What Coaching Inquiry Really Is

What is coaching inquiry?

You might already know that coaching is more than just a conversation. Some people then assume that coaching is just, “Ask some questions.” At that point, they’re getting into what is called coaching inquiry, which isn’t as simple as asking a few questions—it’s a little more involved than that. 

What Coaching Inquiry is Not

First, let’s talk about what coaching inquiry is NOT–

Coaching inquiry is NOT asking “leading questions”. Leading questions are questions that imply what it is that you think the person really “should” do. For instance, if you’re coaching a client on a career change, and they’re struggling with believing in themselves, a leading question might be, “Don’t you think that it’s important to believe in yourself?” The implication with this question is that the client should somehow be able to just flip a switch and believe in themselves. 

Coaching inquiry should also avoid what we call in the CLCC training program, “heavy backpack questions.” You know how you can overpack a backpack, and technically you can carry it, but you kinda regret packing so much in? Questions can be that way, too, and it muddies clarity.

For instance, asking a client, “When you share that you feel conflicted, is it more of a conflict of your values, or a conflict of what you want in this moment, or something else–because I can see how there’s a conflict of values present here but perhaps it’s also tied to the present moment, and it’s important to really feel somatically the conflict but also make sure it’s what you want in the moment to honor YOU, so would you say it’s more an internal values conflict or a here-and-now conflict?”

Strong Coaching Inquiry Questions

Clear: Worded in a way that the client understands. This may mean using language more appropriate for the client. Example: “What’s it costing you?” might not be as clear for the client as, “What’s it costing you, to choose Netflix and chill over working on your coaching business?” Depending on the client, the phrase “costing” might even be too vague so you might need to ask, “What’s the consequence of choosing Netflix and bed rot over working on your coaching business?”

Direct: Not over-articulated; if you want to know what it’s costing a client to make a particular choice, ask, “What’s it costing you to make that choice?” rather than, “Well, when you think about all the things that go into it, and all the things you’re managing, and as you consider your values, what’s it costing you to make that choice?”

Open: If it can NOT be answered with a “yes” or “no” it’s an open question. Instead of, “Is it costing you something to choose a Netflix binge?” ask, “What does it cost you, to choose a Netflix binge?” or “How do you feel when you choose a Netflix binge?” or “Where do your values go, when you choose a Netflix?” Also, no “leading” questions, which are questions where the answer is embedded within the question, itself. An example of a “Leading” question is, “Don’t you think you should really prioritize your business over a Netflix?” The answer the coach is anticipating is embedded in the question, for the client. 

Forward leaning: CLCC invites more exploration of where the person’s past is showing up in the present, than the ICF style of coaching does. A specific session focus is going to be the thing that helps with this, the most. If you don’t know what your client’s session focus is, it’s hard to keep orienting your questions towards that focus. If you know that your client’s session focus is “Understand why I choose Netflix over working on my business,” then a forward leaning question might be, “What triggers or distractions need to be examined, for you to prioritize working on your business?” A question that is more rooted in the past might be, “When did you start noticing that you wanted to avoid working on your business?”

If you keep your questions clear, direct, open, and forward leaning, you’ll be asking powerful questions for coaching inquiry that help your clients consider their options and choose their next steps.