Coaching questions

These questions are designed to help get quickly to the crux of a coaching session. There is more to Ontological coaching than these questions alone.

• Essential Questions

  1. “What’s on your mind?”
     • “So there are three facets we can look at here. Project, person or pattern.”
  2. “And what else?”
  3. “What’s the real challenge here for you?”
  4. “What do you want?”
     • Affection, creation, recreation, freedom, identity, understanding, participation, protection, subsistence
  5. “How can I help?”
     • Soften with “Out of curiosity”, “Just so I know”, “To help me understand better”
  6. Consider before answering and say no when necessary.
  7. “What was most useful for you?”

• Questions Masterclass

  • Ask one question at a time
  • Cut the intro and ask the question
  • Stop asking rhetorical questions and ask one of the 7 essential questions instead
  • Stick to questions starting with what
  • Get comfortable with silence
  • Actively listen to the answer
  • Acknowledge the answers you get
  • Use every channel to ask a question