🎯 Coaching Practice Exercises

Master your coaching skills through structured practice, real-world scenarios, and continuous skill-building activities.

Essential Practice Framework

Daily Skill Builders (15 minutes each)

Start every day with focused skill practice:

Week 1: Foundation Skills

Monday - Active Listening

• Practice with family/friends: Listen for 5 minutes without interrupting
• Focus on emotions, not just facts
• Reflect back what you heard before responding

Tuesday - Powerful Questions

• Replace advice-giving with questions throughout the day
• Practice "What else?" after initial responses
• Notice which questions create the most insight

Wednesday - Presence & Awareness

• Stay fully present during all conversations
• Notice your internal reactions and judgments
• Practice comfortable silence (count to 5 before speaking)

Thursday - Reflection Skills

• Practice reflecting both content and emotion
• "What I'm hearing is..." and "It sounds like you're feeling..."
• Check accuracy: "Did I get that right?"

Friday - Integration Day

• Combine all week's skills in one conversation
• Notice which skills feel natural vs. forced
• Identify areas for continued focus

Week 2: Advanced Communication

Monday - Scaling Questions

• Practice: "On a scale of 1-10..." in appropriate situations
• Follow up with: "What would move you up one point?"
• Notice how numbers make abstract concepts concrete

Tuesday - Exception Finding

• Look for times when problems weren't present
• Ask: "When has this been better? What was different?"
• Help others notice their own successes

Wednesday - Future-Focused Questions

• "What would you like to see happen?"
• "What would that look like?"
• "How will you know when you've achieved it?"

Thursday - Challenge Questions

• "What's really stopping you?"
• "What story are you telling yourself?"
• "How might this be serving you?"

Friday - GROW Model Practice

• Use GROW framework in any goal-focused conversation
• Time yourself: 5 minutes per section
• Notice how structure creates clarity

Partner Practice Sessions

30-Minute Practice Format

Setup (5 minutes)

• Choose who will be coach and client
• Client selects real (but not overwhelming) challenge
• Set timer for each section

Goal Setting (5 minutes)

• "What would you like to focus on today?"
• "What outcome are you hoping for?"
• "How will you know this session was successful?"

Exploration (15 minutes)

• Use active listening and powerful questions
• Stay curious, avoid advice-giving
• Follow client's energy and interests

Action Planning (5 minutes)

• "What specific actions will you take?"
• "When will you do this?"
• "What support do you need?"

Feedback (5 minutes each way)

• What worked well?
• What could be improved?
• Which questions were most powerful?
• How did the coaching feel?

Role-Playing Scenarios

Scenario 1: Career Transition

Client Profile: Sarah, 35, marketing manager Situation: Wants to start her own consulting business but feels scared and unprepared Challenges: Financial security, self-doubt, family pressure to stay in corporate job Coach Focus: Explore fears, identify strengths, create realistic transition plan

Coaching Goals:

• Build confidence in abilities
• Address financial concerns practically
• Create step-by-step action plan
• Navigate family dynamics

Key Questions to Practice:

• "What excites you most about having your own business?"
• "What skills from your current role would transfer?"
• "What would need to be true for this to feel safer?"
• "What's the smallest step you could take this week?"

Scenario 2: Work-Life Balance

Client Profile: Michael, 42, executive, father of two Situation: Working 70+ hours per week, missing family time, feeling burned out Challenges: High-pressure job, fear of disappointing team, perfectionist tendencies Coach Focus: Explore values, set boundaries, find sustainable solutions

Coaching Goals:

• Clarify values and priorities
• Identify boundary-setting strategies
• Address perfectionism
• Create sustainable work habits

Key Questions to Practice:

• "What's most important to you about family time?"
• "Where do you have more control than you realize?"
• "What would 'good enough' look like at work?"
• "How will you know when you've found better balance?"

Scenario 3: Leadership Development

Client Profile: Lisa, 28, newly promoted team leader Situation: Struggling with managing former peers, imposter syndrome Challenges: Unclear expectations, difficult team dynamics, lack of leadership experience Coach Focus: Build leadership confidence, develop team management skills

Coaching Goals:

• Increase leadership confidence
• Improve team communication
• Navigate role transition challenges
• Develop authentic leadership style

Key Questions to Practice:

• "What kind of leader do you want to be?"
• "What's different now that you're in a leadership role?"
• "What would your team say about your leadership style?"
• "How do you want to handle the shift from peer to manager?"

