20 Coaching Questions to Get Results

Far too many coaches come across as judgemental and find that they must quickly solve their client’s problems through their own personal opinions. Reality check? That’s not good coaching.

The coaches who are most successful are the navigators, supporting their client’s self-awareness process and helping them grow with individualized strategies.

A coach should be focused on asking the right questions and in turn, a client's answers should always open the door for new, personalized queries.
Thus, I’ve gathered some questions in various categories to help you encourage your client to open up:

Questions for Self-Reflection and Discovery

People need coaches for a variety of reasons. More than often when a client comes to coaching that lacks confidence, they may also lack clarity..

This lack of confidence is usually linked to doubt and uncertainty causing the client to feel confused about their priorities. Here’s what you can ask to support clarity

1. What has been your major insight in life?

2. What challenges you?

3. What do you feel you’ve accomplished already?

4. What is standing in your way?

5. What do you need the most right now?

20 Coaching Questions to Get Results

Goal-Setting Questions

It might seem like a simple thing to do, but setting goals can actually be a painful process. Once you genuinely start to explore wishes and goals with your clients, some uncomfortable truths tend to come up.

Perhaps what they always thought they wanted was someone else's plan, or they were conditioned to think of happiness and contentment as one-dimensional. As a coach, you can get closer to their goals by asking these questions:

1. What matters the most to you in life?

2. What are you most proud of in your life?

3. If you won the lottery, where would you be right now?

4. If nothing changes in your life, what do you fear the most?

5. What would you be willing to sacrifice for your goals?

20 Coaching Questions to Get Results

Questions for Building Resilience

Whether clients are just starting their business or are new managers, they're likely to be incredibly stressed.

To avoid getting overwhelmed, you can help them build stress resilience. Starting with these questions can help:

1. Are you comfortable with the uncomfortable?

2. Do your actions have a clear sense of meaning?

3. Can you embrace failure and learn from it?

4. Will you be dealing with this problem a year from now?

5. Which positive emotion can you leverage out of a stressful situation?

Coaching Questions for Leaders

While these questions are often directed to people in leadership positions, they can also apply to anyone searching for their purpose.

If you set aside some time to ask yourself these questions first, make sure not to rush the answer. Give your mind time to wander and explore. Here are some questions for you, coach, as well as your clients:

1. What does your life experience so far tell you about your destiny?

2. What are your natural abilities?

3. What responsibilities do you truly enjoy and are good at?

4. How do you see yourself serving others?

5. What are you grateful for?

20 Coaching Questions to Get Results

Asking the Right Questions

In the process of coaching your clients, you will ask them many questions and follow-up questions. Not all will bring the same results.

Sometimes, a single question will lead to a breakthrough, and other times more questions will be required until you get to the underlying core issues. It's guaranteed, however, that these 20 questions will give you insight into your client, help create a powerful bond and build trust for a coaching relationship to flourish.

My personal passion is working with aspiring coaches to gain the tools to set up their own viable and profitable practice. If this sounds like you, Schedule a discovery session with me today and I can help you find your way to build your own coaching business!