47 Powerful Coaching Questions to ask as a Life Coach
Questions are a crucial part of good coaching. They can help to unlock insights into clients' thought processes and surface a better way forward. If done right, asking the right questions alone is the difference between effective and ineffective coaching. But what kind of questions should one ask to get the best results and achieve lasting breakthroughs?
In general, there are no right or wrong questions, but there are a few proven open-ended questions that can get you the best results. In this article, we'll delve into the questions that work the best and what questions to ask as a coaching professional.
Before delving into the article, you might want to take a look at our freebie section for useful coaching tools that you can use in your practice! You can download our free coaching tools and worksheets here!
Why coaching questions are so important?
In coaching, questions are essential for a number of reasons, but their main goal is to encourage the coaching client to think deeply about the obstacle they are facing and come up with their own potential solutions or insights. This helps create lasting breakthroughs because the client does not feel pressured to do something from the outside (which rarely works).
If the client feels like they came up with the answer all by themselves then it creates an extra layer of accountability and makes them more likely to follow through on whatever needs to be done next
Most effective life coaching questions to facilitate self-awareness
Coaching isn't about telling someone what to do; rather, it's about encouraging them to examine their own beliefs and values.
It's about helping clients encourage themselves, analyzing their obstacles, and constructing a compelling case for change that will make them take action!
Some great questions to ask to help clients become more self-aware.
What are you most happy about?
What is your greatest strength and greatest weakness?
What motivates you the most?
How do you pick yourself back up when you've failed at something?
What do you do that fills you with joy, enthusiasm, and a sense of accomplishment?
What are you currently afraid of in your life?
What opportunities do you currently see in your life?
To what do you devote an excessive amount of your time?
To what do you devote too little of your time?
What do you love about yourself?
If you could change one decision you made in the past, what would it be?
How would you describe yourself in one sentence?
What limiting beliefs do you have about yourself?
What one question do you wish you had a clear answer or?
How to ask the right questions?
One of the most effective ways to ask the right questions, at the right time is the GROW simple 4-step framework. With GROW you first start with questions that help establish the client's goals and gradually work your way to questions that prompt some concrete action to take.
Goal Oriented Questions
The first stage of the GROW model is finding out what your client actually wants. To do that here are some effective questions you can ask during the coaching session.
What do you want to achieve with these coaching sessions?
What would you consider a successful outcome for these coaching sessions?
Why do you want to achieve this goal?
How would your life look different if you achieved this?
How would your life look like if you did not achieve this?
What is motivating you to reach this goal?
What positive things you feel will happen if you achieve this goal?
How would this goal change the lives of the people around you?
Understanding the Current Situation
The second stage of the GROW coaching model is understanding the current reality. This is where you help your client get a clear understanding of their current situation and what's stopping them from achieving their goals. To do this, you need to ask some probing questions that will help them see things from a different perspective.
What is currently happening in your life that is preventing you from achieving your goal?
What do you think are the biggest factors that are contributing to your current situation?
How does your current reality compare to what you ideally want?
What's been stopping you from taking action in the past?
What's the biggest obstacle you're facing right now?
Understanding the Options
The third stage of the GROW coaching model is about helping your clients explore their options and hinting and potential solutions. This is where you help them identify what they need to do in order to achieve their goals. Here are some questions to ask as a coach:
What are some possible solutions that you can think of?
What would be the first steps that you would take?
What are the benefits and drawbacks of each solution?
How would you feel if you tried one of these solutions?
What's stopping you from trying any of these solutions?
Which solution feels the most feasible for you right now?
How could you test out one of these solutions?
What would you do if time/money was not an obstacle?
Who can you turn to for help?
How can you measure your progress?
Finding the Way Forward
The fourth stage of the GROW coaching model is about helping your clients take action. This is where you help them identify what they need to do in order to achieve their goals. Here are some questions to ask as a coach:
What are the specific steps you need to take to achieve your goal?
What's the best way to implement one of these solutions?
When will you start taking action?
Who can help you with this?
What resources do you need to get started?
What are some potential obstacles?
How would you overcome these obstacles?
How motivated do you feel to get started with the first steps?
What could you do to get even more motivated?
How do you know when you've succeeded?
Please note!
Now it's not necessary to ask all of the questions, listed above, but having these in your toolbox and deploying them strategically can vastly improve your client's outcomes. It's up to you, as a coach to know the right times to ask them for maximum effect.
Extra Reading
If you're looking for some more in-depth reading about the effectiveness of coaching questions and what to ask and when to ask them, then explore the list of books below:
1. Coaching Questions: A Coach's Guide to Powerful Asking Skills
by Tony Stoltzfus
2. The Heart of Laser-Focused Coaching: A Revolutionary Approach to Masterful Coaching
by Marion Franklin
3. Life Coaching Activities & Powerful Questions
by Phyllis Reardon
4. The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever
by Michael Bungay Stanier
5. Change Your Questions, Change Your Life: 12 Powerful Tools for Leadership, Coaching, and Life
by Marilee G. Adams Ph.D.