Great Coaching Questions

As part of a chemistry session, or while contracting during a coaching session, a coach may ask, ‘what is your understanding of coaching?’.

This great coaching question seeks to achieve several important objectives.

Clarification of Expectations 📚

By asking this question, a coach aims to understand the client’s preconceptions and expectations about coaching. It helps set the stage for a shared understanding between the coach and the client.

Tailoring the Coaching Approach 🔍

People come to coaching with diverse experiences and interpretations of what coaching entails. The coach’s question allows them to tailor their approach based on the client’s existing knowledge and beliefs. This customisation helps make the coaching experience more relevant and effective.

Building a Foundation of Trust 🏗

The question encourages open communication and transparency. It establishes a foundation of trust by demonstrating that the coach values the client’s perspective and wants to align with their expectations.

Exploring Personal Goals 🥅

The client’s understanding of coaching often reflects their personal goals and motivations. By delving into this understanding, the coach gains insights into what the client hopes to achieve through the coaching process.

Promoting Self-Reflection 🤳

The question encourages the client to reflect on their own understanding of coaching. This self-reflection can be a valuable aspect of the coaching process, as it prompts the client to articulate their thoughts and feelings, fostering a deeper level of awareness.

Creating a Collaborative Environment 👊

Coaching is a collaborative partnership. By asking this question, the coach emphasises that both parties contribute to the coaching relationship. It sets the tone for a cooperative effort in which the client’s input is highly valued.

Overall, asking about the client’s understanding of coaching is a strategic and foundational step in the coaching process.

When a coach asks about ‘no-go’ areas in a conversation, they are inquiring about topics or subjects that the individual may find sensitive, uncomfortable, or off-limits. This question is a way for the coach to:-

Establishing Boundaries 🛡

Asking about ‘no-go’ areas helps the coach and the individual being coached to establish clear boundaries for the conversation. This ensures that the discussion remains within the individual’s comfort zone and doesn’t touch upon sensitive or uncomfortable topics without their consent.

Creating a Safe Space 🔓

Identifying potential areas that might be emotionally charged or triggering allows the coach to create a psychologically safe and supportive environment. This is crucial for fostering trust and openness in the coaching relationship, as the individual feels confident that the coach respects their limits.

Respecting Individual Preferences 🙌

Every person has different comfort levels and sensitivities. By asking about ‘no-go’ areas, the coach demonstrates a commitment to respecting the individual’s preferences and values. This is essential for tailoring the coaching experience to the unique needs of the person being coached.

Promoting Focus and Productivity 📈

Avoiding topics that are deemed off-limits helps keep the coaching session focused and productive. By steering clear of potentially distracting or distressing subjects, the coach can concentrate on the relevant issues and goals that the individual wants to address during the session.

Encouraging Open Communication 💬

The question about ‘no-go’ areas encourages open communication between the coach and the individual. It sets the tone for an honest and transparent dialogue, where the individual feels empowered to express their needs, concerns, and limitations without fear of judgment.

Aligning with Ethical Guidelines 🌱

Ethical coaching practices emphasise the importance of prioritising the well-being of the individual being coached. Asking about ‘no-go’ areas aligns with these ethical guidelines by ensuring that the coaching process is conducted in a respectful, supportive, and responsible manner.

Overall, the question about “no-go” areas serves as a proactive and considerate approach to coaching, aiming to enhance the effectiveness of the session while prioritising the well-being and comfort of the individual being coached.

Coaches often ask clients to describe the ideal outcome for the coaching session that they are about to embark upon. They do this for several important reasons:-

Clarification of Goals 🏁

By inquiring about the ideal outcome, a coach helps the client articulate and clarify their goals for the session. This ensures that both the coach and the client have a clear understanding of what they are working towards during the session.

Focus and Direction ➡

Discussing the ideal outcome helps to establish and maintain focus and direction for the session. Should the coaching conversation begin to deviate from the goal, it is possible for the coach to ask if the ideal outcome has changed and how the remaining time should be utilised.

