Cathy Liska 
If an executive is interested in working with a coach after having a derailed project, it is an opportunity for growth.
Before questions are geared toward specifics about the situation, it is important to build a relationship around something a bigger than just the immediate executive circumstances. It is best to understand the whole person and situation prior to diving into specifics. This gives the coach (and the client too) a better understanding of the client’s vision, values, and struggles when it comes to the work. It may even bring the coaching conversation into influencing factors or situations which the executive has not connected prior, or perhaps work/life situations.
When a client initiates a coaching relationship based on a failed project, he/she may or may not be eager to talk about it. Understanding more of the whole and what a situation is prior to jumping in is ethical and protects the coaching relationship. It assists the client’s growth as well.
Examples of Questions:
- What brought you to coaching?
- What is your understanding of coaching?
- How can I best assist you?
- How will you measure success in this coaching relationship?
- How do you measure growth?
Once a coaching foundation has been laid and a relationship is building, questions can be formulated around situational particulars.
Examples of Questions:
- Where are you with the project now?
- Where do you want to be?
- How can the challenges be prevent or overcome?
- What is your strategy now?
- How specifically will you move forward
As the coaching relationship moves forward, the questions shift to understanding what is behind the derailing of the project, the learning and insights gained, then ultimately the strategy for moving forward.
