Helpful Inquiries for Leaders and Coaches

In coaching conversations, a safe fallback can be having a list of powerful questions to ask. Personally, I find these can become a bit of a crutch, as it takes you out of your feeling of being lost with the client, in the moment, and instead leads you to fall back on something a little more formulaic (which is inherently going to feel safer).

Instead of a list of questions, this is a list of inquiries that can be helpful to hold in your mind as you’re supporting someone. These are also great inquiries to apply to yourself, in the midst of whatever you’re facing.

– What is my energy like right now?
– What is my client’s energy like right now?
– How would my client describe their energy right now?
– What is the texture and quality of my breath in this moment?
– What is the texture and quality of my client’s breath in this moment?
– How would I describe my client’s being in this moment?
– How would my client describe their being in this moment?
– How safe or edgy does this conversation feel for me?
– How safe or edgy does this conversation feel for my client?
– How much work am I doing in this moment?
– What is my body posture telling me in this moment?
– What do I imagine my client’s body posture currently looks like, and what might it be telling me?
– What is my client’s essence? Who are they at their highest and best?
– How does this conversation relate to my client’s projects/commitments?
– Is this a conversation that my client tends to be in often?
– How does my client want to be, in the face of all of their circumstances?
– What is my story about the conversation we’re currently in?
– What is my client’s story about their current circumstances?