56 powerful questions for coaching

Whether you’re a coach or a coachee, I think these are good examples of powerful questions along the GROW process. Of course they don’t substitute the art and skill of a good coach, but they can be useful.

If you want to use them on yourself, print the list, read them one by one, choose the ones that fit you best, and take the time to think and write down your answers.

If you are a coach and want to use them on your client, read them carefully and then put them apart. Be present with your client, ask out of curiosity, don’t try to remember the list, and never ask a standard question that doesn’t fit with your client now and here.

Use them at your own risk 😉

GROW Coaching Model Questions: Goal Setting

Here are 15 coaching questions you can use during the Goal Setting phase – the first step of the GROW coaching model

1. What is the aim of this discussion?
2. What would need to happen for you to walk away feeling that this time was well spent?
3. If I could grant you a wish for this session, what would it be?
4. What would you like to happen that is not happening now, or what would you like not to happen that is happening now?
5. What outcome would you like from this session/discussion/interaction?
6. Can we do that in the time we have available?
7. What do you want to achieve long term?
8. What does success look like?
9. How much personal control or influence do you have over your goal?
10. What would be a milestone on the way?
11. When do you want to achieve it by?
12. Is that realistic?
13. Is that positive, challenging, attainable?
14. Will that be of real value to you?
15. How will you measure it?

GROW Coaching Model Questions: Reality

Here are some coaching questions you can use during the second GROW coaching model step – Reality.

1. What is happening now? (what, where, when, who, how much, how often). Be precise if possible.
2. How do you know that this is accurate?
3. How have you verified, or would you verify, that that is so?
4. What other factors are relevant?
5. Who is involved (directly and indirectly)?
6. What is their perception?
7. When things are going badly on this issue, what happens to you?
8. What happens to the others directly involved?
9. What is the effect on others?
10. What have you done about this so far?
11. What results did that produce?
12. What is missing in the situation?
13. What do you have that you’re not using?
14. What is holding you back?
15. What is really going on (intuition)?

GROW Coaching Model Questions: Options

Here are some example GROW coaching questions for the Option phase to inspire you:

1. What could you do to change the situation?
2. Tell me what possibilities for action you see. Do not worry about whether they are realistic at this stage.
3. What approach/actions have you seen used, or used yourself, in similar circumstances?
4. What else could you do?
5. What if…? (time, power, money, etc.)
6. Who might be able to help?
7. Would you like another suggestion from me?
8. Which options do you like the most?
9. What are the benefits and costs of each?
10. Which options are of interest to you?
11. Would you like to choose an option to act on?

GROW Coaching Model Questions: Will

The last step of the GROW coaching model is Will. Here are some example coaching questions to inspire you:

1. What option or options do you choose?
2. To what extent does this meet all your objectives?
3. What are your criteria and measurements for success?
4. When precisely are you going to start and finish each action step?
5. What could arise to hinder you in taking these steps?
6. What personal resistance do you have, if any, to taking these steps?
7. What will you do to eliminate these external and internal factors?
8. Who needs to know what your plans are?
9. What support do you need and from whom?
10. What will you do to obtain that support and when?
11. What could I do to support you?
12. What commitment on a 1-to-10 scale do you have to taking these agreed actions?
13. What prevents this from being a 10?
14. What could you do or alter to raise this commitment closer to 10?
15. Is there anything else you want to talk about now or are we finished?

At Jeroen de Flander’s website you can find more useful materials and information.