Powerful Coaching Questions for Leaders

In the post last week, coaching was defined as "guided discovery" and "leadership by asking questions". So, it seems that asking questions is pretty important!

Effective coaching questions are open-ended questions that begin with what, how, who, where, and when. Why not why? 'Why' questions may put the other person on the defensive.

Below are some questions to help you with your coaching conversations.

I like to use the GROW Model as a guide and have included some questions accordingly.

STARTING A COACHING CONVERSATION

• What's on your mind right now?
• What’s the biggest challenge or opportunity you’re facing at the moment?
• What would you like to work on today? If they come to you to solve a problem, flip to a coaching conversation by asking:
• What are your thoughts?

GOAL

• What does success look like for you in this situation?
• What are your short-term and long-term goals?
• What would you like to achieve?

REALITY

• What is the current reality of this situation?
• What do you think is the root cause?
• What is currently working well, and how can you build on it?
• What assumptions are you making that might be limiting your progress?

OPTIONS

• What options or alternatives have you considered?
• What is currently working well and how could you build on it?
• If there were no limitations, what would you do differently?
• What are the possible consequences of each option?
• What resources or support do you need to move forward?

WILL

• What will you do to move forward? What specific actions will you commit to, and by when?
• How will you know you've made progress?
• What might get in the way, and how will you overcome it?
• How can I support you?
• When will we follow up?

THE BEST COACHING QUESTION

According to The Coaching Habit, the best coaching question is:

And what else? You keep "and what else-ing" until they run out of ideas.

These questions encourage self-reflection, accountability, and action, which are essential in effective coaching conversations. By asking these, you help coachees unlock their potential and create actionable steps toward their goals.

DO YOU WANT TO ELEVATE YOUR PERFORMANCE BY BEING A BETTER COACH?

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