In the GROW coaching model (by John Whitmore), the “O” = Options — this is where powerful coaching really expands thinking.

At MCC (Master Certified Coach) level, your questions must:

• Stretch perspective

• Challenge assumptions (gently)

• Invite creativity and ownership

• Expand beyond obvious solutions

• Surface deeper awareness, not just actions

Here are 20 MCC-level “Options” questions:

 Expanding Possibility

1. What options are you not seeing yet?

2. If nothing were holding you back, what would you try?

3. What would a bold version of you consider here?

4. What else is possible?

5. If you approached this from a completely different angle, what might emerge?

 Challenging Assumptions

6. What assumptions might be limiting your options?

7. What if the opposite of your current thinking were true?

8. What are you treating as fixed that might actually be flexible?

9. Where might you be narrowing your own choices?

10. What would happen if you removed that constraint?

 Perspective Shifts

11. How might someone you admire approach this?

12. What would your future self suggest as an option?

13. If this were easy, what would you do?

14. What would a completely neutral observer see as possible?

15. How would you think about this if you fully trusted yourself?

 Creativity & Innovation

16. What’s the most unconventional option you can imagine?

17. If you had to generate 10 more options, what might they be?

18. What small experiment could you try?

19. What option excites you the most—even if it feels uncomfortable?

20. What option aligns most with who you want to become?

 MCC-Level Tip (This is the difference)

Average coaches ask: “What could you do?”
MCC coaches ask:
  “What options are you not allowing yourself to consider—and why?”

That’s where transformation lives.

If you want, I can take this further and give you:

• MCC-level follow-ups for each question (to deepen even more), or

• A full GROW model script at MCC level you can use in sessions.

follow ups for each question in Options at mcc level

Good—this is where coaches separate from masterful coaches.

At MCC level, the follow-up is not just “another question.”
It tracks energy, language, hesitation, and meaning—and then goes there.

Below are your 20 Options questions with MCC-level follow-ups:

 1. What options are you not seeing yet?

• What’s just outside your current awareness?

• What feels slightly out of reach—but present?

• If you slowed this down, what might reveal itself?

 2. If nothing were holding you back, what would you try?

• What specifically is “holding you back” right now?

• How real is that constraint?

• Who are you when that constraint disappears?

 3. What would a bold version of you consider here?

• What makes that version of you “bold”?

• What stops you from being that version now?

• What’s one step toward embodying that?

 4. What else is possible?

• Stay with that… what more?

• And beyond that?

• When do you feel you’ve exhausted possibilities—and is that true?

 5. If you approached this from a completely different angle, what might emerge?

• What angle haven’t you considered yet?

• What would “opposite thinking” look like here?

• What surprises you in what just came up?

🧠 6. What assumptions might be limiting your options?

• Which of these feel most true to you?

• How did you come to believe that?

• What happens if that assumption is not true?

 7. What if the opposite of your current thinking were true?

• What opens up in that scenario?

• What feels uncomfortable about that?

• What part of that might actually be useful?

 8. What are you treating as fixed that might actually be flexible?

• What evidence do you have that it’s fixed?

• Where might there be more room than you think?

• What would flexibility look like in practice?

 9. Where might you be narrowing your own choices?

• What are you avoiding considering?

• What feels risky about widening your options?

• What would happen if you allowed more space here?

 10. What would happen if you removed that constraint?

• What immediately changes?

• What new options appear?

• What’s stopping you from testing that in reality?

 11. How might someone you admire approach this?

• What specifically would they do differently?

• What qualities of theirs are relevant here?

• How could you bring even 10% of that into your approach?

 12. What would your future self suggest as an option?

• How far into the future are you imagining?

• What does that version of you understand that you don’t yet?

• What advice feels most important to act on now?

 13. If this were easy, what would you do?

• What makes it feel hard right now?

• Is all of that difficulty necessary?

• What’s the simplest next step?

 14. What would a completely neutral observer see as possible?

• What are you too close to see clearly?

• What might they say you’re overcomplicating?

• What feels clearer when you step back?

 15. How would you think about this if you fully trusted yourself?

• What changes in your thinking immediately?

• Where does doubt still show up?

