Life Coaching Interview Skills

Question 1

Explain the communication process between the sender and the receiver

Answer 1

The communication process can be described as a series of steps in which one person (the sender) encodes a message that passes through a channel to another person (the receiver) who decodes the message. This person then conveys feedback to the original sender.

Question 2

What is noise in the communication process?

Answer 2

Noise is anything that distracts participants from sharing the meaning of the message. Noises can be external (such as sights, sounds, and other literal distractions within the environment) or internal (such as competing thoughts, feelings, and other psychological occurrences such as stress or trauma that distract the recipient from the communication process).

Question 3

What are rules in communication?

Answer 3

Interpersonal communication rules are developed by the people involved in the interaction and by the culture in which the individuals are communicating.

Many times, we learn communication rules from experience, by observing and interacting with others.

Question 4

What is active listening?

Answer 4

Active listening is the process of tuning into your coachee and showing them that you are engaged with what they are saying and feeling. It is also sometimes referred to as ‘engaged listening’.

Question 5

What is attending behaviour?

Answer 5

Attending behaviour, essential to an empathic relationship, is defined as supporting your client with individually and culturally appropriate verbal following, visuals, vocal quality, and body language. Listening is the central skill of attending behaviour and is core to developing a relationship and making real contact with our clients.

Question 6

What are the four dimensions of attending behaviour referred to as the 3 Vs + B?

Answer 6

• Visual / Eye Contact
• Vocal Qualities
• Verbal Tracking (remaining focused on the conversation, not changing subjects away from what the other person wants to discuss)
• Body Language

Question 7

How do you show a client that you are interested in what they are saying?

Answer 7

• Face them squarely
• Lean slightly forward
• Have an expressive face
• Use facilitative, encouraging gestures

Question 8

What are the three types of behaviour a coach may observe during conversation?

Answer 8

1. Non-verbal Behaviour
2. Verbal Behaviour
3. Conflict, Incongruencies and Discrepancies

Question 9

When looking at non-verbal behaviour while communicating what facial expressions can you be aware of?

Answer 9

• Frowning
• Lips tightening
• Cheeks becoming flushed
• Smiling at inappropriate times

Question 10

What are open questions?

Answer 10

Open questions are designed to have the client talk and give the maximum amount of information to the coach.

Question 11

What six words do open questions usually start with?

Answer 11

• Who
• What
• Where
• When
• How
• Could

Question 12

What are closed questions?

Answer 12

Closed questions are questions that give the client a limited number of answers to give

Question 13

What three words to closed questions usually begin with?

Answer 13

• Is
• Are
• Do

Example: Are you living with your partner?

Question 14

What are identification questions?

Answer 14

Identification questions are questions that ask a client to reflect on themselves and identify critical features that that may be drawn upon throughout the coaching process.

Example: What is most important to you?

Question 15

What are outcome focused questions?

Answer 15

Outcome focused questions are questions that ask the client to think about what they want to occur.

Example: How can you go about achieving this goal?

Question 16

What are probing questions?

Answer 16

Probing questions are questions that build on existing information and ask the client for further detail.

This might be as simple as:

• asking the client for an example of what they mean by a particular statement
• or it could involve asking the client to critically think about a statement that they have made

Example: How do you know that your boss will reject that idea? What evidence do you have?

Question 17

What are funnel questions?

Answer 17

Funnel questions are a particular type of questioning technique that involves the coach starting with general questions and then honing in on an aspect of the coachee’s answer and asking for more and more detail at each level.

Funnel questions are quite helpful in gathering specific information or enabling a coachee to explore the pros and cons of various options.

Question 18

What are guided questions?

Answer 18

Guided questions are questions that a coach might ask to guide a client through a thorough evaluation of a topic or area. The coach will ask a series of questions to help guide the client through the process.

Examples: Helping a client define their goal or helping a client develop their action plan.

Question 19

What are rhetorical questions?

Answer 19

Rhetorical questions are not really questions – instead, they are statements phrased in the form of a question.

When asking a rhetorical question, the coach does not expect the client to answer, instead, they are typically wanting the client to reflect upon what has been said.