Guide

Coaching Questions

Published:

September 18, 2019

Updated:

May 6, 2026

Coaching is about guiding people to self-discovery and self-resolution. To do that, you have to get comfortable asking questions, and allowing them to think, reflect, and respond. Here are some sample questions to help you navigate the journey!

Baseline Questions

Tests reality, accuracy, agreement, or your understanding:

• Is that the case? / is that correct?
• Are you still interested in doing xzy?

Root Cause Questions

• What made you choose A versus B? / to do that? / to go that route?

Skills Assessment Questions

• What is your understanding of how we do xyz? / What are the steps of doing xyz?

Importance Questions

• Why is it important to do xyz?
• What is the benefit to YOUR PEERS/CUSTOMER/TEAM/BOSS/COMPANY when we do xzy?
• What value could you get out of doing xyz?

Consequence Questions

• What is a potential consequence of doing xyz / not doing xzy?
• What happens if we do / don’t do xyz?
• What are some of the outcomes we might see as a result of doing / not doing xyz?

Impact Questions

• How would you feel if you were in this situation?
• How do you think that could impact YOUR PEERS/ CUSTOMER/BOSS/TEAM/COMPANY?

Solution/Resolution Questions

• What could you do differently next time? / What else might work in that situation?
• How else could you handle that? / What’s another way you could approach that?

Commitment Questions

Will you try it? / Will you do it? / Next time you’re in that situation, can you agree to do [solution]?

Explore our 8-part coaching bundle

A practical toolkit tailored for call center leaders seeking to refine their coaching methods. Each guide within this bundle addresses a specific aspect of coaching, equipping you with actionable strategies and insights to enhance your team's performance and effectiveness.

Here's what's included:

1. Coaching Questions: Techniques for meaningful conversations.
2. Commitments for Change: Strategies to inspire and sustain change.
3. Coaching Top Performers: Tips for challenging and growing your best talent.
4. Coaching Remote Workers: Best practices for supporting your remote team.
5. 6-Step Performance Coaching Model: A step-by-step framework for impactful coaching.
6. 4 Types of Behavior: Insights into behavior for personalized coaching.
7. Conversation Structure: Building blocks for effective coaching dialogues.
8. Coaching Effectiveness Assessment: Tools for measuring and improving coaching impact.