157 Effective Coaching Questions to Ask Not To Feel Awkward

One of the most powerful elements of effective coaching is “potent questioning.” Coaching aims to transform people’s mindsets and assist them in achieving lifelong goals and desired results.

Therefore, this article will review 157 potent questions related to the GROW model and general questions that will make coaching sessions more effective. To make this question list even powerful, I included insights from professional coaches what they pay attention to when asking questions and holding coaching conversations. You can even find what exact questions they use to make their meetings productive. 

Whether you are new to coaching or looking to refine your approach, these questions will help you feel more confident and make your sessions smoother, more productive, and far less awkward. Let’s dive in.

80 GROW model coaching questions to ask during your sessions

The first set of questions relates to questions used in the GROW model coaching. The model was developed in the 1980s and is actively implemented nowadays. The main elements are the goal, current reality, options, and way forward/will. So, I suggest we take a closer look at each element.

Before we discuss the exact coaching question examples you can ask, I want to share an important tip by an author and pro coach, Sean Smith. 

“It’s not about the actual questions. It’s not about the exact words in the transcript that you use. What’s more important than the words coming out of your mouth is the energy coming out of your body”. 

 

Sean Smith

Neuro-transformational coach

Goal

The first element of the GROW model is the goal. Basically, it is about the establishment of objectives for the client. It should be SMART, meaning specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-specific.

Whether or not the client came with a specific aim, this section is vital for further programs. So, throughout it, you as a coach must aim to identify and formulate the client’s goals correctly.

The questions asked for this section should be orientated toward identifying the objectives or reformulating the existing one. Here are potent Must-Ask questions for this.

• What do you want to achieve in this coaching program?
• What makes you happy?
• What is your desired result?
• Will the result/achievement of the goal make you happy? How?
• What do you truly desire if we exclude external factors?
• What outcomes are perfectly satisfying for you?
• What will the achievement of this aim change, and how will it benefit you?
• How will you know when you have achieved your goal?
• What does success look like for you in this area?
• Why is this goal important to you?
• What would achieving this goal allow you to do that you cannot do now?
• How does this goal align with your values and long-term vision?
• What will be different in your life once you reach this goal?
• If you had no limitations, what would your ideal outcome be?
• What excites you the most about achieving this goal?

These questions will help the client understand what they truly want, why they want it (motivation increase), and how achieving the goal will improve their lives. So, it will provide clarity and compelling motivation as they will be more aware and informed about their desires and upcoming outcomes.

To make this even more effective, Helen Bryant, who is a leadership coach, advises to summarise the experience in the end. 

“At the end of each stage of GROW, I think that a really effective technique is to summarise what you have just heard. If you summarise back the important points, it improves the trust between you. It also acts as a bridge to the next stage and helps to keep the conversation on track”.

 

Helen Bryant

Leadership Coach

Current Reality

The current reality is an evaluation process. Basically, the questions aim to help the client and the coach examine the client’s current reality. It also helps to gain more clarity about “now” and see the bigger picture with all the small details.

When you analyze the current reality with the client, do not push and confuse them with the questions. Rather, you should be patient, ask open-ended questions and develop dialogue based on the answers.

Some of the must-ask potent questions concerning the current reality field are:

• What is happening in your life right now?
• Do other people or their opinions from your perspective affect your life, decisions, and choices?
• Have you taken any steps toward the achievement of your goal?
• On a scale of 1 to 10 in X area of life, where do you think you are?
• What areas are lacking, and would you want to improve? Why?
• What is stopping you from changing the X thing?
• How can you overcome the X obstacle?
• Why do you think X stops you?
• What have you already done in order to overcome certain dilemmas? Why do you think it worked or did not work?
• What can you do differently?
• What resources, skills, or strengths do you already have that could help you?
• How do you feel about your progress so far?
• What patterns or habits do you notice that might be affecting your situation?
• What feedback have you received from others about this area of your life?
• How do you typically handle challenges or setbacks in this area?
• What external factors are influencing your current situation the most?
• What assumptions are you making about your situation that might not be true?
• If nothing changed, where do you see yourself in six months or a year?
• What emotions come up when you think about where you are right now?
• What would an outside observer say about your current reality?

With this set of questions and more questions like these (you will naturally get those throughout the conversation), the coach can help the client clarify the current situation.

Options

After the goals and current reality are clear, it is time to look at what can be done to change it and achieve the desired results. Subsequently, now the client and the coach are going to take a look at the options.

