# Powerful questions bank

A working bank for coaches. Questions are organized by purpose and by GROW stage.
The document's per-priority modules draw a tailored subset of these, adapted to the
specific profile and priority. Questions should be open, short, and free of
embedded advice. Per ICF, the coach evokes awareness; the questions do the work.

## By GROW stage

### Goal
- What would make this a great outcome for you?
- If this work went better than you hope, what would be different in six months?
- What matters to you about this, beyond the obvious?
- Whose goal is this, really? (test ownership / autonomy)

### Reality
- What is actually happening now, as opposed to what you fear is happening?
- What have you already tried, and what did you learn?
- What does the assessment surface that fits, and what does not fit your own sense?
- What is your part in the pattern you are describing?

### Options
- If a constraint were removed, what would you do?
- What are three ways you could approach this, even ones you would not choose?
- What would someone you admire do here?
- What is the smallest experiment that would teach you something?

### Will / way forward
- What exactly will you do, and when?
- On a scale of 0 to 10, how committed are you? What would make it a higher number?
- What is likely to get in the way, and what is your plan for that moment?
- How will you know it worked?

## Solution-focused

- Preferred future: "Imagine the issue is resolved. What is the first small sign
  you would notice? What else? What would others notice?"
- Scaling: "Where are you now, 0 to 10? What keeps you from a lower number? What is
  one point up?"
- Exception: "When has a piece of this already gone well? What was different then?
  How did you do that?"
- Resource: "What strengths have got you through something like this before?"

## Awareness and perspective

- What assumption are you making that, if untrue, would change everything?
- What are you not letting yourself see?
- What would you do if you were not worried about [X]?
- What is the conversation you are not having?

## Immunity to Change prompts

- What do you do, or avoid doing, that works against the goal you care about?
- If you imagine doing the opposite, what worry shows up?
- What might you also be committed to that competes with this goal?
- What belief makes that worry feel like a certainty? How could you test it safely?

## Accountability and integration

- What will you do before we next meet, and how will you remember in the moment?
- What is your if-then plan: when X happens, you will do Y?
- Who will you tell, and what support do you want from them?
- What did you learn about yourself today that you want to keep?

## Cautions

- One question at a time. Then silence.
- Avoid "why" when it can sound like blame; prefer "what" and "how".
- Do not stack a question with your hypothesis attached. Ask, then listen.
- Match challenge to the strength of the alliance; challenge lands only on a
  foundation of trust.
