What questions should you ask to assess your client's needs during an intake session?

Often my potential clients are at a crossroad in their career or business. They have reached a good amount of financial success and are proud of what they have achieved, but they ask themselves: 'is this it'? They often lack meaning and fulfilment. An example of this is one of my clients who had won numerous awards with her business is the food industry, but was getting to a stage where she wanted something new to aspire to. Often I ask them to do a talent test to see where there greatest strengths and weaknesses lay. This will give insights into their untapped potential, so they can tap into potential changes in their business or career.

At the intake session they may come to you asking for coaching for a certain difficulty or life area but that may not be what they really want. So the intake session is a good place to explore that a bit (such as career) and gently probe if there are other major factors at play that they will want to work on. It’s also important to talk about their communication style so that you are both clear on how communication can flow during the sessions. Some people prefer more “to the point” language, others prefer a less direct style. And to set expectations that you will be checking in with them to ensure the sessions are working for them or whether it is time to shift or change direction. And they they can raise this topic at any time.

I think it's important to take control of the session from the get-go. Here's a set of 4 starter questions I ask and every question has it's purpose: 1. What do you want to achieve from this coaching? 2. How will you know you've achieved it? 3. How will you be different as a result of meeting or exceeding your desired results? 4. What will you do if you haven't achieved the desired results?

?? What brings you to coaching? ?? Describe a recent challenge you've faced. ?? What goals are you aiming to achieve? ?? How do you define success for yourself? ?? What barriers might impede your progress? ?? Who or what supports you currently? ?? How do you typically handle stress or setbacks? ?? What are your values and priorities? ?? How do you wish to feel at the end of our coaching? ?? How can I best support you in this journey? These inquiries not only clarify objectives but also unveil deeper insights for effective coaching.

To me it is important that we both arrive at the session prepared so that we utilize the time we have together in the best way for both. Coaching is all about change, and moving forward to where you want to be. It is also about committing to your own process and forward moving actions. Your engagement at this level is therefore super important, it tells you and me if you are ready for coaching. I challenge you to be bold, think broad and allow yourself to create a vision for yourself through an intake form with many questions so that you dive deep into what is important to you in all aspects of your life both professional and personal. This is our starting point for a conversation that will bring you forward.

Be sure to check in with them why they wanted to get started with coaching in the first place -- and if their goals align with your style. Some people want to sign up for coaching to be given instruction; some simply want accountability to put their own structure into place. Clarify the goals and vision to make sure it's a successful experience for both of you!

The SMARTR goal format only works if there are systems and rewards in place, there is a willingness to do the deep work, and there is accountability. What gets monitored gets done. A vision of their future self is key. This vision can be in written form and or visual form,. This can motivate them to achieve their goal. The last R in SMARTR is for Rigorous.

Setting goals is a great way to provide guidance on a client's journey. However, it's important to recognize that these goals, initially established at the beginning of a coaching program, may evolve and even become irrelevant as the coaching sessions progress. For instance, I once worked with a client who had set weight loss goals. As we delved deeper into their self-discovery process through coaching and guidance, they came to a profound realization: their ultimate desire wasn't just about shedding pounds, but rather finding happiness and inner peace with their body image. While goals serve as vital markers to keep us on track, they are not set in stone. They can change and adapt along the journey.

Where you are now is a good starting point for setting future goals, and for you to envision that I use visualizations so that you can experience your vision in full. It helps you connect to what it is that you want easily. Coming back to the present it now becomes clear what it is that you need to do to move in that direction and it is easier to set a realistic goal that is achievable.

To establish the specific goal(s) for which the client would like to focus on, we need to look at the behaviour or situation that the client feels held back by, or restricted to move forward with. Once we have pin-pointed specifics, we would encourage the client to replace the restriction with a goal, as if they were sitting with the winning result, in the present tense. The SMART response here, will become the catalyst for change, and the foundation for 'unpicking' the unconscious answers, that already exist within the client. Some examples of questions are: What specifically do you wish to achieve? How will you know when you have achieved this goal? What does achieving this goal look, feel, smell, taste - like to you?

I realized that our ability to solve problems often diminishes due to one specific reason: our social and emotional conditioning. This conditioning can effectively blindfold us when it comes to finding solutions. While clients may possess the knowledge needed to solve their problems, the influence of the unconscious mind can prove to be a significant barrier. Identifying these unconscious patterns that hinder clients' progress is a crucial step in my practice. Engaging clients in a dialogue to address these blockages often empowers them to arrive at solutions on their own, and this process of empowerment significantly increases the likelihood of achieving lasting positive change.

Here are a few exploratory questions I've asked before to understand the challenges and obstacles: 1. What have you tried before and how did it go? 2. Tell me about the biggest challenges in your life and how you overcame them. (This shows their resiliency skills) 3. What's the payoff for being stuck in this situation? (Awareness) 4. What obstacles do you expect and how will you overcome them? (readiness for change) Most importantly, these are preparatory questions to start a coaching conversation and a point of reference. You may or may not use them. It depends on the client.

