GROW Model Guide

GROWing people, performance and purpose

GROW is Not Coaching
It is important to remember that GROW is not coaching in itself. As Sir
John Whitmore warns, “even dictators can use GROW!” The model’s
simplicity is its strength as long as it is used in conjunction with
coaching skills and behaviours, as taught in Level 1 and Level 2 of
Performance Consultants’ coaching training programme Coaching for
Performance.

Coaching is unlocking people’s potential to maximize their own

performance. It is about raising awareness and responsibility – helping
them to learn rather than teaching them. The GROW Model is an
elegantly simple way of structuring an effective coaching conversation
and, as such, has become one of the best-loved models of coaching.

The Key to GROW

The key to using GROW successfully is first to spend sufficient time
exploring ‘G’ until the coachee sets a goal which is both inspirational and
stretching for them, and then to move flexibly through the sequence,
according to your intuition, including revisiting the goal if needed.
Performance Consultants is at the
Step 1 of the GROW Model – What are your Goals? forefront of leadership development, coach
training and performance improvement for
• Identifies and clarifies the type of goal through an understanding individuals and organizations. We work
of ultimate goals, performance goals and progress goals along globally with leading multinational
the way. corporations to establish coaching cultures
• Provides understanding of principal aims and aspirations. and leadership programmes.
• Clarifies the desired result from the session.
Our Co-founder Sir John Whitmore was a
Step 2 of the GROW Model – What is the Reality? pre-eminent thinker in leadership and
• Assesses the current situation in terms of the action taken so organizational change and author of best-
far. selling Coaching for Performance. Sir John
• Clarifies the results and effects of previously taken actions. pioneered coaching in the workplace and
co- created the GROW Model with
• Provides understanding of internal obstacles and blocks
currently preventing or limiting progression. colleagues in the 1980s, now deservedly
one of the most established and
Step 3 of the GROW Model – What are your Options? successful coaching models.
• Identifies the possibilities and alternatives.
Our flagship training programme Coaching
• Outlines and questions a variety of strategies for progression. for Performance is a 3-level programme for
coaches who want to develop their
Step 4 of the GROW Model – What Will you Do?
executive coaching skills and managers
• Provides understanding of what has been learned and what can who want to develop a coaching-style of
be changed to achieve the initial goals. leadership for personal and professional
• Creates a summary and plan of action for implementation of the excellence.
identified steps.
• Outlines possible future obstacles.
• Considers the continued achievement of the goals, and the GOAL What do you want?
support and development that may be required. What more do you want?
• Estimates the certainty of commitment to the agreed actions.
• Highlights how accountability and achievement of the goals will REALITY What is happening now?
be ensured. Exactly what is happening now?

Going Deeper OPTIONS What could you do?

What else could you do?
Revisiting each step as necessary and in any sequence (see diagram
opposite) ensures that the coachee remains energized and motivated and
that their goal fits with the goal of the company whilst also aligning with WILL What will you do?
their individual purpose and personal values. Precisely what will you do?

Managers can capitalize on employees knowing what they want for

themselves by giving them increasing responsibility, trust and freedom.

For more information about the GROW Model or our coaching programmes, call +44 (0)20 3903 0011 or
email [email protected]

2020 © Performance Consultants International

www.performanceconsultants.com
GROW Model Guide
GROWing people, performance and purpose
Example Questions for an Effective Coaching Conversation Take Time to Explore the Goal
Aim for a goal which is inspirational to the
Goal What do you want? What is the aim for this discussion? coachee, positively framed and challenging
How would you like it to be? – a real stretch to achieve the best they can.
What does that look like?
Keep in mind the level of goal:
What will you be saying to yourself?
What will that enable you to do? Dream Goal (Desired Future):
What will other people be saying to you? What’s the bigger picture?
What will you have that you don’t have now?
How does this fit with your organization’s
Imagine 3 months from now, all obstacles are removed
and you have achieved this: goals?
What do you see/hear/feel? What are you building
towards? What will you
What new elements are in place?
see/hear/feel?
What is different?
End Goal:
What are you aiming to achieve
(the concrete manifestation of the dream
Reality What is happening at the moment? goal)?
How important is this to you? What are your set targets?
On a scale of 1–10, if an ideal situation is 10, what What impact will this have on your
number are you at now? team/customers?
What number would you like to be at?
How do you feel about this? Performance Goals:
What impact is this having on you? What’s on your What will you deliver?
shoulders? What are your
How does this impact other areas of your life? milestones?
What are you doing that takes you towards your goal? Process Goals:
What are you doing that is getting in the way of your
What actions will you take? (SMART)
goal?
How much …?
How many …? Stay Flexible
Who else does it affect?
Move around the GROW sequence according
to your intuition. Revisit each step as
necessary, in any order, to ensure the
coachee remains energized and motivated
Options What could you do? and that their goal fits with the
What ideas do you have? organization’s goal and also aligns with their
What alternatives do you have? individual purpose and personal values.
Is there anything else?
If there were anything else, what would it be?
What has worked in the past? Active Listening
What steps could you take?
Who could help you with this? Listen with attention, curiosity and empathy
Listen for potential, not problems
Where could you find out the information?
Let go of filters and perceptions
How could you do that?
Focus on the coachee and their goal
Listen at a deeper level – beyond the words
Reflect, summarize, clarify, reframe

Will What will you do?

How will you do that?
When will you do it?
Powerful Questioning
Who will you talk to? Ask open and closed questions – start broad,
Where will you go? then narrow to generate focus
Is there anything you need to put in place before What? / Where? / Who? / How? / When?
that? Not leading or judgemental
How committed are you to taking that action? Create a feedback loop
What will it take for you to commit to that? Raise awareness and responsibility

For more information about the GROW Model or our coaching programmes, call +44 (0)20 3903 0011 or
email [email protected]

2020 © Performance Consultants International

www.performanceconsultants.com