Coaching Questions

Starting a Conversation

What’s happened since our last conversation?
What’s new? ... with…?
What’s the update?
How was your week?  

Getting to the Substance

What seems to be the main obstacle?
What is stopping you?
What do you want?
What is possible?
What if it works out exactly as you want it to?
What is exciting about that?
What does your intuition tell you?  

Assessment/Evaluation/Reflection

What do you make of it?
What do you think is best?
How does it look to you?
How do you feel about it?
What is the opportunity here?
What is the challenge?
What do you think that means?
What is your assessment?  

Exploration

What do you want to explore here?
What part of this have you not yet explored?
What are other angles?
What is another possibility?

Options?

Lift restrictions: If you could do anything, what would you do?
If you had all the time, money, energy?
If it was easy, what would that look like?
If you DID know, how would you answer?  

Learning/Integration

What did you learn?
How will you remember?
How would you pull this all together?
If it comes up again, what will you do?  

Clarification/Elaboration

What do you mean?
What does it feel like?
What is the part that is not clear?
Say more.
What do you want?
What else?
What other thoughts/ideas/feelings do you have about it?
What’s an example?
Like what?
What would it look like?

Planning/Implementation/Resources

What kind of plan do you need to create?
How could you improve it?
What are your next steps?
What is the action plan?
What will it take?
What support do you need?
What will you do?
When?
What resources do you need?
What do you know now?  
How can you find out more?
What support/resources are available to you?  

Outcomes

What do you want?
How will you know you reached your goal?
What would it look like?

Adapted from Whitworth, Kimsey-House, Kimsey-House, and Sandahl, Co-Active Coaching