Questions that can be asked, or even must be asked, are:

• What are your options? (Usually for resolving a particular quandary) e.g., What are your options for resolving X situation
• What your next step should be from your perspective?
• How will your next step contribute to the situation?
• Are there any other options or solutions?
• What is the most challenging part of X’s situation?
• Why do you think it is the most challenging part? What can you do about it?
• What would your advice be if your close friend were facing the same situation?
• Have you faced a similar situation before, and what did you do to overcome/resolve it?
• Do you think the same tactic will work for this? If not, then why?
• Can you separate people from the problem?
• What can you do differently?
• What is the most favorable or comforting option to implement right now?
• What is the easiest first step you can take right now?
• What is the boldest or most creative solution you can think of?
• If money, time, or fear were not an issue, what would you do?
• Who or what could help you explore more options?
• What are the pros and cons of each option you have considered?
• What is stopping you from choosing one of these options right now?
• If you had to take action within the next 24 hours, what would you do first?
• What is the most realistic option, given your current situation?
• Which option excites you the most? Why?
• If you had unlimited support, which option would you pursue?
• What has worked for others in a similar situation?
• If you could only take one small step forward today, what would it be?
• What would your future self thank you for choosing?

This set of questions aims to stimulate the client’s thinking and helps them to come up with possible solutions. Basically, it assists clients in brainstorming a set of various solutions and subconsciously understanding that the issue is resolvable.

Way Forward/Will

The last section of the GROW coaching model includes questions concerning the future and how to move forward.

Questions for “Way forward” can be:

• What are you going to do right now?
• How will that affect the situation?
• On a scale of 1 to 10, where does the effectiveness of your solution stand? Do you think it will work?
• How will it work?
• What can you do to grade it ten and ensure it will work?
• When are you going to start?
• How will you know that you have succeeded?
• What are the three main steps to take to get there?
• Who can support you in staying on track?
• How will you track your progress along the way?
• What will be your first small win, and when do you expect to achieve it?
• How will you celebrate your progress to stay motivated?
• What mindset shifts will help you stay committed?
• What will you do if your first approach does not work?
• How will you remind yourself of your goal when things get tough?
• What would make this plan feel even more achievable for you?
• How will you hold yourself accountable if motivation drops?
• How will you reflect on your progress and make adjustments if needed?
• What will success feel like, and how will you recognize it?
• What message would you leave for your future self who has achieved this goal?

62 powerful coaching questions to make sessions more effective

Now, I believe it is time to look at other questions that will improve a coaching session's quality and effectiveness.

We will review the questions for various aspects, including what you can ask to start the conversation, what questions will make the conversation friendlier, how to close the conversation, etc.

For starting a coaching conversation

In order to ask and implement all the questions from the GROW model, you first have to start an actual deep conversation with the client. In order to start and initiate a trustful conversation, you can ask open questions such as:

• What do you want to discuss today?
• What do you want to focus on today?
• How can I help?
• What do you expect from today’s session?
• Why did you decide to attend coaching sessions?
• What areas of your life would you like to focus on now?
• What is your goal for today’s session?
• Where do you think you are now?
• Where do you want to be by the end of this coaching program?
• What is the goal you desire to achieve the most?
• What is on your mind?
• What do you want to talk about?
• What is on your mind right now?
• What would make this session valuable for you?
• What do you feel right now?
• What excites you the most right now?
• What is one thing you need clarity on?
• What do you hope to gain from this conversation?
• What is the most important thing for you at this moment?
• What do you want to walk away with today?
• What is one thing you have been thinking about a lot lately?
• What is something you have been putting off?
• What is one goal you are currently working on?
• What do you need most right now?

To make the conversation friendlier

After you have initiated a conversation, it is time to make it more friendly. Making conversations friendly will also build up the trust factor. So, let’s take a look at how to do so. Here are some questions that will help you throughout the way:

• Can you tell me more? (shows interest)
• How do you feel? (showcases that the coach genuinely cares about the way the client feels)
• What will make you feel more comfortable? (in the sense of arranging some physical accommodations for the client’s comfort, e.g., turning the light on or off, closing or opening the window, etc.)
• What do you want to talk/focus on next?
• Why does it bother you?
• How can we resolve the X situation?
• How has your week been so far?
• What would make this session feel like a safe space for you?
• Is there anything I can do to make you feel more at ease?
• What is something that has made you smile recently?
• What do you need most from me right now?
• How can I best support you in this moment?
• Is there anything you want to share but have not had the space to say yet?
• What would help you feel more understood?
• How are you really feeling today?
• If this session were a success, what would that look like for you?
• What would make this conversation more enjoyable for you?
• What is one small thing that would improve your day right now?
• What is something you appreciate about yourself?
• How can we make this process feel lighter and more enjoyable for you?

