What Is the Scaling Question in Coaching
As a coach, you don’t just want to have good conversations, you also want to help your coachees make their progress concrete and visible. One of the simplest yet most powerful methods for this is the scaling question. This question gives coachees a sense of control over their development and makes growth visible. The great thing: in FocusCoachee you can easily add scaling questions to goals and sessions, so progress becomes both measurable and reviewable.
1. What is the scaling question?
The scaling question comes from Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), developed by Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg in the 1980s. You might ask your coachee: “On a scale from 0 to 10, where are you right now in relation to your goal?”. This helps them reflect on where they stand and what has already been achieved. It makes progress tangible and points toward the next step.
Tip: Vary the wording, for example: “How much confidence do you have in this goal right now?” or “How much energy do you feel to continue this journey?”
2. Why does the scaling question work?
The power of the scaling question lies in the combination of reflection and concretization. Instead of an abstract conversation, the coachee gets a clear anchor point. It also highlights small steps: moving from a 3 to a 4 is still progress, and often exactly the motivational boost someone needs.
3. Linking the scaling question to goals
In your coachee’s profile you can add a scaling question to each goal. This way, the coachee not only sets a goal but can also indicate periodically how close they feel to achieving it. This gives both you as coach and the coachee a clear view of development. It’s also motivating: every intermediate improvement is literally shown.
4. Using scaling questions in sessions
Besides goals, you can also use the scaling question in a session, for example, at the start to establish the baseline, or at the end to measure how much the session contributed. By recording this directly in the session, you and your coachee build a concrete overview of the impact of the coaching journey.
5. Making interim measurements
A coaching journey is not only about the end result but also about the steps along the way. With interim scaling questions, you can reflect together: “What helped you move from a 4 to a 6?” or “What would help you grow from a 7 to an 8?”. This stimulates ownership and invites the coachee to think actively about their next actions.
Conclusion: make progress visible
The scaling question is a simple yet powerful tool that gives your coaching more depth and structure. By linking it to goals and sessions in FocusCoachee, you make progress not only feelable but also visible and measurable. This strengthens coachee motivation and gives you as a coach valuable tools to keep building together.
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