Coaching conversations rely on questions. The quality of your questions determines the quality of thinking that emerges. A surface question creates surface thinking. A deep question creates deep thinking.
Here are forty questions that create real change. Use them. Adapt them. Make them your own. Let them shape your coaching conversations.
On goals and desire: What do you want? What are you working toward? What would success look like? What’s possible that you haven’t considered? What would make this meaningful? What do you need to move forward? What would this achieve for you?
On awareness and insight: What are you noticing? What’s true about this situation? What’s the real issue here? What are you learning? What are you avoiding? What would help you see this differently? What would someone else notice about this that you’re missing?
On agency and choice: What choice do you have here? What’s in your control? What options haven’t you considered? What would happen if you…? What’s the risk if you don’t? What’s the opportunity if you do? What would you try if you weren’t afraid?
On support and resources: What do you need? Who could help? What resources do you have access to? What strengths can you draw on? Who’s been through something similar? Who do you trust to give you honest feedback? What’s available to you that you haven’t used?
On thinking and clarity: Help me understand. What’s getting in your way? What’s the hardest part? What would make this clearer? What do you already know about this? What would it look like if it was working? What would change if you believed you could?
On commitment and action: What will you do? When will you do it? How will you know you’ve succeeded? What might get in the way? Who needs to know? What’s your next step? What will you commit to?
On learning and growth: What’s the learning here? How will this change how you show up next time? What do you want to get better at? How will you measure progress? What support do you need? What’s this teaching you about yourself?
These questions work because they’re open ended. They invite thinking instead of closing it down. They assume capability instead of deficit. They assume the person already has wisdom within them. You’re just helping them access it.
The best coaching questions are the ones you develop from these that fit your context. Your relationship. Your person. Questions that come from genuine curiosity about how they think and what they’re capable of. (Cannon-Bowers et al., 2023; Kluger et al., 2024).
The Coaching Questions Toolkit: 40 Questions That Open Thinking