Scenario 4: Goal Achievement

Client Profile: David, 25, recent graduate Situation: Has big dreams but struggles with procrastination and follow-through Challenges: Overwhelm, lack of clear plan, perfectionism, fear of failure Coach Focus: Break down goals, address obstacles, create accountability

Coaching Goals:

• Create specific, actionable goals
• Address procrastination patterns
• Build accountability systems
• Overcome fear of imperfection

Key Questions to Practice:

• "What would achieving this goal mean to you?"
• "What's the very first step you could take?"
• "What typically stops you from following through?"
• "How will you celebrate progress along the way?"

Advanced Practice Exercises

Difficult Situation Practice

The Resistant Client

Scenario: Client says "I don't know" to every question and seems disengaged Practice Responses:

• "If you did know, what might it be?"
• "What's your best guess?"
• "What would someone who knows you well say?"
• "What are you most curious about exploring?"
• "What would make this conversation more engaging for you?"

The Overwhelming Problem

Scenario: Client presents massive, complex challenge that feels impossible Practice Approaches:

• Break into smaller components
• Find one aspect that feels manageable
• Look for any area of control or influence
• Scale the problem (1-10) and work on moving one point
• Ask "What would progress look like, even if it wasn't complete solution?"

The Perfectionist

Scenario: Client won't take action because "it needs to be perfect" Practice Questions:

• "What would 'good enough' look like?"
• "What's the cost of waiting for perfection?"
• "What would you tell a friend in this situation?"
• "What could you learn from an imperfect attempt?"
• "How might progress be more important than perfection?"

The Over-Sharer

Scenario: Client talks non-stop and goes off on tangents Practice Interventions:

• "I want to pause you there and check - what's most important about what you just shared?"
• "There's a lot here - what would be most valuable to focus on?"
• "I'm noticing we've covered several topics - which one has the most energy for you?"
• "What's the core issue underneath all of this?"

Group Practice Activities

Coaching Circles (6-8 people, 2 hours)

Format:

• Each person gets coached for 15 minutes
• 5 minutes for observer feedback
• 5 minutes for coaching discussion

Observer Guidelines:

• What coaching skills did you notice?
• Which questions were most powerful?
• Where did the coach stay curious vs. pushing solutions?
• What would you have done differently?

Learning Focus:

• Different coaching styles and approaches
• Real-time skill observation
• Peer feedback and support
• Exposure to various client situations

Fishbowl Coaching (4-6 people, 1 hour)

Setup:

• Two people in center coaching
• Others observe silently
• Rotate every 15 minutes

Debrief Questions:

• What did you notice about the coaching dynamic?
• Which interventions were most effective?
• How did the energy shift during the session?
• What would you have tried differently?

Skill Stations (8-12 people, 90 minutes)

Station 1: Active Listening Practice Station 2: Powerful Question Development Station 3: GROW Model Application Station 4: Difficult Situation Role-Play

Format:

• 15 minutes at each station
• Specific skill focus per station
• Structured exercises with feedback
• Rotation through all stations

Self-Coaching Practice

Daily Reflection Questions (10 minutes)

Morning Intention Setting:

• What's most important to focus on today?
• How do I want to show up in my interactions?
• What energy do I want to bring to my work?
• What would make today feel successful?

Evening Review:

• What went well today?
• What challenged me and how did I respond?
• What did I learn about myself?
• How can I apply this learning tomorrow?

Weekly Self-Coaching Session (30 minutes)

Goal Review (10 minutes)

• What progress did I make on my goals this week?
• What obstacles did I encounter?
• What strategies worked well?
• What do I need to adjust for next week?

Skill Development (10 minutes)

• Which coaching skills did I practice this week?
• Where do I notice improvement?
• What skills need more attention?
• How will I practice those skills this week?

Personal Growth (10 minutes)

• What did I learn about myself this week?
• How am I growing as a person and as a coach?
• What patterns do I notice in my behavior?
• What do I want to focus on developing next?

Assessment and Feedback Tools

Self-Assessment Checklist

Rate yourself 1-5 after each practice session:

Basic Skills

• [ ] Maintained eye contact and open body language
• [ ] Asked more questions than made statements
• [ ] Reflected back what I heard accurately
• [ ] Stayed curious rather than judgmental
• [ ] Allowed comfortable silences

Intermediate Skills

• [ ] Used powerful questions that created insights
• [ ] Helped client explore multiple perspectives
• [ ] Maintained focus on client's agenda
• [ ] Challenged client appropriately
• [ ] Created clear action steps

Advanced Skills

• [ ] Noticed when client was stuck and adjusted approach
• [ ] Tracked and responded to client's energy shifts
• [ ] Used appropriate coaching tools/techniques
• [ ] Maintained professional boundaries
• [ ] Helped client discover their own solutions

Practice Partner Feedback Form

What worked well in this session?

