Advice can be confusing. Or, even downright contradictory.

Take these two old chestnuts:

• Too many cooks spoil the broth

• Many hands make light work

So, which is it already?

For me, when advice makes it worse, I turn back to questions.

Questions allow for open space. Questions create movement. Ideas. Possibilities. Options.

I collect questions and I use them every day in my coaching and facilitation work. So, I am always on the lookout for new and interesting ones. Here’s a list of my favourites.

Jonathan’s Top 10 Problem-Solving Questions

1. What problem are you really trying to solve?

2. Why are you trying to solve this problem?

3. Who (else) owns this problem?

4. What happens if you wait, or if you choose to do nothing?

5. Are the facts really facts, or are they your perceptions, opinions, or interpretations?

6. If you have two choices before you, might it be somehow possible to do both things?

7. What, if anything, makes it all disappear, or matter a lot less?

8. What if the problem grew 10x bigger, or 10x smaller—what would change?

9. Pretend you had infinite resources, how would you solve it now?

10. If this problem is secretly your teacher, what’s its lesson?

Whatever feels heavy, difficult, or large for you today, maybe one of these questions will open up that space you need—to set aside the confusing advice—and see it all anew? Remember to breathe.

- Jonathan Bennett