This article was updated in 2025.
Recently, a mentoring client was coaching on one of our mentor coaching program sessions and we noticed something occur; the coach was asking a lot of “How” questions, which had a powerful effect on the client.
The client was able to articulate her perceptions, behaviors, future self, and actions (to name a few).
Some examples of How questions
The great thing is most questions starting with How get to the internal thinking of the client, which we call the Who. This is an essential focus for those improving their coaching skills from ACC to PCC to MCC skill level.
- How do you stay motivated when you feel overwhelmed?
- How has your thinking about this situation changed your behavior?
- How does your perspective now fit with your core values?
- How do you do that?
- I hear a lot of your strengths at play in that story. How do you use them more fully?
- I heard more energy in your voice as you said that. How does that inform you about your self-doubt?
- How is the anxiety you describe, and your procrastination, related, if at all?
- So when you are able to overcome your anxiety and get things done, how do you do that?
- How does what you just shared relate to your desire to be a fair and firm leader?
- How do you successfully solve a problem when under the pressure of a deadline?
- So how did this get to be a gigantic problem, as you put it?
- How do you measure success for yourself?
- How do you decide when you’ve had enough?
- How do you keep the fun alive in your team while meeting tight deadlines?
- How would you generate more of that feeling of success for yourself?
- How would you know when you’ve done your best work?
- How would you remember to do that?
- How long will you need to assess if the initiative is a success?
- How far did you get toward your outcome versus where you started this session?
Written by Carly Anderson, MCC
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