New coaches almost always make the same mistake in their first few sessions: they ask a good question, and then they answer it themselves ten seconds later because the silence feels unbearable.
We started timing it in practice sessions. On average, a new coach waits four seconds before filling the silence. Experienced coaches wait closer to fifteen.
Those extra eleven seconds matter more than almost anything else we teach. That's usually when the real answer surfaces, not the polished one.
We now train coaches on seven core questions, but honestly the questions matter less than the discipline of staying quiet after asking them. It's the hardest skill to teach and the easiest one to lose under pressure.
