Coaching A to Z: The Extraordinary Use of Ordinary Words

Coaching A to Z — Why I Recommend It

Big change often starts with small words. Haesun Moon’s Coaching A to Z: The Extraordinary Use of Ordinary Words shows how everyday language—short, ordinary words—can unlock clearer thinking, calmer conversations, and better outcomes. It’s not about memorizing scripts; it’s about choosing simple words that nudge progress.

What It’s Really About

Precision with kindness. The book organizes coaching into an A–Z of ordinary words—things you already say—then shows how to use them with intention. You’ll ask shorter questions, remove judgment from your phrasing, and guide conversations toward what matters: goals, choices, next steps, and learning.

Author & Background

Haesun Moon, PhD is a master coach and communication scholar best known for developing the Dialogic Orientation Quadrant (DOQ) and for her work at the intersection of solution-focused coaching and everyday talk. Her style is crisp and humane—less jargon, more tiny language shifts you can try in your next conversation.

Why This Matters

• Words steer attention. What we name, we notice; what we notice, we can change.

• Short beats smart. Brief, clear language reduces defensiveness and speeds decisions.

• Curiosity lowers heat. Good questions create safety and momentum.

• Ownership sticks. People commit to solutions they hear themselves say.

26 Practical Moves (A–Z, in my words)

A — Aim. “What do you want—by when?”
B — Better. “What would be better than this?”
C — Choose. “Which do you choose now?”
D — Doable. “What’s the doable first step?”
E — Enough. “What’s enough for now?”
F — Fact. “What facts do we agree on?”
G — Goal. “How will we know we hit it?”
H — Help. “Where would help actually help?”
I — Instead. “What will you do instead?”
J — Just. “If you did just one thing this week…?”
K — Keep. “What should we keep doing?”
L — Learn. “What did we learn?”
M — More. “What do you want more of?”
N — Next. “What’s next?”
O — Or. “This or that?”
P — Because. “Because what?” (surface the reason)
Q — Quiet. Ask, then wait.
R — Ready. “What makes you ready enough to begin?”
S — So that… Tie action to purpose.
T — True. “What’s true here?”
U — Unless. “What’s the plan unless X happens?”
V — Value. “What do you value most here?”
W — When. Put it on a clock.
X — x-ray. “What’s under the surface?”
Y — Yet. Add progress language: “not yet.”
Z — Zero. “From zero to ten, where are we?”

Field Notes

• Short questions travel faster.

• One word can change the room (“instead,” “so that,” “yet,” “because”).

• Ask → listen → label → commit.

• End with ownership (who/what/when).

Who Should Read This

Leaders, teammates, parents, teachers, mentors—and coaches who want crisp, humane language.

A Line I Keep Coming Back To

“Small words, strong direction.” Say less, point better, move farther.

How to Use It (14-Day Starter Plan)

Week 1 — Core Words in Real Meetings
Day 1: Aim & Goal • Day 2: Fact • Day 3: Better • Day 4: Doable & Next • Day 5: So that • Day 6: Learn • Day 7: Quiet

Week 2 — Momentum & Ownership
Day 8: Choose & When • Day 9: Because • Day 10: Instead • Day 11: Yet • Day 12: Zero-to-Ten • Day 13: Help & Value • Day 14: Ready & Unless

Drop-In Coaching Toolkit (Templates)

Conversation Map: Aim/By-when • Facts(3) • Better(1) • Doable step/owner/when • So that • Learn
Options Brief: A/B • Because • Value • When • Unless
Weekly Cadence: Aim → Fact → Better → Choose → Doable/When/So that → Learn
Zero-to-Ten Tracker: Score + “What moves it +1?” → action/owner/when

Final Word

Coaching A to Z proves you don’t need fancy jargon to help people grow. You need ordinary words used on purpose. Moon’s lens makes conversations shorter, kinder, and more effective—at work, at home, and anywhere people are trying to move forward.