Ask "And what else?"

The first answer is rarely the most important one — "And what else?" pulls out the one that actually matters.

Why it works

The first thing someone says is usually the most available answer, not the deepest one. "And what else?" (AWE) creates a second and third round of processing: the person has to reach past the obvious and often arrives at something more surprising or more accurate. It is also a signal of genuine curiosity — that you want their full thinking, not just enough to start advising. Repeated use conditions the other person to keep exploring rather than waiting for your response.

How to do it

1. After any substantive answer, ask "And what else?" — at least once, usually twice.
2. Deliver it with genuine curiosity, not rote repetition — the tone matters as much as the words.
3. Stop asking when the person signals they’ve said everything: "I think that’s it" is a real answer.
4. Do not use "And what else?" after every single sentence — selective use is more powerful than mechanical use.

Evidence

Probing questions that invite elaboration consistently produce richer, more accurate, and more complete responses in interview and elicitation research. "And what else?" is a minimal-content probe that accomplishes this without imposing a frame. (mechanistic)

Elaboration probe research is from interview and research methodology contexts; the coaching application is a practitioner inference. Overuse produces irritation, which limits efficacy.

Common mistake

Using "And what else?" so frequently that it becomes a tic — people start treating it as a gap-filler rather than a genuine invitation, and the probe loses its pull.