Learning Questions

Current Reality Questions

Vision Questions
Vision questions are focused on what the coachee would like to achieve through the conversation or coaching
series. They are the end goals or desired outcomes that provide a focus for the conversation or coaching
series.
Example questions include:

What is your objective?

What is your vision for this area?
What would you like the desired outcome to be?
What can you see, feel, hear or sense when you think about the results you would like to achieve in this area?
Could you paint the picture of the ideal outcome of this issue?
What do you want to achieve here?
What is your goal here?

Reappraisal Questions
Reappraisal questions allow the coachee to look at the situation or issue from another perspective. By stepping
outside of their current mind maps/perspective and seeing things from a different angle, they can have insights
that can support them to move forward.
Example questions include:

How could you think about this issue from a different perspective?
Can you describe this issue as an image or picture?
Have you ever tried an alternative approach? What were the results?
If this was your boss dealing with this issue, how do you think they would deal with it? What would they do?
If this was a personal relationship, how would you handle the issue differently to how you are at work?
What do you think the other person might be feeling regarding this issue?
If you could observe this situation from a 3rd person point of view, what do you think you would see?
How can you look at this issue differently?
What is a different perspective you could have regarding this issue?
How might you think differently about this?
Would you be willing to explore another perspective on this current situation?
If you could zoom out and look at this issue from afar, what would you notice?
If this were a friend telling you their story, what would you be saying to them to help them reframe it?
Imagine you are your future self, 20 years from now, what would you say to your present self?
If you had a choice, what would you do?
Lets pretend we are in a theatre and run this situation as a movie. You’re sitting in the audience watching the
movie, what do you see?
© Results Coaching Systems 2015
Learning Questions
Thinking Questions
Thinking questions explore the coachees thinking on the topic being discussed. They are often used to allow the
coachee to move into a reflective space and focus on their thinking instead of the problem. They usually lead to
an insight or new connection.
Example questions include:

How long you have you been thinking about this? (Days/weeks/months/years)
How often do you find yourself thinking this? (How many times each hour/day/week)
How frequently are you thinking about it?
When are you most likely to think about this?
How long do you think about this for when you do think about it? (Minutes/hours)
How strong is this thought with you? On a scale from one to ten?
How important is this topic to you, for example, on a scale of one to ten?
How high is this in your priorities now, e.g. is it in your top 3,5 or 10 priorities now?
What priority would you like it to be?
How committed are you to resolving this topic, on a scale of one to ten?
What is the ratio of thinking you do about the problem as compared to the solution?
How motivated are you to resolve this topic?
How much effort have you invested in thinking about this?
How do you feel about the thinking time you have given this so far?
What common threads do you notice in relation to your thinking about this and other issues? (Patterns)
How clear is your thinking about this?
What stage are you at in your thinking about this?
How could you take your thinking to the next step?
What lens might you be looking through in your thinking?
What aspects of your thinking are most important/effective?
How does your thinking about this compare to your thinking about other topics?
Can you see any gaps in your thinking?
What needs unpacking?
What are you not thinking about that might help you find resolution?
What ideas/thoughts have crossed your mind about this that you may have dismissed?
How do you feel about what you’ve done so far?
From the thinking that you have already done on this, what are the main insights that you have had about this up
to now?
What are your insights so far?

© Results Coaching Systems 2015

Learning Questions
Labelling Questions
By labelling an emotion, situation, body sensation or experience the coachee is able to dampen down any limbic
system response and more effectively use their pre frontal region. This will mean they can have greater insight
into their situation, as they are thinking with greater clarity.
Example questions include:

If you could label your emotion in one or two words, what would it be?
Describe in one word how you’re feeling in this moment?
Can you describe in a couple of words the impact this is having on you?
What are the 3 key emotions around that?
Can you label the sensation you’re feeling in your body?
How do you feel when you think about this topic?
How could you describe what is going on for you in a sentence?
How would you name your experience, in just a few a couple of words?
If you had to give that a label, what would that be?
What would be one word or picture that you could associate with this issue regarding your feelings?
If you look at the impact on others of you being this way, how would you say in one word?
How would you describe your team’s reaction to you in a short phrase?
How would you describe your relationship to your subordinates in one word?
If you were to put a label on this habit, what would that be?

Mindfulness Questions
Mindfulness questions are focused on the coachee’s direct experience in the moment. Allowing them to see
what is present and discover new insights from what is happening in the moment. This also dampens down the
limbic system response and increases the coachee’s ability to generate new thinking and insights.
Example questions include:

What is present for you in this moment?

Can you describe what is present for you right now?
Where do you feel the issue in your body?
What does this issue feel like? Can you describe the sensations?
Are you willing to look at what is going on here?
Are you willing to look deeper into this?
Is there a theme to what you have discovered?
Can you describe what you’re feeling in your body?
Can you describe this issue using your different senses i.e. what do you see, feel, hear, taste, touch and smell?
Are your beliefs in this area based on facts?

© Results Coaching Systems 2015

Learning Questions
How are you feeling now compared to when we began this conversation?
What does your intuition tell you about this situation?
What is your “gut” feeling about this?
If you could give me an image of what you are feeling right now, what would it be?
What’s the compelling theme here?
As you talk about and experience this issue what are you noticing?
What feels different now you have said that out loud?
What is the inner dialogue do you have running about this issue?
What thoughts are going on in the back of your head as you talk about this issue?
Are there any inner thoughts that you’re present to in this moment?

For more information on the science behind thinking, reappraisal, labeling and mindfulness questions refer to the
NeuroLeadership Journal No.1 Edition.

© Results Coaching Systems 2015

Learning Questions
Explore Alternatives Questions
Planning Questions
When the vision and new insights has been established, then planning questions will support the coachee to
achieve the objective or goal based on their new insights. They explore what the steps or plan is for moving
forward.
Example questions include:

Based on this insight, what do you think would be the next step forward for you?
What is your plan for achieving these targets?
Now that you have had this new understanding about the situation, what do you think you can do?
What planning do we need to implement to ensure your success in this area?
What are your options, based on this insight?
Do you have a plan for moving forward in this area?
How clear is your plan for achieving this objective?
What are the milestones for achieving this goal?
What are the major steps for achieving your goal?

© Results Coaching Systems 2015

Learning Questions
Target Energy Questions
Action Questions
When the vision and planning has been discussed then it is time to explore the specific actions for moving
forward. Actions are the tasks that will be completed before the next time the coach and coachee meet to
review what has been accomplished.
Example questions include:

What are you prepared to do to make this goal happen?

What are some of the alternatives for moving forward in this goal area?
Do you want to take some action around this?
Would it be worth doing something about this now?
What is one step you could take towards that this week?
How can you apply that insight into other areas of your life now?
What will you complete by next week?
How could you apply this new learning?

© Results Coaching Systems 2015