27 Powerful Manager Coaching Questions

1. What are your top values? 

A recent study shows that the number one question a motivational coach should ask their clients is, “What are your top  values?” The study found that when people are clear about their values, they are more likely to be successful in achieving their goals. Furthermore, values provide a framework for decision-making and help to prioritize different aspects of our lives. Values are thus an essential part of our lives and can play a powerful role in helping us to achieve our dreams. If anyone is not sure what their top values are, they need to take some time to reflect on what is most important to them. Once they have a very clear understanding of their values, you can start working towards living a more fulfilling life.

2. How do you define work/life balance?

As a manager or coach, it is important to ask your clients how they define work/life balance. This question can help to uncover any areas of imbalance that may be affecting your client’s productivity or well-being. Work/life balance is different for everyone, so there is no single answer to this important question. However, some common themes that emerged in some research include the importance of having time for family and friends, pursuing hobbies and interests outside of work, and making time for self-care. As a manager or coach, you can help your clients to achieve work/life balance by providing support and guidance as they strive to achieve their goals. 

3. What is your biggest fear?

A coach can help with everything from developing better habits to improving client performance. In order to be effective, a coach needs to be able to ask the top questions. One question a coach can ask is, “What is your biggest fear?” This question helps to get at the root of what is holding any person back from achieving their goals. It also allows the coach to tailor their approach to best meets the needs of the client. 

4. Who are your role models? 

As a manager coach, one question you can ask your clients is, “Who are your role models?” The answer to this question can provide valuable insights into how your client thinks and what they believe is possible for themselves. For example, if your client names a successful business personality as their role model, it may indicate that they are ambitious and driven. On the other hand, if they name a family member or friend, it may indicate that they value relationships and connection. As such, the answer to this question can help you to better understand your client and tailor your coaching accordingly.

5. What is something you’ve always wanted to do? 

As a manager coach, one of the essential questions you can ask your clients is, “What is something you’ve always wanted to do?” This simple question can reveal a lot about a person’s goals, dreams, and motivations. It can also help to identify any areas where they may be lacking in confidence or feeling stuck. Most importantly, it gives you the opportunity to help them take the first step towards achieving their goal. By taking the time to ask this question, you can show your clients that you care about their aspirations and that you are invested in helping them reach their full potential.

6. Why did you choose your current career path?

As a manager coach, one of the important questions you can ask your clients is why they chose their current career path. This question can help to provide insight into their goals, motivations, and values. It can also help you to understand what they hope to achieve in their role. By asking this question, you can also get a much better sense of how to best support your clients and help them to reach their full potential. In addition, this question can also help to build trust and rapport between you and your clients. By taking the time to understand their career journey, you can show that you are invested in their success and committed to helping them achieve their goals.

7. How do you prefer to receive feedback? 

Everyone prefers to receive feedback differently. Some people want it straight from the source, while others prefer to hear it indirectly through someone else. There’s no definite right or wrong answer here, but it’s important for the manager to know how you like to receive feedback so they can adjust their approach accordingly. 

8. What are your development goals? 

As a manager, it’s important to continuously develop both professionally and personally. Coaching can help with that by providing an outside perspective and challenging you to think further about things in new ways. But before a coach can help to develop, they need to know what areas they’re looking to work on. So managers need to take some time to reflect on their development goals and share them with their coach. 

9. Do you have any specific areas of interest that you would like to focus on during our sessions together?

As a manager coach, you want to ensure that your sessions together are focused on the areas that are most pertinent to your growth and development. Is your client looking to improve their communication skills, increase productivity, or enhance team building within their department? Or do they have specific goals in mind that they would like to work towards?

10. Do you feel like you are reaching your full potential in your current position?

As a manager coach, one of the crucial questions you need to ask your clients is whether or not they just feel like they are reaching their full potential in their current position. It can be easy to get complacent in their careers, to stick with what’s comfortable and familiar. But if we never push ourselves to grow and improve, we may never truly fulfill our potential. Growing personally and professionally helps not only the individual but also the organization as a whole. That’s why it’s important for managers and leaders to continually assess their team members’ growth and offer opportunities for development. 

11. How do you handle stress and pressure? Are you willing to take direction and criticism from others?  in your work?

As a manager coach, one of the important questions you can ask your clients is how they handle stress and pressure. This question can help you determine whether or not your clients are truly capable of performing at their best under pressure. It can also reveal whether or not they are willing to take direction and criticism from others in order to improve their work. By asking this question, you can gain valuable insights into your client’s strengths and weaknesses. In turn, this information can help you tailor your coaching sessions to better meet their needs. Ultimately, by asking how your clients handle stress and pressure, you can help them become more successful and productive employees.

