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What is the GROW model?
The GROW model is one of the most widely used conversation structures in coaching. Its letters stand for the four stages of a session: Goal, Reality, Options and Will.
It was developed in the UK in the 1980s from the work of Graham Alexander, Alan Fine and John Whitmore, who popularised it in his book Coaching for Performance (1992). Its strength is its simplicity: it structures the conversation to move from a vague intention to a concrete first step, with a date and commitment.
What it is used for in a coaching session
- Structure without rigidity. It gives the session a beginning, a middle and an end, without turning it into a questionnaire.
- Separating wishes from reality. It makes the client look honestly at where they are today before looking for solutions.
- Opening up alternatives. It stops the client settling for the first idea and helps them compare options.
- Closing with action. The final stage turns the conversation into a concrete commitment that is reviewed in the next session.
The 4 stages of the GROW model
G — Goal
What the client wants to achieve, in this session and over the process. A good goal is concrete, depends on the client and has a time frame. The key question: “How will you know you achieved it?”.
R — Reality
Where they are today, what is happening and what they have already tried. A 1 to 10 scale helps make visible the gap between the starting point and the goal.
O — Options
Which paths could move things forward. It helps to generate several options before evaluating them, and then compare them by feasibility and motivation.
W — Will
What they will do, when, and how committed they are. The close is a concrete first step, with a date, and an honest measure of how much they want to do it.
How to use the GROW model, step by step
- Agree on the session goal. Ask the client to put it in one sentence and say how they will know they achieved it.
- Explore reality. Ask what is happening today and what they have tried. Ask for a score from 1 to 10.
- Generate options. Encourage at least three, without judging them yet.
- Compare them. Ask how feasible each one is and how motivating it feels. The combination of both usually points to the best candidate.
- Set the first step. Something small and concrete, with a date.
- Measure commitment. From 1 to 10. If it is below 7, adjust the step or go back to the options.
Powerful questions for each stage
Goal
- What do you want to achieve?
- How will you know you achieved it?
- Why does it matter to you now?
Reality
- What is happening right now?
- What have you tried so far, and what happened?
- From 1 to 10, where are you relative to your goal?
Options
- What could you do?
- What would you do if there were no limits?
- What would someone you admire do in your place?
Will
- What will you do, and when?
- What could get in the way?
- From 1 to 10, how committed do you feel?
Common mistakes when using it
- Jumping straight to options. Without a clear goal and an explored reality, solutions have nothing to rest on.
- A goal that does not depend on the client. “For my boss to change” is not a coaching goal; “how I want to respond to my boss” is.
- Settling for a single option. The first idea is rarely the best one.
- Closing without a date. A step without a date usually stays an intention.
- Not measuring commitment. A “yes” without conviction predicts a step that will not happen.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have to follow the stages in order?
Not necessarily. The G-R-O-W order is a guide: it is common to go back to the goal after exploring reality, or to revisit the options if commitment comes out low.
How long does a GROW session take?
It can be used in a 15-minute conversation or in a full one-hour session. What matters is ending with a concrete, dated first step.
What if commitment comes out low?
Ask what it would take for it to go up. If it does not, go back to the options or make the first step smaller and more achievable.
Does it work for executive and team coaching?
Yes. The structure is the same: what changes is the type of goal and the people involved in the options and the commitment.
Can I use it in online sessions?
Yes. Share it on screen and complete each stage together as you talk.