtle benefit to the wording. Compare “Was this useful?” with “What was most useful for you?” The first question asks someone to evaluate the experience. The second question assumes there’s something worth identifying and encourages them to recognize its value.

The simple question doesn’t guarantee that someone found the experience worthwhile. But it helps us to look for something meaningful rather than simply move on to the next task.

Creating Space for Learning (Questions)

Becoming more coach-like doesn’t require a formal coaching relationship. MBS encourages us to bring curiosity into everyday conversations, whether we’re supporting a colleague, facilitating a team meeting, or leading a PLC.

Imagine two teachers talking over lunch. One shares a classroom challenge while the other listens and asks questions that help her think through the situation. As their conversation winds down, the colleague asks, “What was most useful for you?”

Perhaps the teacher identifies a new perspective, recognizes a possible next step, or simply appreciates the opportunity to think aloud. Neither colleague needs to assume the role of coach to make the conversation a little more coach-like.

We can also intentionally incorporate the Learning Question into professional learning experiences.

I’m currently collaborating with a district leader to design a learning experience for her team. Participants will explore curated, research-based resources, collaborate with colleagues outside their usual teams, and dedicate time to developing a presentation they’ll share in February. We’ve also created a slide structure to support their work.

Following a substantial segment of learning, participants will individually respond to the Learning Question before sharing their takeaways in a whole-group whip-around.

Why both formats?

Individual reflection gives everyone an opportunity to retrieve and articulate their own learning before hearing others’ perspectives. The group conversation then broadens their thinking as participants discover what their colleagues found valuable.

The question doesn’t require an elaborate protocol. Facilitators might introduce it during a transition, invite a brief written response, or incorporate it into an existing feedback form. What matters is intentionally creating space for people to recall, recognize, and articulate their learning.

And when participants share their responses, we gain another opportunity: listening to what they found valuable and staying curious about what those responses might reveal.

Staying Curious a Little Bit Longer

When we ask the Learning Question, we invite others to recognize what matters most to them. Their responses also offer us valuable insights into their thinking and experiences.

MBS encourages us to stay curious a little bit longer rather than rush into advice or solutions. When someone shares what they found useful, we might ask ourselves: What am I noticing? What am I wondering?

The following examples illustrate how curiosity can guide our next moves in everyday conversations and professional learning design.

In Everyday Conversations

Sometimes listening and acknowledging someone’s response is enough. Other times, a thoughtful follow-up can deepen the conversation while keeping their thinking at the center.

After asking “What was most useful for you?”...

What They Say	What We Might Wonder	What We Might Ask Next
“I appreciate having more clarity about what’s expected.”	What was unclear before our conversation?	“Is there anything else you’d like to clarify?”
“I realized I’ve made more progress than I thought.”	What helped this person recognize their growth?	“What progress are you most proud of?”
“It helped that you listened before offering suggestions.”	Am I sometimes too quick to offer advice?	“What kind of support would be most helpful going forward?”

Not every response requires a follow-up question. Sometimes listening and acknowledging what someone shares is enough.

In Professional Learning Design

Participants’ responses can also reveal clues about our design decisions. Rather than treating a single comment as definitive feedback, we can explore what might explain it and consider possible refinements.

After asking “What was most useful for you?”...

What They Say	What We Might Wonder	What We Might Try
“I appreciated having uninterrupted time to work.”	Was it the protected time, the opportunity to make progress, or both?	Include purposeful work time in future sessions and gather feedback.
“It was helpful to hear what another campus is doing.”	Are we creating enough opportunities to learn across teams?	Offer another opportunity for cross-campus collaboration.
“The slide template helped me organize my ideas.”	Did the structure reduce uncertainty or help participants focus on content?	Offer a scaffold for another complex task.
“I found a resource I want to explore further.”	Was it the resource, the curated selection, or the time to explore?	Follow up to learn how participants explored or applied the resource.

In either context, a response offers a clue, not necessarily a conclusion. Staying curious helps us decide what, if anything, to explore next.

A Question to Carry Forward

The next time you wrap up a conversation, facilitate a team meeting, or design a professional learning experience, try asking, “What was most useful for you?”

Give people time to recall and think. Listen to what they share. Notice what surprises you.

And before you move on to your next task, let’s put the question into practice right here:

What was most useful for you in this post?

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Kathryn Laster brings over 30 years of education expertise as a math teacher, instructional coach, and digital learning consultant. As an independent consultant, she creates and facilitates transformative learning experiences through intentional, human-centered, tech-infused design, with a goal of normalizing excellence in adult learning design. Kathryn is a graduate of the 2025 Learning Forward Academy and is part of the Texas host committee for the Learning Forward Annual Conference.

Connect with Kathryn at kathrynlaster.info and at Refined Learning Design.