As a coach, one of your most powerful tools is the ability to recognize patterns in how your clients think and respond. When working with individuals, you may notice that some love to dream, while others love to do. Some people get lost in big ideas and possibilities, while others are obsessed with tangible results and action.

But how do you quickly identify which type of client you’re working with? The answer lies in how they respond to Well-Formed Outcome (WFO) Questions.

Dreamers live in the world of meaning, imagination, and possibility, often struggling to take action. Performers, on the other hand, are action-driven, often needing to slow down and reflect on their deeper motivations. Understanding where your client stands allows you to guide them effectively, helping them balance thought and execution for greater success.

Now, let’s explore how you can distinguish between dreamers and performers simply by how they answer WFO questions.

In the Meaning–Performance Quadrants, individuals fall into two broad categories:

  • Dreamers (Quadrant III): These individuals rank high on the meaning scale, living in a world of ideas, possibilities, and dreams. However, they may be unrealistic about their goals and struggle to translate their visions into concrete actions.
  • Performers (Quadrant II): Passionate and action-driven, performers thrive on execution. They often equate self-worth with productivity and may struggle with inactivity. Some even lean toward workaholism.

As a Meta-Coach, you can identify whether someone is a dreamer or a performer simply by how they answer the Well-Formed Outcome (WFO) Questions. Their responses reveal whether they need to focus on taking action (dreamers) or reflecting on meaning and values (performers).

The First Clue: Answering the “What” Question

Question #1: What do you want to achieve that’s really important to you?

  • Performers get straight to the point. Their goals are tangible, specific, and actionable.
  • Dreamers struggle to be direct. They may talk at length, using abstract concepts, ideas, and nominalizations (vague, intangible terms). If you find yourself waiting endlessly for a clear goal, you’re likely dealing with a dreamer.

The “Why” Question: A Window into Priorities

Question #3: Why is this important to you?

  • Dreamers excel here. They can articulate numerous values and may even spiral into deep existential reasoning—seeking unity with the universe or divine alignment. If necessary, ground them by asking, “Is there anything more immediate, like financial stability or personal security?”
  • Performers struggle. They may offer brief, practical responses like “money,” “status,” or “reputation” but feel lost beyond that. To help, provide a menu of values (e.g., responsibility, love, integrity) to guide them toward deeper insights.

The Action Plan: Where Performers Shine

Questions #4-7: What do you have to do to get what you want?

  • Performers are energized by this. They can quickly outline the actions needed to achieve their goals. Keep challenging them with Question #7, asking multiple times until they exhaust their answers. Then, question them further:
    • “Will these actions truly get you to your outcome?”
    • If no, you’ve identified a coaching opportunity.
    • If yes, ask, “Then why are you in this coaching session?”
  • Dreamers, on the other hand, struggle with action-oriented questions. Instead of answering, they drift back into abstract discussions about meaning. If this happens, challenge them directly:
    • “Do you know what you need to do, or don’t you?”

Planning and Feedback: The Performer’s Domain

Questions #11-13: What are the stages, plans, and feedback mechanisms?

  • Performers respond well—they naturally think in steps, strategies, and progress tracking.
  • Dreamers may find these questions overwhelming, as their focus is more on the big picture than the details.

Identifying Blocks and Resources

Questions #14-17: What interferes? What resources do you have?

  • Performers focus on external obstacles and resources (e.g., money, competition, systems).
  • Dreamers discuss internal barriers and resources (e.g., mindset, beliefs, creativity).

Both assume their approach is ecological (Question #16). Your role as a coach is to challenge each appropriately:

  • For dreamers → Challenge their external reality: “Have you considered practical challenges?”
  • For performers → Challenge their internal ecology: “Have you examined internal factors like motivation, mindset, and burnout?”

Applying This Insight in Coaching

By observing how clients answer WFO questions, you can quickly diagnose whether they need to:

  • Take action and execute (dreamers), or
  • Reflect on meaning and values (performers).

This insight allows you to tailor coaching strategies effectively, ensuring each client moves toward actualizing their full potential. Pay attention to these patterns—you’ll find them invaluable in your coaching practice.

Curated by Danielle Tan.

Reference:

  1. [Certified_meta-coach] 2025 Morpheus #7 WHEN DREAMERS & PERFORMANS ANSWER WFO QUESTIONS L. Michael Hall, Ph.D. Executive Director, ISNS.
Danielle Tan
Danielle Tan

Associate Certified Meta-Coach (ACMC).