Motivation and Commitment 🎯

Understanding the ideal outcome can be motivating for the client. It highlights the potential positive results of the coaching session, fostering a sense of commitment and engagement in the process.

Evaluation of Progress 📈

Knowing the client’s expectations for the session allows the coach to continuously assess and measure progress. It provides a basis for evaluating whether the coaching process is moving in the desired direction and whether adjustments are needed.

Tailoring Coaching Approaches 📚

The coach can tailor their coaching approaches and techniques based on the client’s ideal outcome. This customisation ensures that the coaching methods align with the client’s preferences and needs.

Accountability 🏆

The conversation about the ideal outcome establishes a shared understanding of what success looks like. This shared vision enhances accountability, as both the coach and the client are aligned in their expectations for the session.

Overall, asking about the ideal outcome is a foundational step in the coaching process, contributing to the effectiveness of the session and the overall success of the coaching relationship.

After establishing the goal or desired outcome for a coaching conversation, a coach has to establish where the client is now. This will include questions to gather information on the clients current ‘reality’, as well asking, what do you think is holding you back? They do this in order to:-

Promoting Self-Awareness 🤳

By asking you to consider what might be holding you back, the coach is encouraging self-awareness. Reflecting on your own limitations or challenges can lead to a deeper understanding of yourself and your behaviours.

Empowering Ownership 👇

This question prompts you to take ownership of your situation. It encourages you to recognise and acknowledge factors that may be hindering your progress, fostering a sense of responsibility for your own growth and development.

Identifying Obstacles 🚧

The coach is interested in helping you identify specific obstacles or challenges that may be preventing you from reaching your goals. This identification is a crucial step in the coaching process, as it sets the stage for developing strategies to overcome these obstacles.

Facilitating Problem-Solving 🧗‍♂️

Once you’ve identified what you believe is holding you back, the coach can work with you to explore potential solutions and strategies. This collaborative problem-solving approach is a key aspect of coaching.

Asking questions about reality in the coaching conversation is a fundamental step in the GROW model. It helps create a clear understanding of the client’s current circumstances and challenges. This information then informs the subsequent stages of the coaching framework, to support the generation of options, and defining the way forward.

During the course of a coaching conversation, a coach may look to expand a clients perspective, encourage creative thinking, and help them explore a range of potential options or solutions by asking ‘what are the possibilities that are open to you?’. This is intended to:-

Encourage Exploration 🌍

The question is designed to prompt the client to explore various possibilities and consider a broader range of options. This can be particularly helpful when the client might be feeling stuck or limited in their thinking.

Promote Creativity 🎨

By asking about possibilities, the coach is encouraging the client to tap into their creativity. This can lead to innovative solutions and approaches that may not have initially been considered.

Shifting Perspectives 🔄

The question invites the client to shift their perspective from a potentially limiting view of your situation to one that encompasses a wider array of opportunities. It challenges any narrow or fixed mindset that may be held.

Empowering Decision Making 💪

Identifying possibilities empowers the client to make informed decisions. It allows them to consider the full range of choices available, facilitating a more thoughtful and intentional decision-making process.

Building Confidence 💯

Exploring possibilities can build a clients confidence. It demonstrates that they have the capacity to generate ideas and solutions, fostering a sense of self-efficacy in their ability to navigate challenges.

Strategic Planning 🗺

The coach may be preparing the client to engage in strategic planning. Understanding the possibilities allows for the development of well-informed plans and actions that align with their desired outcomes.

Asking questions about options in the coaching conversation is a fundamental step in the GROW model. It helps to facilitate a constructive and forward-looking conversation. This question is intended to empower the client, inspire creativity, and support them in identifying the potential paths or solutions that align with their goals and aspirations.

Through a coaching conversation you may have discussed your goals (G), the current reality (R) and options (O) available to you. The final stage of the GROW model is to look at your will or to wrap-up (W) the conversation. You may therefore be asked on a scale of 1-10, ‘what is your level of commitment?’, which may be followed by ‘what could you do to increase your commitment?’. But why would you be asked these questions by a coach?

