I recently rediscovered a document containing powerful coaching questions that my friend and former colleague Fabiano and I created and practiced with each other in prepartion for coaching conversations. Upon review I thought why not share them here.

Below is a set of questions that you can use to help someone navigate their way through a challenging time, define a goal or gain some direction and help yourself to setup or form a conversaiton.

They can be really useful no matter the role you’re playing – be it a manager, mentor, coach or friend.

Goal

• What will recharge your batteries?
• What are your wants versus your ‘should’?
• What have you wanted to do and haven’t?
• What is the decision you have been avoiding?
• What are you tolerating?
• Where are you selling out on yourself?
• What will free you up?
• What things, if you did them, would change your life?
• When you are 95 years old, what will you want to say about your life?
• What would give you joy once you complete it?
• What’s the <worst>/<best> that could happen?
• If you got it, what would you have?
• In the bigger scheme of things, how important is this?
• In the beginning, how did you want it to be?
• When is it time for action?

Reality

• What are you resisting?
• What did it take to get here?
• Where are you right now? What is it like there? What is the emotion?
• What is there to celebrate today? What’s important about that?
• What’s really important about how you live?
• Are you being nice or are you being real?
• What support do you need to accomplish your goals?
• What is at risk? What is important about that?
• Which part is <confusing, surprising, annoying, etc>?
• What is stopping you?
• What’s the worst part for you? What part is not yet clear?
• What is stopping you?
• Whose opinion matters on this topic?

Options

• How can you have this be easy?
• What is it to live in alignment with your values?
• What ELSE can you do to honour your values?
• What will free you up?
• If you are at your best, what would you do right now?
• What would you do if no-one would know?
• What would happen if you trusted your intuition?
• What would a simpler way look like?
• What would an experiment look like?
• What’s already working that you can build on?
• What other angles can you think of?

General

• Who could help make this more fun?
• What might ‘help’ look like?
• Who can you talk to this week that you haven’t yet asked for support?
• If this were a reality TV show, how would it end?
• How will you know if a miracle happens?
• What is the most important decision you’re putting off making?
• How could curiosity help you now?
• What will this look like in a week?
• What commitments do you want to make to yourself?
• What would it look like if this were the last time you ever faced this challenge?
• What would it look like to go for it once and for all?
• What are you settling for?
• What is actually at stake here?
• What will this look like in a year if nothing changes?
• How are you contributing to the problem?
• What date do you want to set yourself?
• How would you describe it to a 5 year old?
• If your body were in charge right now, what would it demand?
• What are you revealing about your character with the choices you are making?
• What are you wrong about?
• Are you looking for what’s right or for what’s wrong?
• If you were hired as a consultant, what strategy would you suggest?
• What would be different if you were at your best?
• If you already knew the answer, what would it be?
• Who are you scared of disappointing?
• If you had a magic wand, how would you use it?
• What beliefs do you need to rewrite to move forward?
• How can you actively address this today?
• If nothing else changes, how do you want to change?
• What would your competitor want you to do?
• Where are you too comfortable?
• What’s the worst that can happen?
• What is exciting about this?
• Do you need to change your situation, or change your response to  it?
• Which role model can you emulate now?
• What is the most positive way to look at your situation?
• What would be different if you had endless money?
• What pattern can you see repeating?
• How will your actions impact the people around you?
• How would your best friend handle this?
• If you could get the answer to one question, what would it be?
• What would a teenager say?
• What are you prepared to sacrifice to have what you most desire?
• If you could wipe the slate clean, how would you start over?
• What are you avoiding?
• What new skill could help you achieve your goals?
• If your life depended on taking action now, what would you do?
• What is the story you are telling yourself?
• What do you believe about your ability to change in this area?
• If this were a book, what would the title be?
• Are your actions making you feel more or less empowered?
• Which of your strengths can you leverage now?

There a no doubt more questions that could be added to this list and I’m sure you may have some of your own gems that you use and practice. If you’re keen on sharing some please leave a comment below.