For closing conversation

Finally, you cannot talk forever as you may have other clients and personal life, so here are questions you can ask to conclude the conversation.

The Uteach team asked Mick Rutjes, who is a life coach passionate about spirituality, on his way to close the coaching session with questions. Here are the top five questions he uses for his sessions. 

“I’ve noticed that there are a lot of coaches that experience difficulties when rounding off their sessions. These are some of the questions I might use to take my client off the hot seat.”

 

Mick Rutjes

Life Coach

1) What has been your biggest insight from this conversation?

2) How do you feel any different because of this conversation?

3) How will your life be any different because of the insights you’ve gained in this conversation?

4) What next/new steps will you take/implement in your life because of the conversation we’ve had?

5) Is there anything else I can do for you?

Here are more questions you can ask to close your conversation:

• What did you gain from this session?
• What have you achieved so far throughout the sessions?
• What are you most proud of today?
• What do you think would be useful for me to know for our next session?
• What is your biggest takeaway from today?
• How do you feel after this session?
• What will you focus on before our next session?
• What is one action you are committing to?
• What surprised you the most in our conversation?
• How confident do you feel about your next steps?
• What support do you need moving forward?
• What was the most valuable part of this session for you?
• What will you do differently after today?
• What is one thing you want to remember from this session?
• How can you keep yourself accountable for your next steps?
• What would make our next session even more effective for you?
• What mindset will you carry with you after today?
• Is there anything else you want to share before we wrap up?

15 questions to make clients open up 

Your clients will not always open up, especially during your first session. But there are a few ways you can find out why they avoid sharing or encourage them to share more for you to be able to help. 

Here is what you can ask:

• I notice you are a bit [your observation], would you like to share what is on your mind?
• No rush, take your time. What feels comfortable to talk about right now?
• I am here to listen. What would make this conversation feel easier for you?
• Is there anything holding you back from sharing?
• Sometimes, it is hard to put things into words. Want to start with just a few thoughts?
• You do not have to have all the answers. What is one small thing you feel okay talking about?
• If speaking feels too much, would you rather describe it in a different way?
• What is something you wish people understood about you without you having to say it?
• There is no right or wrong way to share—what feels natural for you?
• I am here for you, and this space is yours. What would help you feel safer to open up?
• Imagine you are talking to a close friend instead of me. What would you say?
• If you could express what you are feeling in just one word, what would it be?
• What is the smallest, easiest thing you feel okay sharing right now?
• I am not here to judge—only to understand. What would make this conversation feel lighter for you?
• If you do not want to talk about it directly, maybe you can tell me how you are feeling about it?

The importance of asking the right coaching questions

The right coaching questions encourage thought and contribute to better self-awareness. They provide clients with clarity about their final destination.

But why are they so important? First, coaching is a huge practice, part of which is questioning. If you can ask the right questions, you can motivate people quite easily and push them toward achieving their desired results.

Practical questions will:

• Contribute to better final results by making each session more effective
• Show the coach’s interest in the client, contributing to the bond formation and increasing trust.
• Directly contribute to identifying the exact issues and challenges the client is facing.
• Improve the client’s ability to think, analyze & evaluate and contribute to developing a working solution.

Asking the right questions helps clients and coaches get a clear picture of the situation. Also, it helps to develop solutions by implementing mindset-changing tools so that the client will reach the desired result.

Tips for setting results-driving coaching questions 

As you see, practical questions are key to effective coaching sessions. If you want to achieve the desired outcomes, start by setting the questions right. 

Be as simple & clear as possible 

When asking questions, ensure you are being specific and clear. Using complicated and convoluted sentences will not get you anywhere. If your question is expansive, try to use short sentences so that your sentence is easier to follow and understand. For this purpose, aim to ask open-ended questions which are thought-provoking. For example:

• What do you believe are your strengths in this area?
• What have you learned about yourself through this experience?

Use your client’s language

It is essential to reflect back on your client’s language to build trust with them. Consider what words or phrases your coachee uses to describe challenges, situations, or feelings. As you use these exact words, the clients feel more open to providing honest responses. It also shows that you are actively listening and engaged in the conversation. For example:

• Client: I have been recently putting off exercising but decided to bite the bullet and start my workout. 
• Coach: Is there something special that made you bite the bullet? 

