What Would This Look Like If It Were Easy?
Coaching Question of the Week
The Coaching Question
“What would this look like if it were easy?”
When to Use This Question
When a teacher or leader is overcomplicating a challenge or feeling overwhelmed.
When someone is stuck in analysis paralysis and struggling to take action.
When a team is making a process or initiative more difficult than necessary.
When coaching someone who is overburdened and needs to simplify their approach.
The Problem This Question Aims to Solve
Many educators and leaders approach problems with a complexity bias, assuming that solutions must be difficult to be effective. This mindset often leads to burnout, inefficiency, and frustration. By reframing the challenge through the lens of simplicity, this question encourages clarity, ease, and action.
The Research Behind It
Richard Koch’s 80/20 Principle (1999) – 80% of results come from 20% of effort. Focusing on the simplest, most impactful actions leads to greater efficiency.
Cognitive Load Theory (Sweller, 1988) – Reducing unnecessary complexity frees up mental energy for meaningful problem-solving and learning.
Heath & Heath’s Simplicity in Decision-Making (2013) – The Heaths identify four key obstacles that complicate our choices:
Narrow Framing: Focusing too tightly on one option or a binary choice, missing out on other possibilities.
Confirmation Bias: Seeking out information that supports our existing beliefs and ignoring contradictory evidence.
Short-Term Emotion: Letting immediate feelings overly influence decisions.
Overconfidence: Being too sure of our predictions and not preparing for possible errors.
When problems feel too complex, people often avoid taking action. This question helps break challenges into simpler, more manageable steps.
Example Application in Coaching
Scenario: A teacher is overwhelmed by the idea of redesigning their entire instructional approach.
Coach’s Response: “What would this look like if it were easy?”
Teacher’s Reflection: “Maybe I don’t need to overhaul everything at once. I could start by adjusting just one part of the lesson.”
Next Steps: The coach could help the teacher identify the simplest first step that leads to the identified change.
Additional Questions to Deepen the Conversation
“What’s the first small step you could take right now?”
“What’s adding unnecessary friction or complexity to this?”
“If someone else solved this problem easily, what would they do differently?”
“What are you assuming has to be hard about this?”
Final Reflection for Coaches and Leaders
This question isn’t about dumbing things down—it’s about removing the drama we attach to change. Schools are complex, but not every solution has to be. We just got to cut through the noise.
Have some overworkers in your midset? (ahem…I am eyeing the clock right now)
