Tips for eliciting responses from uncommunicative coachees

• Rehearse how you will respond if your coachee doesn't provide thoughtful replies to your questions during coaching discussions or sessions.
• Practice speaking slowly and taking long pauses. You'll give the other person time to formulate responses to your questions and ideas.
• Make it clear that you expect a reply—and are willing to wait for one.
• Ask open-ended questions—those requiring more than a "yes" or "no" response. They encourage more thoughtful replies than closed questions (requiring "yes" or "no") do.