Contrary to the norm, the coaching competency number 6 is ‘Powerful QuestionING’ and not ‘Powerful Questions’. What this means is, rather than succumbing to the pressure of coming up with really fiery questions one after the other, the coach needs to first actively listen to what the client is saying and then to ask curiosity-driven questions. Read more on https://coacharya.com/blog/powerful-questioning/

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INGPOWERFUL QUESTION
Presented by:-
Anita Gupta
Apoorva Behal
Dimple Sait
Megha Gupta
Coacharya Learner’s Webinar – 27 February, 2019
POWERFUL QUESTION
PERFORMANCE ANXIETY

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POWERFUL QUESTIONING
ENHANCED PRESENCE, DANCING IN THE MOMENT
WHY ASK?
• Questions redefines relationships.
• When i am advising, mentoring or
consulting, I am the expert. My role makes
me your superior, atleast in knowledge.
• However, when I am asking for your ideas,
I am then a peer, honoring you as an
individual and communicating your value
as an equal.
ICF defines coaching as
partnering with clients in
a thought-provoking and
creative process that
inspires them to maximize
their personal and
professional potential.

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SOME GREAT REASONS TO ASK

ASKING
EMPOWERS
DEVELOPES
LEADERSHIP
CAPACITY
CREATES
AUTHENTICITY
IMPROVES
LISTENING
CREATES BUY
IN
& this dovetails nicely with other coaching competencies…
In Active Listening, the client speaks, the coach listens
and responds...with Powerful Questioning, the coach
speaks, and the client listens and responds.
Powerful
Questioning
Active
Listening
The Dance of Discovery!

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Establishing
the Contract
Presence
Active
Listening
Direct communication
Trust &
Intimacy
Awareness
Actions, Planning, Managing
Progress, Accountability
POWERFUL
QUESTIONING
WHAT WHY WHERE WHEN HOWWHO 5WH
HOW TO ASK?
ELIMINATING WHY 4WH
Focusing on the Who in the What

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Who do you want to be in that moment? (exploring, creating awareness) for instance an
arguing situation, who do you want to be in the argument?
Where do you feel that anxiety in your body? (exploring feelings, emotions, creating
awareness)(somatic coaching)
Where else can you apply this learning? (learning)
When you see yourself in that situation… (visualisation)
When would you like to start with your action plan? (accountability)
How would you want to feel? How can you reach for a better feeling? (solutions)
Powerful Questioning & Coaching Reflections

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In exploring around these underlying facets
(under the iceberg), the coach is figuring
out where the client is in the current state
of being (their value, belief, assumptions,
wants).
Responses to these show the client’s
current state that might show up mis-
alignment with what they are wanting as an
outcome of the session
Taking them into what would need to shift
in these, so as to be able to meet the
session goal…gets covered in the next CC6
competencies
Coach asks questions about the
client; his/her way of thinking,
assumptions, beliefs, values,
needs, wants, etc.
CC-6.1 You mentioned hate a few times when you referred to <exercise>. What is it
about exercise that triggers this feeling in you?
Demonstrates inquiry of the feeling/belief associated with exercise.
The coach’s questions provoke the client to think
beyond their current perception of themselves to
a new way of perceiving themselves. This
happens in the sweet spot of Awareness (CC8.1),
during reframing, invoking AI to get them in a
resourceful state
Coach’s questions help the client
explore beyond his/her current
thinking to new or expanded
ways of thinking about
himself/herself.
CC-6.2
What are you willing to shift inorder to meet the <desired outcome>
With your new new root in the Banyan tree <client’s metaphor>, how do you now
see the tree?

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The coach’s questions enables the client to look at
the situaiton (What) differently from their current
thinking. It is like externalizing the situation and
being able to see it from a new/loosely detatched
perspective. Using the client’s metaphors could
be a wonderful tool here
You had your feet on two different boats; now that you seem to
have found the way to lift one foot, how does the movement look
like now?
What else would change in your life, once you reach the
<outcome>?
Tying to CC8.1, with the learning question is spot
on
Coach’s questions help the client
explore beyond his/her current
thinking to new or expanded
ways of thinking about his/her
situation.
CC-6.3
Coach’s questions support the client to
explore beyond the current outcome is key.
Raising the session outcome leads to
anchoring the new learning/habit.
Connecting to CC8.4“Where else could you
apply this learning?”
What else would reaching the <outcome> open up for you ?
Where else, beyond work, could you benefit by being self
confident?
Coach’s questions help the client
explore beyond current thinking
towards the outcome he/she
desires.
CC-6.4
Exploring the outcome of the desire in more
elaborate manner

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Clear open unstacked quesitons, so that the
client understands them and can reflect in
the flow.
Giving space for the client to reflect. Coach
being comfortable with Silence.
It is also about the coach being comfortable
to take time to frame the question. Pacing
the questions.
Coach asks clear, direct, primarily
open-ended questions, one at a
time, at a pace that allows for
thinking and reflection by the
client.
CC-6.5
Questions based on client’s language
(mirroring client’s words/vocabulary,
building on their analogies, visual maps) and
learning style (Feeling, Thinking, Watching,
Doing)
Coach’s questions use the
client’s language and elements
of the client’s learning style and
frame of reference.
CC-6.6 Asking questions aligned with client’s learning style…e.g, if the client
learns by “doing”, asking qs like “what will happen if you do that?”,
“what will happen if you dont do that?”
Bringing in understanding of the client
across sessions (learning styles, preferences,
language, etc)

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Non-judgemental/unbiased & curious
presence of a coach would enable questions
to be non-leading
You mentioned about paucity of time, and your focus
on quality. How do you relate these, if at all?
Coach’s questions are not
leading. i.e. do not contain
conclusion or direction.
CC-6.7