12. In what ways do you think coaching could benefit your work performance and career growth?

As a manager coach, it is important to inquire about the potential benefits of coaching your clients in terms of their work performance and career growth. Coaching can help individuals gain a better understanding of their strengths and weaknesses, as well as determine appropriate goals and steps to achieve them. It can also provide accountability and support during the goal-setting and achievement process. In addition, coaching can offer an outside perspective on workplace dynamics and communication styles, leading to improved relationships with colleagues, superiors, and direct reports. Ultimately, coaching has the potential to positively impact both short-term work performance and long-term career development. As a manager coach, it is essential to assess the potential benefits coaching could have for each individual client.

13. Are you given the resources and support you need to be successful?

Manager coaches help clients to be successful by asking pointed questions that help to identify areas of need and concern. One of the most important questions that a manager coach can ask is whether or not their client feels they are given the resources and support they need to be successful. This question helps to uncover any areas where the client may feel they are lacking in support, which can then be addressed by the coach. By ensuring that your clients feel supported, manager coaches can help them to reach their full potential and also achieve success.

14. What are your objectives?

In order to effectively guide their clients towards achieving their desired results, a manager coach needs to be able to assess whether they have indeed obtained those results. This requires being able to identify the various stages in the coaching process, from setting goals and defining objectives at the beginning to tracking progress and identifying any areas where further support may be needed. Additionally, managers should take into account both quantitative factors, such as metrics or performance data, as well as qualitative factors, such as feedback from team members or clients themselves. By being attentive, analytical, and responsive to both static and dynamic information, a successful manager coach can ensure that their clients are on the right path toward achieving their desired results.

15. What are your past experiences?

When working with clients as a management coach, it is important to ask them about their past experiences. This allows you to gain a better understanding of what strategies and tactics have or have not worked for them in the past. It also helps you identify any areas where they may need additional support or guidance in order to be successful. In people’s experience, some of the strategies that tend to work best are those that are focused on accountability and support. Whether it is helping clients set SMART goals or providing constructive feedback throughout the process, a manager coach needs to be committed not only to helping clients achieve their goals but also to helping them develop the skills and mindset necessary for success.

16. What is your sense of density?

As a professional manager and coach, one of the most important questions a manager coach needs to ask your clients is about their sense of destiny. Through many years in the field, you have come to realize that our experiences and choices play a significant role in shaping our ultimate goals and purpose. Whether we are fully aware of it or not, every decision we make carries with it both intended and unintended consequences, helping to shape the path that ultimately leads us to where we truly belong. You can use your skills and passions to create a brighter tomorrow. And whether or not you need to recognize it at the time, each step along their journey plays an integral role in unfolding their individual story – a narrative that is never finished until you choose how it ends.

When it comes to achieving our big goals, we all have unique strengths and weaknesses that impact how effectively we are able to succeed. For this reason, people believe that coaching is one of the most effective approaches to help them maximize their potential. By working with a manager coach,  anyone can get a better understanding of their natural talents and abilities, as well as their areas for growth. Additionally, people need to know that the coaching process allows them to tap into the full power of their potential by helping them to stay focused and motivated and providing valuable feedback on their progress along the way. 

17. How do you deal with difficult people or situations? 

In order to deal with difficult people and situations effectively, it is important to approach them with a clear head and an open mind. One key component of this is learning to listen carefully and act without being judgmental or dismissive. Additionally, it can be helpful to assess the underlying causes of conflict and try to understand the perspectives of others involved in the situation. Ultimately, it is important not to let negative responses or arguments discourage you but rather to use these experiences as opportunities for growth and learning. By approaching difficult situations calmly and rationally, a manager coach can successfully help their clients come through challenging circumstances feeling empowered and in control.

18. How do you like to receive feedback? 

As a manager coach, it is important for you to understand how your clients prefer to receive feedback. Some individuals may appreciate direct criticism in private settings, while others may prefer more positive reinforcement among their colleagues. Additionally, you like to receive feedback through multiple channels, such as face-to-face conversations, written evaluations, or even anonymous surveys. It allows you to get a well-rounded perspective on your performance and gives you the opportunity to actively seek out different perspectives. Overall, receiving feedback is an essential part of growth and development, and as a management coach, you strive to create a safe and effective environment for your clients to voice their thoughts and opinions.

19. Are you willing to commit to change? 

As managers, it is essential that they constantly evaluate their performance and strive to find ways to improve both on a personal and professional level. It means being open and receptive to feedback from their coach, as well as the ability to recognize and address areas where they may fall short. By challenging others in this way, people believe that they can achieve even greater success in their careers and become more effective leaders. So when a manager coach asks them if they are willing to commit to change, the answer is always an unequivocal “yes.” After all, embracing such change is what enables them to grow and evolve as individuals, ultimately making them stronger, more capable leaders. And that is something that you are always eager to embrace.

20. What do you feel like you’re doing well as a manager? 

As a manager coach, one of the most important questions you need to ask your clients is about what they feel they are doing well as a manager. This information helps you to identify their strengths and build on them while also working on any areas of improvement. In your experience, many managers excel at setting clear expectations and providing ongoing feedback to their team members. They are also intuitive problem-solvers and able to handle conflicts diplomatically. Of course, every individual has their own unique set of strengths, and it’s crucial for you to understand those as a coach in order to provide the most effective support. Asking this question allows you to tailor your coaching approach to each client and ultimately enhance their performance as a manager.