This is how you can encourage the client to open up and fully engage in the coaching process. 

Another technique to help your clients open up is asking the question with curiosity. 

“Ask your question with a sense of curiosity. You also want to mirror the language that the person is using. And also, ask the question in a way that resonates with the emotion of conversation at that point in time”.

 

Toby Sinclair

Persoanl Development Coach

Do not hint at the answers  

As the conversation continues, you can even guess the answers to your own questions. Especially when you already know your client well, there is a possibility you imply why they behaved in a particular way in that situation. 

Because when you do so, your question comes about as advice. Here is what Toby Sinclair, a professional personal development coach, advises:

“For example, you cannot ask something like “What could you do if you did it this way?”. This type of question leads to confusion, as the person would wonder if you want them to answer your question or take your advice.”

 

Toby Sinclair

Persoanl Development Coach

However, this doesn’t mean you should give them hints for the answer. Here is an example. 

• Don't you think improving your time management skills is the best course of action? 

With this question, the coach suggests time management is the solution to the client’s problem. It may make the client feel their ideas and perspectives are not valued. Instead, you can ask:

• What strategies have you tried so far to manage your workload, and what were the results?

As you see, this question encourages the client to reflect on their own ideas. 

FAQ 

• How can I use coaching questions to build client accountability? 

Accountability is everything in coaching. You can ask all the powerful questions in the world, but if the client walks away and does nothing, what is the point? The trick is to make them feel like they own the process. Instead of saying, What will you do next?, ask, What is the first step you are excited to take? It shifts the energy. It is not just a task. It is something they are choosing.

Also, you can get them to set their own deadlines. Instead of you pushing, let them decide. Ask, By when do you want to have this done? If they hesitate, dig deeper. What would stop you from doing it by Friday? If they set the date, they are more likely to follow through. And do not forget to ask, How will you hold yourself accountable? Some will need a reminder. Others might need to tell a friend. Let them decide, but make them commit.

Finally, always check in. At the next session, do not just ask, Did you do it? That can feel like a test. Instead, say, How did it go? What did you learn? If they did not do it, do not let them off the hook. Ask, What got in the way? How will you adjust? Accountability is not about pressure. It is about making them see their own patterns. When they own their actions, that is when real change happens.

• How do you start a coaching conversation naturally? 

The secret to starting the conversation at the right point is to keep it light. You do not want to dive in like, Alright, tell me your deepest struggles. That will shut people down. Instead, ease into it. Try, How are you feeling today? or What is on your mind? Simple, open, no pressure. If they give a short answer, do not rush to fill the silence. Let them sit with it. Sometimes, they just need a moment to open up.

Another trick is starting with something positive. What is one good thing that happened this week? It gets them talking and sets a good vibe. If they come in with stress, acknowledge it. You seem a little off today. Want to talk about it? This shows you are paying attention. People open up when they feel seen.

And if the energy still feels stuck? Use curiosity. If you could focus on just one thing today, what would it be? It gives them control. No pressure, just an invitation. The key is to create a space where they feel safe to talk.

Another important thing to keep the coaching conversation natural is when you are able to really identify the problem and build your questions around it. 

“In most cases, whatever they say their problem is is not what it is. There is usually something deeper going on. That is why powerful coaching questions and listening skills become essential.” 

 

Brooke Alexander

Coach and mentor

• What to do when you cannot come up with a question?

First thing you need to remember when it comes to asking coaching questions is that silence is not your enemy. 

Sometimes, both you and your client need space to think. If you feel stuck, take a breath and let the moment sit. You do not have to fill every gap with a question. But you can try to 

But if you fail? Be honest. Say, I am just thinking about the best question to ask you right now. This shows you are engaged, not just throwing questions to fill time. Coaching is not about having the perfect question every second. It is about staying present and listening.

Bonus: Asking questions in online sessions

Ask your questions through online sessions with your client. It is proven that online coaching businesses nowadays are a lot more scalable. Why is that so? Well;

• First, you get access to international audiences from all over the world.
• Secondly, people prefer online learning due to its flexibility
• Third, it saves time, energy, and resources

So, it is your time to start your online full-featured coaching business. Ask your questions online, and help your clients grow.

With Uteach, you can establish an online coaching business in a matter of minutes. All you need to do is to register, choose a flexible & affordable pricing plan, publish courses and e-resources, set up live sessions, and start earning.