CPC Coaching Techniques & Communication Skills 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which communication technique involves the coach summarizing the client's words to confirm understanding before moving forward?
- Reframing
- Paraphrasing (Correct answer)
- Mirroring
- Confrontation
Correct answer: Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing restates the client's message in the coach's own words to verify accurate understanding.
Question 2: A client repeatedly deflects personal accountability by blaming external circumstances. The most appropriate coaching response is to:
- Validate the external obstacles and adjust the goal
- Use a powerful question to redirect focus to what the client can control (Correct answer)
- Tell the client that external blame is counterproductive
- Suggest the client may need therapy instead of coaching
Correct answer: Use a powerful question to redirect focus to what the client can control
Powerful questions help the client shift perspective toward personal agency without the coach imposing judgment.
Question 3: The 'GROW' model step that follows Goal-setting and Reality-checking is:
- Reflection
- Options (Correct answer)
- Outcome
- Observation
Correct answer: Options
In the GROW model the sequence is Goal, Reality, Options, and Will (or Way Forward).
Question 4: Somatic awareness in coaching refers to:
- Tracking the client's financial stress indicators
- Noticing and using the client's physical sensations as data (Correct answer)
- Analyzing the client's sleep and nutrition habits
- Measuring physiological stress responses with biofeedback devices
Correct answer: Noticing and using the client's physical sensations as data
Somatic awareness involves tuning into bodily sensations as a source of information about the client's emotional and mental state.
Question 5: When a coach notices the client is speaking rapidly and tensely about a goal, the best use of 'noticing' is to:
- Ignore it to stay focused on the content of the conversation
- Gently name the observation and invite the client to reflect on it (Correct answer)
- Slow the session down by changing the topic
- Ask the client to take a deep breath and relax
Correct answer: Gently name the observation and invite the client to reflect on it
Naming an observation without judgment invites the client to explore the deeper meaning behind their energy.
Question 6: The primary purpose of a coaching agreement established at the start of each session is to:
- Document the coach's liability
- Align client and coach on what the client wants to accomplish in that session (Correct answer)
- Set the agenda based on the coach's developmental framework
- Formalize the relationship for billing purposes
Correct answer: Align client and coach on what the client wants to accomplish in that session
A session-level coaching agreement clarifies the client's intended outcome, keeping the session client-directed.
Question 7: A client says, 'I could never run a business — I'm not a risk-taker.' An effective reframing response would be:
- 'That's okay; not everyone is meant to be an entrepreneur.'
- 'What evidence do you have that risk-taking is required for your specific business idea?' (Correct answer)
- 'Let's set that belief aside for now and talk about finances.'
- 'You should work on developing a risk-taking mindset first.'
Correct answer: 'What evidence do you have that risk-taking is required for your specific business idea?'
Questioning the evidence behind a limiting belief helps the client examine whether the belief is actually accurate.
CPC Coaching Techniques & Communication Skills 2
Which communication technique involves the coach summarizing the client's words to confirm understanding before moving forward?