Coaching Techniques: Asking Life Coaching Questions

Coaching techniques: asking life coaching questions

Most of the time, coaching clients have different thoughts and emotions coming in, which may cloud their decision process. One important coaching technique is to listen to your client and ask open-ended questions. Paraphrase to gain clarity on what exactly is bothering them, but make sure not to badger them.

The objective of asking questions is to enable your client to collect their thoughts, gain control over their emotions and be clear regarding their options, choices, decision points, thoughts, ideas and finally their decision.

Help Your Coaching Client By Being the Devil’s Advocate

Once the decision is made, question the choice. This time, a useful coaching technique is to play the devil’s advocate to their thoughts.

Critique and rationalise, in such a way that they own up to their choices, in which they become fully aware of the repercussions. And since they made the choice, there will be a sense of ownership and follow through. 

Steps in the coaching process to bring about results

Here are some coaching techniques to use when asking coaching questions:

• Step 1 : Calming. Do a breathing exercise to calm them down. Let them destress.
• Step 2 : Rapport. Develop a rapport with your client and ensure you are on the same wavelength and that both of you are actively engaged.
• Step 3 : Writing. Ask him to write down his/her thoughts and translate it to them as an image so you can refer to it during the discussion. You will find that by this time, your client has a better control over their emotions and while writing down their thoughts, some level of clarity is achieved.
• Step 4 : Prioritise and gain clarity. Question each point noted down. Use open-ended questions. Narrow down ambiguous thoughts. Ensure that everything is qualified and prioritised.
• Step 5: Rewrite. Now, your client should be ready to rewrite their thoughts with more clarity and with a different order of priority.
• Step 6: Play the devils advocate by asking why not making/doing the opposite of the choices they have made. Let them think it through and have them respond rationally.
• Step 7: Ask if your client is content with the choices now, or if they would like to rethink them. If they are not content and would like to rethink them, repeat from step 5.

Done for you coaching quesiton packs (free!)

Need a bit of inspiration? No worries! Here are some amazing FREE coaching question packs we LOVE:

25 Powerful questions to identify strengths

• This set is a favorite of ours for guiding clients to identify their unique strengths and qualities.
• It’s often easier to point out our flaws than acknowledge our strengths, yet understanding these strengths is vital for happiness and fulfillment. With just a little introspection, uncovering these strengths becomes much simpler.
• That’s where these 25+ thought-provoking questions come in. They’re perfect for helping clients reveal their strengths and talents, whether as a homework assignment or during a strengths identification coaching session.
• Grab your free pack here

37 Coaching questions to liberate your clients

• This collection is invaluable for helping clients who feel trapped and unable to see their potential choices. These coaching questions are specifically designed to guide them past their obstacles and towards self-liberation.
• We love the strategic arrangement of these powerful questions, which are designed to stimulate brainstorming, inspire action, and aid clients in overcoming their hurdles.
• The pack is super useful for leading clients to discover their options and take decisive action, making it a must-have for any coaching session or as homework. Access your free set here.

25 Powerful questions to identify strengths ​

• We love this pack because you can help your clients figure out their own personal strengths and unique qualities.
• We often find it much easier to list our weaknesses than to recognize our strengths. But knowing our strengths is key to happiness and fulfillment. Discovering these strengths can be easy! Especially with a bit of introspection and deeper exploration.
• That’s why we recommend these 25+ insightful questions designed to help your clients uncover their true strengths and talents. These questions can be a fantastic homework assignment or used effectively in a strengths identification coaching session.
• Grab your free pack here

37 Coaching questions to liberate your clients!

• This pack is great for helping to unstick clients who are not seeing their options. These coaching forms will push them past their “stuck” and liberate them.
• Designed to be asked during sessions or given as homework to help “Liberate your Clients from Themselves!”
• We love how these powerful questions are arranged in a specific, intentional sequence which is designed for sparking brainstorming, encouraging action, and helping clients find their way out of a rut.
• This question pack is particularly effective in guiding clients to identify options and take proactive steps. Whether used in-session or as homework, add these to your coaching toolkit!
• Grab your free pack here

You can also grab our Powerful Coaching Questions ebook:

We have assembled a list of 36 questions, assembled by coaching niche.

Download the PDF of our powerful coaching questions here.