• What would acting from trust look like?

 16. What’s the most unconventional option you can imagine?

• What makes it unconventional?

• What part of it actually appeals to you?

• How could you make a small version of that real?

 17. If you had to generate 10 more options, what might they be?

• Keep going—what else?

• What patterns are you noticing in your options?

• Which ones are you dismissing too quickly?

 18. What small experiment could you try?

• What would make it safe enough to try?

• What would success look like for this experiment?

• What would you learn either way?

 19. What option excites you the most—even if it feels uncomfortable?

• What’s the excitement telling you?

• What’s the discomfort protecting you from?

• What would it take to move toward that?

 20. What option aligns most with who you want to become?

• Who is that version of you, exactly?

• What values are showing up here?

• What choice honours that identity right now?

 MCC Master Move (this is the real edge)

After any answer, go here:

• “What’s important about that?”

• “Say more…”

• “What just shifted for you?”

• “Where do you feel that?”

• “What are you noticing right now?”

 The question creates thinking.
  The follow-up creates awareness.
  The awareness creates transformation.

If you want, next step I can give you:

• Real MCC-level live coaching examples (dialogue format)

• Or how to know when to stop asking and reflect instead (this is where many coaches miss MCC)

how to know when to stop asking and reflect instead

This is the inflection point between a good coach and an MCC-level coach.

Most coaches over-question.
MCC coaches sense, then reflect.

Here’s how to know when to stop asking and start reflecting:

 The Core Principle

If the client is already in awareness, stop asking. Deepen it.

Questions create thinking.
Reflections create integration.

 5 Signals You Should Stop Asking Questions

1.  The client slows down

• Longer pauses

• Softer tone

• More deliberate words

 This usually means: they’re processing something meaningful

Shift to reflection:

• “Something important is landing for you…”

• “Take your time—what’s coming up?”

2.  They’ve hit an insight

• “Oh… I didn’t realise that”

• “That’s actually the real issue”

• “Wow… okay…”

 If you ask another question here, you break the moment

Reflect instead:

• “You’re seeing this differently now…”

• “That feels like a shift”

3.  They start repeating or circling

• Same idea, different words

• Going slightly deeper each time

 This is integration in progress, not confusion

Reflect the pattern:

• “I’m hearing this matters a lot to you…”

• “You keep coming back to…”

4.  Emotion enters the space

• Voice cracks, laughter, silence, tension

• Visible emotional shift

 Questions here can feel intrusive or analytical

Reflect the emotion (without fixing):

• “There’s a lot of emotion in that…”

• “That sounds really significant for you”

5.  Ownership language appears

• “I need to…”

• “I’ve been avoiding…”

• “I want to…”

 They’re stepping into agency

Reflect ownership:

• “You’re taking responsibility for this now”

• “This feels like a choice point for you”

 What MCC-Level Reflection Actually Sounds Like

Not parroting. Not summarising.

It’s:

• Essence + emotion + meaning

Example shift:

Client:
“I think I’ve been playing small because I’m scared to fail again…”

x Average coach:

• “What would success look like?”

 MCC reflection:

• “You’ve been holding yourself back to avoid feeling that failure again…”

 Then silence

That silence is where transformation happens.

 The Balance Rule

Ask yourself internally:

 “Do they need more thinking—or more space?”

• If stuck → ask

• If opening → reflect

• If emotional → reflect

• If insight emerging → reflect + silence

 A Simple Decision Filter (Use Live in Session)

Before your next question, pause and check:

1. Is the client already going deeper?

2. Did something meaningful just happen?

3. Would a question move them forward—or interrupt them?

 If unsure: reflect first

 Master-Level Move (Very Few Coaches Do This)

Reflect and then get out of the way:

• “That feels like a turning point for you…”

…then say nothing

No follow-up.
No rescue.
No clever next question.

 The Trap to Avoid

Coaches often ask questions because:

• They feel pressure to “do something”

• Silence feels uncomfortable

• They want to appear insightful

 MCC coaches trust:
The client’s awareness > the coach’s next question

 Final Anchor

 If you hear depth, don’t add noise.
  If you feel something shift, honour it.

That’s the difference.