Christian Mentoring Questions

• “What made the difference for you?”
• “I’d like to hear your story about how you got into (vocational field).”
• “What are the most important lessons you’ve learned along the way?”
• “If you had it to do over again, what would you do differently?”
• “What advice would you give to someone getting into that field today?”
• “Who are the key leaders in that field that I should be paying attention to?”
• “Who are some of the people who personally influenced you toward success?”
• “What are five books you have found most helpful in this field?”
• “Are there any magazines or publications I need to be reading on a regular basis?”
• “What would you say are the essential principles for success in this field?”
• “Time and money aside, what would you rather be doing?”
• “What are your goals at the present time?”
• “Do you have a yearly planning process? If so, how does it work?”
• “How do you manage your time successfully?”
• “Have you ever coached anyone else to be successful in this field?”
• “What are some ways I can learn more about this field?”
• “What are some of the obstacles along the way that I’ll need to be aware of?”
• “What questions have I not asked that I should be asking?”

• Open-ended: They cannot be answered with a “yes” or “no.”
• Closed ended: “You’ve said you want to have a healthier lifestyle. Have you thought about changing your diet?”
• Open ended: “You’ve said you want to have a healthier lifestyle. What steps do you think you should take?”

• Defensive: “Why didn’t you confront your colleague when you had a chance?”
• Non-defensive: “When it comes to improving your relationship with your colleague, what are some possible actions you could take?”

• Not goal-directed: “Would you like to share with me how you feel?”
• Goal-directed: “What do you think you should do?”