GROW Coaching Model

Sir John Whitmore and colleagues developed the GROW Coaching model in the late 1980s. It is a coaching framework used in learning and development, problem-solving,  goal setting, and performance improvement to unlock capability, potential and opportunities in everyday leadership. GROW Model stands for Goal, Reality, Options and Will.

Goal : The goal is the first stage in the GROW coaching model and determines both long-term and short-term goals. The following are the common questions for setting future goals.

• What goals do you want to achieve this year?
• What are the short-term goals that help you to achieve long-term goals?
• Where do you see yourself in 5 (or 10 ) years?
• How do you measure your goals?

Reality :Reality is the second phase in the GROW model, describing the learner’s current reality. This is essential as it represents the challenges that the learner and coach need to overcome in order to achieve their goal.

Some of the common questions to consider in this phase are :

1. What progress have you made so far in achieving your goal?
2. What current changes have you made to achieve your goal?

Options : The third phase in the GROW coaching model is to explore brainstorming ideas and to generate strategies for a learner to move a head forward toward a goal.

Some of the common questions to consider in this phase are :

1. What are various ways to achieve the goal?
2. What skills and abilities will help you reach your goal

Will : The final phase in the GROW coaching model is to progress the plan of action and implement it. Setting specific and measurable targets helps establish a timeline for achieving your goals by establishing specific action steps on how you plan to achieve certain goals.

Some of the common questions to consider in this phase are : 

• How will you measure your success?
• Which of the options do you plan to pursue?
• Are you genuinely committed to achieving this goal?
• What support do you require to accomplish the task?