Assessment of Dedication 📈

A coach will want to gauge how dedicated you are to achieving a particular goal or completing a task. Your commitment level indicates how seriously you’re taking the endeavor.

Motivation 🏋‍♂️

Understanding your commitment level helps the coach tailor their approach to motivate you effectively. If they know you’re fully committed, they might offer different types of support or encouragement compared to if they sense hesitation or lack of commitment.

Setting Realistic Expectations 🧗‍♂️

By knowing your commitment level, the coach can help you set realistic expectations for what can be achieved. If your commitment is high, they might set more ambitious goals; if it’s lower, they might adjust expectations accordingly.

Identifying Potential Obstacles 🏔

Your commitment level can also reveal potential obstacles or challenges you might face in pursuing the action. If your commitment seems low, the coach might explore the reasons behind it and address any underlying issues that could hinder your progress.

Building Accountability 🏗

Discussing commitment levels can also help build accountability. By openly acknowledging your commitment (or lack thereof), you’re more likely to hold yourself accountable for following through on your actions.

Overall, a coach is likely asking about your commitment level to better understand your mindset, motivations, and readiness to take on the challenge at hand, ultimately aiming to support you in achieving your goals effectively.

Understanding the progress of your client since their last coaching session and throughout the coaching engagement is critical.

Reviewing progress at the beginning of a coaching conversation provides great value and can influence the nature and direction of the upcoming conversation. It is important that this review go beyond the surface level of the iceberg, exploring the reasons why progress was, or was not made.

Two potential questions that could be asked are:-

“What progress are you seeing?”

and
“What progress are others seeing?”

The first question invites the client to consider their own progress, focussing attention on what they have been working on and their achievements between sessions, providing:-

Motivation 💪

Understanding progress provides motivation and encouragement to those being coached. Seeing tangible evidence of their improvement reinforces their commitment to the coaching process and fuels their determination to reach their goals.

Clear Direction 🗺️

Progress tracking helps clients gain a clearer understanding of their journey towards their goals. It enables them to see how far they’ve come and what steps are still required to achieve their objectives, providing a sense of direction and purpose.

Self-Awareness 🪞

Reviewing progress encourages self-reflection and self-awareness in clients. It allows them to assess their strengths, weaknesses, and areas for growth objectively, empowering them to make informed decisions and take ownership of their development.

The second question considers progress from the perspective of those around the client. This can offer valuable insights and benefits to the client, providing:-

External Feedback 💬

External feedback from peers, colleagues, friends, or family members provides a perspective on the client’s progress that the client themselves might overlook.

Support System 🫶

Those around the client can serve as a support system throughout their coaching journey. Sharing progress with others can elicit encouragement, motivation, and practical support from individuals who are invested in the client’s success.

Mutual Learning 🎓

Engaging with others about their progress can foster mutual learning and growth. Clients may learn from the experiences and insights of their peers, gaining new perspectives, strategies, and ideas that can enrich their own coaching journey.

Overall, understanding progress in a coaching relationship is essential for fostering growth, motivation, accountability, and effective communication between the coach and those being coached. It serves as a guiding light, illuminating the path towards personal and professional development.

Scaling is a simple technique often used by coaches where they ask a client to rate themselves on a scale of one to ten to gauge their level of confidence, satisfaction, or performance in a particular area.

The focus of ‘scaling’ is to see where the client is now, but allows this to be followed up by discuss where the client would like to get to within a coaching session or by the end of a coaching assignment.

Scaling helps to initially remove emotion from the situation by turning the situation into a number, however, it is important to go deeper than the number itself. Exploring thoughts, feelings, motivations, reasons, hopes and desires helps to create a clearer picture of the current and future states.

Overall, it’s a tool for client and coach to better understand where the client is, what they are aiming for, and how they are progressing towards that goal.