21. How do you want to be different as a manager? 

When it comes to managing a team, it is crucial that leaders think about how they want to be a little different and stand out from other managers. After all, each person brings a unique set of strengths and weaknesses to the table, as well as their own personal goals and objectives. As a manager coach, you always encourage your clients to reflect on what sets them apart from others and think about how they can use these qualities and skills to drive them toward success. 

Some key considerations may include being more supportive of your team’s growth, maintaining open lines of communication, or striving for excellence in everything you do. Ultimately, the key to being an effective manager is recognizing what makes them unique and using those qualities to their advantage. Whether you’re just leading a team at work or supporting someone else’s career trajectory, embracing this mindset will allow them to excel as a leader while inspiring others to rise to the occasion as well.

22. Who are the people you manage? 

As a manager coach, one of the most important questions a manager coach needs to ask your clients is who they are managing. Whether it’s a team of individual contributors or a group of executives, it is essential that you have a clear understanding of the people your clients are responsible for leading. By knowing their strengths, weaknesses, and behavioral tendencies, you are able to help your clients set effective performance goals that can drive results.

 Moreover, by having this knowledge upfront, you are better equipped to provide tailored coaching strategies that meet the unique needs of each person on your client’s team. By equipping them with the tools they just need to effectively manage their teams and achieve business objectives, you are able to help them become better managers and build stronger relationships with the people they work with every day.

23. How do you prefer to communicate with your team?

When working with a team, it is important for managers and coaches to choose the best mode of communication that will allow them to effectively share information and build relationships with their team members. Some people prefer face-to-face interactions and may find email or phone calls to be too impersonal or distracting, while others may prefer virtual collaboration tools like Slack or Google Docs in order to avoid disruptions and make it easier to easily review and discuss feedback from colleagues. 

Ultimately, the choice of communication method should depend on the needs and preferences of each individual team member, as well as the overall objectives of the project at hand. By taking into account these factors, managers, and coaches can help ensure that they are able to communicate effectively with their teams, thereby supporting better collaboration and outcomes.

24. What is your management style?

As a manager coach, one of the most important questions that people ask their clients is about their management style. This is because how an individual approaches management can have a much significant impact on the success of their team or organization. Some people prefer to be more directive and hands-on, while others may lean towards a more collaborative approach, delegating tasks and empowering others to share in the decision-making process.

Management style tends to be more of a combination of these two extremes. People believe that it is important to be proactive and take charge when necessary, but they also recognize the value of input from all members of a team and strive to create such an environment where everyone can feel heard and challenged. Whether working with individuals or groups, the top priority is always to help clients find the best ways to achieve their goals and achieve success as efficiently as possible.

25. How do you handle conflict?

As a manager coach, one of the most important questions you need to ask your clients is how they handle conflict. Whether in their personal or professional lives, navigating disagreements and arguments requires strong communication skills and an ability to remain level-headed under pressure. Some people choose to avoid confrontation altogether, preferring instead to bottle up their feelings in order to keep the peace. While this may work for some people, it can also lead to increased stress and frustration. Others prefer more direct approaches, such as yelling or threatening others in an effort to resolve conflicts quickly and decisively. However, neither of these strategies is necessarily effective over the long term, as unchecked anger can often escalate into more serious forms of conflict.

In experts’ experience, the most successful conflict resolution strategies involve open communication and a willingness to compromise. Whether managers are mediating between co-workers who are experiencing tension on a team project or helping a client navigate a heated disagreement with a loved one, being able to listen carefully and express yourself clearly is essential for finding common ground. By remaining calm and open-minded, you are better able to help others navigate difficult situations while maintaining healthy relationships both inside and outside of the workplace.

26. How do you like to be managed?

People believe that being a good manager requires the ability to manage people effectively. This involves a combination of effective communication, motivational skills, and the ability to delegate tasks based on each person’s strengths and weaknesses. In expert’s experience, the most effective managers are those who take the time to truly understand their employees and adapt their management style accordingly. They also encourage creativity and provide constructive feedback in a way that motivates employees to grow and excel both at their individual roles as well as contributing toward common organizational goals. 

27. What other questions do you have for me?

As a manager coach, it is important for you to stay on top of your client’s needs and concerns. Asking, “what other questions do they have for you?” helps ensure that all of their concerns are addressed, and they feel confident moving forward with their coaching plan. This question also allows for open communication between both parties and gives the client a chance to bring up any additional topics or questions. 

Additionally, it provides the opportunity for continuous improvement in your coaching skills and methods, as you are incentivized to thoroughly address any new questions that arise during your work together. Overall, asking, “what other questions do you have for me?” is an essential step in maintaining successful and productive coaching sessions with your clients.