In my approach I focus on deep and lasting transformational change of beliefs and patterns that keep you stuck. Beliefs will mostly come from our family, upbringing, society while patterns might be more related to specific learned behaviors that made sense at a certain point in time, but are no longer useful to us. Identifying how these beliefs and patterns show up in your life and hold you back is an essential part of the process, where acceptance to what is, is the first step to open up for change.

We must ascertain the reason behind the clients procrastination. Fear, past experience, inexperience, self limiting beliefs, or, not necessarily excited about the task at hand. There are multiple reasons why one gets stuck at challenges and obstacles, and where we all have the ability to fall back into comfort. Questions I would ask here are: If the answer magically appeared before you, what would you hear, feel, or see? What other micro goals might you have to uncover, to reach the final goal result? Who else in your circle could you lean on for support as you work through each step? When you have faced obstacles in the past, what was your response? What steps can you put in place today, to ensure you don't fall into the same trap?

Sometimes clients can be unsure of the difference between coaching and counselling. So for me, it's important to clarify: 1. What do they expect from me as their coach. Asking about their expectations can help me align my approach with their needs and clarify any misconceptions they may have about coaching or counselling. 2. If they have sought counselling or therapy in the past? Knowing their history with counselling or therapy can help me understand if they have previously addressed emotional or psychological issues. 3. Have they experienced any major life events or traumas recently? Significant life events or traumas may indicate a need for counselling to address emotional healing and processing.

Here are a few questions I've asked before related to coaching, learning style, and feedback: 1. What is your learning style? 2. How can I coach you effectively? 3. What do you need most from me during our coaching sessions? 4. How would you like to be held accountable? 5. How will you show me you have completed the action item? These are just guiding questions and may be different based on individual clients.

Expectations from both sides are important to ensure that the relationship is co-created and gives the intended result. When entering into a coaching relationship it is important for the client to think about their preference of how they would like to be coached, what they like, dislike, what kind of accountability is needed, and also for the coach to continuously create space for clarifying expectations, receive feedback and adapt to changing needs. The most important rule is that it is co-created and continuously adapted to what is needed.

To clarify my clients expectations, I would reiterate the accountability requirement, and ensure there is a sequence of steps for the client to follow, to keep on track. Questions I would ask here are: On a scale of 1-10, how likely are you to stick to your tasks? Can you think of any one thing that might come between you and success? What are the first 2-3 steps you can take in the immediate? Is there anyone you need to include on the journey? What method of resources can I, as a coach, share with you, to support you? Books, audio etc... How will you know you are on track for success?

There are times the clients do not know their own strengths. I have asked them to talk about the biggest challenge they have overcome and how they overcame it. I have found this to be a better method than asking a bunch of generic questions.

Coaching is all about building and unpacking those strengths that are uniquely yours. Developing strengthening tools is a foundational part of the coaching process as well as continuous celebrations. I always say more of what you are already good at and that brings you energy, balance and joy. Celebrating and spending time with strengths and consciously using more of them are key drivers to reach your goals and create a life you love.

Sometimes here, the challenge lies within the clients lack of ability to articulate their own strengths. I would again, reiterate questions like - What achievement in your life are you most proud of? In your most happy place, what are you doing? Who is with you? When you are most excited about doing/learning something new, how would you begin? If you had confidence in spades, how then, would you go about achieving your goal? If you you had the answer to achieving this goal, what would it be? Can you share you who are, when you are at your optimum best?

Consider your client's readiness for change. There is a Stages of Change Continuum (DiClemente and Prochaska, 1998) that I use with clients to help both of us determine where they are at in terms of being prepared to make life changes. Being prepared at the start of coaching allows for appropriate expectations and can serve as motivation.

In addition to some of the questions already mentioned by other respondents, I start by asking my clients what is important to them and use that as a base. I also focus on their strengths and skills, often ones they are not aware of and/or transferable ones. My coaching style is more relaxed and built on the 27 years experience and will suit clients who are in transition from a structured, demanding life to one more in tune with their true values and life purpose.

I deeply believe in a holistic coaching approach. In addition to exploring their memories and experiences, I actively engage my clients in discussions about their role models. Understanding what aspects of their role models inspire them is pivotal in shaping their journey. I inquire about their aspirations – who they aspire to be in order to achieve their goals and lead a fulfilled life. I get to know their support network, including family and friends. These relationships often play a significant role in one's Life. My coaching isn't just about achieving goals; it's about helping clients lead happier, more meaningful lives by aligning their aspirations with their true selves

I use these questions in my intake because often the problems the client is facing take the main focus: What do you want to be different or better about your life? What do you want to be different or better about you?