GROW Coaching Model
The GROW model is a four-step framework for coaching conversations: Goal, Reality, Options, Will (sometimes "Way forward"). The coach helps the person define what they want, look honestly at where they are, explore possible paths, and commit to specific next steps. It was developed in the 1980s by Graham Alexander, Alan Fine, and Sir John Whitmore.
Also known as: grow coaching model, grow model for coaching, coaching model
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Key takeaways
- GROW is a four-step coaching framework: Goal, Reality, Options, Will.
- It helps managers ask instead of tell, so the employee owns the answer.
- It works in a 10-minute 1:1 as well as a formal coaching session.
- The “Will” step (what, by when) is what turns a chat into action.
At a glance
- Steps
- Goal → Reality → Options → Will
- Best for
- Manager coaching, 1:1s
- Core move
- Ask questions, don't give answers
- Related
- Coaching leadership, leadership coaching
Why does the GROW model matter?
Most managers default to giving answers. GROW gives them a structure for asking questions instead, so the employee does the thinking and owns the solution. It works in a 10-minute 1:1 as well as a formal coaching session.
The steps and questions to ask
- Goal: What do you want to achieve? What would success look like?
- Reality: What is happening now? What have you tried? What is getting in the way?
- Options: What could you do? What else? What would you do if there were no constraints?
- Will: What will you do, and by when? How committed are you, from 1 to 10?
Worked example
A team lead says her team keeps missing sprint goals.
Goal: hit 90% of sprint commitments by next quarter.
Reality: the team commits to everything product asks for, and two days a sprint go to unplanned bugs.
Options: hold back capacity for bugs, push back on scope, add a mid-sprint check.
Will: reserve 20% of capacity for bugs from the next sprint and review after three sprints.
Frequently asked questions
- Is GROW only for coaches?
- No. It is most useful for managers in 1:1s.
- What are other coaching models?
- OSKAR, CLEAR, and FUEL are common alternatives. GROW is the most widely used.
- What does GROW stand for?
- Goal, Reality, Options, Will (sometimes “Way forward”). The coach moves through each step with questions.
- What are good GROW coaching questions?
- Goal: what do you want to achieve? Reality: what's happening now? Options: what could you do? Will: what will you do, and by when?
- Who created the GROW model?
- It was developed in the 1980s by Graham Alexander, Alan Fine, and Sir John Whitmore, and popularised in Whitmore's Coaching for Performance.
- How do you use GROW in a 1:1?
- When someone brings a problem, resist answering. Walk through goal, reality, options, and will, so they leave with their own next step.
Sources
- Sir John Whitmore, Coaching for Performance (1992)
See it in practice
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