Coaching Approaches and Theories Quiz Scenarios

Leila, a newly promoted team lead, had a poor first experience facilitating a team meeting. She tells you she “just wants to forget about it.” You sense she’s stuck in avoidance and not learning from the situation. Which coaching approach best supports her in processing and growing from the event?

• Use Kolb’s Learning Cycle to explore what happened, conceptualise the learning, and plan new behaviours.

• Apply Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle to explore her feelings and help her examine what she could have done differently.

• Discuss Maslow’s hierarchy to understand if psychological safety affected her performance.

• Use the Johari Window to help her identify how others may have perceived her.

David, a middle manager, says he’s been told by peers that he lacks empathy. He feels confused and insists he’s “just being direct.” He asks for help improving relationships without becoming “soft.” What coaching approach is best suited here?

• Introduce Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence model, focusing on self-regulation and empathy.

• Use Salovey & Mayer’s emotional intelligence theory, focusing on perceiving and managing emotion.

• Use the Johari Window to explore self-perception vs others’ views.

• Explore introversion/extraversion dynamics to assess communication style mismatch.

In a coaching session, Alex admits she “just can’t trust people who don’t speak up” in meetings. You notice this assumption could disadvantage quieter team members. What coaching move would be most appropriate?

• Use bias theory to explore how unconscious beliefs affect inclusion.

• Explore personality type theory to highlight how introverts process and communicate differently.

• Apply Herzberg’s motivation theory to explore what motivates quieter staff.

• Use Maslow’s hierarchy to identify safety needs that affect participation.

A coachee asks: “What would you do if you were in my shoes?” They’re facing a high-stakes decision and seem to want guidance. How should you respond in line with coaching principles?

• Maintain a non-directive stance and reflect the question back with curiosity.

• Offer a personal example with disclaimers, noting it’s not advice.

• Share relevant tools or advice if they explicitly ask for it again.

• Gently transition into a mentoring stance, as the context permits.

Jamie, a senior leader, wants help designing and implementing a team development programme. They expect you to outline the structure and provide steps. What’s the most appropriate coaching response?

• Clarify your role and invite Jamie to generate their own ideas and solutions through coaching.

• Offer a consulting-style response, providing a framework and steps with coaching reflections.

• Refer them to a trainer who can design structured interventions.

• Pause the session and ask if they’d like to shift to a mentoring conversation.

Priya has recently joined a company with a very “results-driven” culture where team members avoid discussing well-being or team morale. She tells you she’s struggling to fit in and feels emotionally disconnected, despite her strong performance. What is the most appropriate theoretical lens to explore this issue in coaching?

• Explore organisational culture and values theory, helping her reflect on alignment with company culture.

• Introduce Herzberg’s motivation theory, to assess whether hygiene factors or motivators are causing dissatisfaction.

• Apply Maslow’s hierarchy, to identify where unmet needs may be influencing her morale.

• Use personality theory to examine whether she is simply a poor fit for the role’s demands.

A coachee named Ethan says he often feels drained after team meetings, where others talk over each other and he finds it hard to get his voice heard. You sense he's withdrawing more and more. What would be the most relevant coaching theory to apply here?

• Use listening level theory to help him notice his own and others’ listening quality.

• Explore transactional analysis to identify ego states and recurring patterns in his team interactions.

• Introduce matching and mirroring to help him influence team dynamics non-verbally.

• Use introversion/extroversion theory to explain his lower energy in high-volume settings.

Sam is eager to grow into a leadership role but is unaware that his colleagues perceive him as overly competitive and dismissive. He sees himself as “confident and driven” and is shocked by the feedback. Which tool would best support your coaching work?

• Use the Johari Window to explore his blind spots and increase shared understanding.

• Apply Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence framework, focusing on social awareness and self-perception.

• Guide him through Kolb’s learning cycle to learn from past behaviour.

• Offer a feedback model to help him receive and integrate input more constructively.

Your coachee, Rita, says, “I want to develop a presentation for the board — can you help me improve it and give feedback?” You know she’s capable but is looking for reassurance and direction. What’s the most coaching-appropriate action?

• Reflect her confidence back to her and coach her to generate and evaluate her own improvements.

• Review her slides together and provide structured critique as you go.

• Offer to take a mentoring role briefly to guide her through high-stakes delivery.

• Suggest she work with a presentation trainer and focus coaching on her mindset.

During a coaching session, your coachee discloses they feel overwhelmed and hinted at self-harm but asked you to “please not tell anyone.” You are concerned for their safety. What is the most appropriate course of action?

• Uphold confidentiality and encourage them to seek professional help themselves.

• Follow safeguarding procedures, even if it means breaching confidentiality.

• Avoid escalating unless they mention a specific plan or risk.

• End the coaching relationship and refer them to a therapist.