• Specific skills and behaviors you noticed
• Questions that were particularly powerful
• Moments when you felt heard and understood
• Overall coaching presence and style

Areas for development:

• Skills to practice more
• Questions that could be more effective
• Energy or presence adjustments
• Structural or timing improvements

Overall impact:

• How valuable was this session? (1-10)
• What insights or awareness did you gain?
• How motivated are you to take action?
• Would you want to continue with this coach?

Recording Practice (with permission)

Benefits:

• Hear yourself from different perspective
• Notice verbal patterns and habits
• Track percentage of talking vs. listening
• Identify areas for improvement

What to Listen For:

• Question quality - Open vs. closed, leading vs. neutral
• Presence - Are you fully engaged or thinking ahead?
• Patience - Do you rush to fill silences?
• Assumptions - What beliefs are you bringing to the conversation?

Review Process:

1. Listen without judgment first time through
2. Second listen: Note specific skills and missed opportunities
3. Third listen: Focus on client's experience and engagement
4. Create development plan based on insights

Professional Practice Development

Building Your Practice Portfolio

Practice Log

Keep detailed records of:

• Date, duration, type of practice
• Skills practiced and feedback received
• Insights and learning points
• Areas for continued development
• Goals for next practice session

Supervision Preparation

Before supervision sessions:

• Review practice sessions from the week
• Identify specific challenges or stuck points
• Prepare questions about difficult situations
• Bring examples of successful interventions
• Set learning goals for supervision time

Video: The Art and Science of Coaching Supervision

David Leeper AMC from DECIDE Decision Making Consultancy explores coaching supervision techniques and best practices, covering how to maximize learning and development through effective supervision sessions.

Skill Development Plan

Create 90-day development goals:

• Month 1: Master basic skills through daily practice
• Month 2: Develop intermediate techniques and confidence
• Month 3: Practice advanced interventions and specializations

Creating Practice Opportunities

Pro Bono Clients

• Offer free sessions to gain experience
• Set clear boundaries and expectations
• Use proper coaching agreements
• Seek supervision for challenging situations

Practice Groups

• Join or start peer coaching circles
• Participate in coaching meetups
• Attend practice sessions at coaching schools
• Connect with other developing coaches

Volunteer Opportunities

• Non-profit organizations
• Community centers
• Professional associations
• Career development programs

Common Practice Challenges

"I Don't Feel Like a Real Coach"

Normal part of development process:

• Every expert was once a beginner
• Competence comes before confidence
• Focus on being helpful, not perfect
• Celebrate small improvements

Building Confidence:

• Record client success stories
• Seek regular feedback
• Continue learning and training
• Find mentors and role models

"My Questions Don't Flow Naturally"

Skill Development Process:

• Start with prepared questions
• Practice until they become natural
• Focus on curiosity, not technique
• Trust that fluency comes with repetition

Question Bank Practice:

• Memorize 10 go-to questions
• Practice in low-stakes conversations
• Adapt questions to your natural style
• Build on what works for you

"I Want to Give Advice"

Natural Coaching Challenge:

• Advice-giving is normal human response
• Coaching requires conscious choice to stay curious
• Practice question alternatives to advice
• Remember: Their solutions are better than yours

Practical Strategies:

• Put hand over mouth when advice urge arises
• Ask "What would you advise yourself?"
• Use "What else?" to deepen exploration
• Trust client's capability to find answers

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Practice Commitment Contract

I commit to:

• [ ] Daily 15-minute skill practice for 30 days
• [ ] Weekly partner practice sessions
• [ ] Monthly self-assessment and goal review
• [ ] Seeking feedback from practice partners
• [ ] Recording progress in practice log

My specific practice goals for this month:

1. ---

2. ---

3. ---

Practice partner commitments:

• Name: ________________________
• Meeting frequency: ______________
• Communication method: __________

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Remember: Mastery comes through consistent practice, not perfection. Every interaction is a chance to improve your coaching skills.

Next Steps: Ready to apply these skills professionally? Review Certification Requirements or explore Professional Tools.