The GROW model is a four-step coaching framework: Goal, Reality, Options and Will (or Way forward). It was developed in the UK in the 1980s by business coaches including Graham Alexander, Alan Fine and Sir John Whitmore, and became known worldwide through Whitmore’s book Coaching for Performance. It guides a conversation from what you want, to where you are, to what you could do, to what you will do.
Last updated: 10 November 2026
Reading time: about 9 minutes
How we wrote this article: this article was written by Saj Ali. It explains the GROW model, its history and the research on coaching, with sample questions and a worked example, and every research claim links to its source.
The GROW model in brief
- G – Goal. What do you want to achieve?
- R – Reality. Where are you now, and what is happening?
- O – Options. What could you do?
- W – Will or Way forward. What will you do, and when?
- Use it for. Coaching sessions, management one-to-ones, mentoring and self-coaching.
Contents
- What the GROW Model Is
- Where GROW Came From
- The Four Steps in Detail
- 40 Powerful GROW Questions
- A Worked Example
- What the Research Says About Coaching
- How to Coach Yourself With GROW
- Tips for Using GROW Well
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Key Takeaways
- Explore More on Self Help Supermarket
- Sources
What the GROW Model Is
GROW is a simple structure for a coaching conversation. Instead of telling someone what to do, the coach asks questions that help the person clarify their goal, see their situation clearly, generate options and commit to action. It works in a 10-minute corridor chat or a full one-hour session, and you can use it on yourself.
Performance Consultants, the firm founded by Sir John Whitmore, describes GROW as built around a natural thought process: start with a clear goal, understand the present reality, explore options, then decide what actions to take. It notes the model became globally recognised through Whitmore’s book Coaching for Performance (Performance Consultants).
Where GROW Came From
GROW emerged in the UK in the 1980s. Graham Alexander, Alan Fine and Sir John Whitmore, all involved in performance coaching, are credited with shaping it, influenced by Timothy Gallwey’s “inner game” approach to sport and learning. Whitmore, a former racing driver turned coach, published Coaching for Performance in 1992. The book has since gone through several editions and translations, and GROW became one of the most widely taught coaching models in the world.
Coaching psychologist Anthony Grant later suggested refinements, such as reviewing progress at the start of follow-up sessions, which some call RE-GROW. Variations like T-GROW (adding Topic) and GROWTH (adding Tactics and Habits) follow the same basic logic.
The Four Steps in Detail
G – Goal
Define what the person wants from the conversation and from the bigger situation. A clear goal focuses everything that follows. It often helps to make it a SMART goal: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.
R – Reality
Explore the current situation honestly. What is happening now? What has been tried? What is in the way? Whitmore placed strong emphasis on awareness, because seeing reality clearly often reveals the answer.
O – Options
Generate as many possibilities as you can before judging them. The coach’s job is to widen thinking: “What else? What if there were no limits? What would someone you admire do?”
W – Will (or Way forward)
Choose an action and commit. What exactly will happen next, by when, and how will you know? How committed are you on a scale of 1 to 10? If the answer is below 8, what would raise it?
40 Powerful GROW Questions
| Stage | Questions |
|---|---|
| Goal | What would you like to achieve? What would success look like? Why does this matter to you? By when? How will you know you have got there? What would you like from this conversation? What would make this a great outcome? How does this fit your bigger aims? What is the first milestone? How much is in your control? |
| Reality | What is happening right now? What have you tried so far? What worked, even a little? What got in the way? Who else is involved? What resources do you have? What are you assuming? How do you feel about it? On a scale of 1 to 10, where are you now? What is the real challenge here? |
| Options | What could you do? What else? What would you do if you knew you could not fail? What would a friend advise? What have you seen others do? Which option excites you most? What are the pros and cons of each? Who could help? What is the smallest possible step? What would you do with twice the time, or half? |
| Will | What will you do? When exactly? What might stop you? How will you overcome that? Who will you tell? What support do you need? How committed are you, out of 10? What would make it a 10? How will you review progress? What is the very next step after this conversation? |
A Worked Example
Maya, a team leader, wants to stop working late every night.
- Goal. “I want to leave by 6pm at least four days a week within the next month, without the team’s work slipping.”
- Reality. She answers messages as they arrive, does tasks herself that others could do, and her afternoons fill with meetings. She leaves at 6pm about once a week now.
- Options. Block two hours each morning for focused work; delegate weekly reports; batch email checks to three times a day; decline or shorten some meetings; agree a “handover” time with her team.
- Will. “Starting Monday I will block 9 to 11am for focused work and hand the weekly report to Sam, with a 15-minute handover on Friday. I’ll track my leaving time and review with my manager in four weeks. Commitment: 8 out of 10, which would be a 10 if my manager backs the meeting changes, so I’ll ask her on Tuesday.”
Notice how the coach never gives advice. The answers come from Maya, which tends to increase commitment.
What the Research Says About Coaching
| Research finding | What it means |
|---|---|
| Coaching has positive effects on performance, well-being, coping, work attitudes and goal-directed self-regulation (Theeboom, Beersma and van Vianen, 2014) | Structured coaching conversations can help in many areas |
| Workplace coaching improves learning and performance outcomes (Jones, Woods and Guillaume, 2016) | GROW-style coaching suits managers and teams |
| Specific, challenging goals improve performance (Locke and Latham, 2002) | The Goal stage matters |
| If-then plans improve follow-through (Gollwitzer and Sheeran, 2006) | Make the Will stage concrete |
How to Coach Yourself With GROW
You do not need a coach to use GROW. Try a 15-minute self-coaching session with a notebook.
- Write your goal at the top of the page in one sentence.
- List the facts of your current reality, without judgement.
- Brainstorm at least eight options, including silly ones.
- Circle one or two and write exactly what you will do and when.
- Rate your commitment out of 10, and adjust until it is at least an 8.
- Put a review date in your calendar.
Pair it with journaling for reflection, or with a friend as an accountability partner. If motivation is the sticking point, our page on motivation can help.
Tips for Using GROW Well
- Go back and forth. Exploring reality often changes the goal. That is normal.
- Listen more than you speak. The model works best with open questions and genuine curiosity.
- Resist giving advice. If you do share an idea, offer it as one option among many.
- Keep the person in charge. They choose the goal and the action.
- Follow up. Start the next conversation by reviewing what happened.
GROW pairs well with the Johari Window for feedback conversations, Six Thinking Hats for exploring options, and NLP techniques for working with language and beliefs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does GROW stand for?
Goal, Reality, Options and Will (sometimes Way forward).
Who created the GROW model?
It was developed in the UK in the 1980s by coaches including Graham Alexander, Alan Fine and Sir John Whitmore, and popularised by Whitmore’s 1992 book Coaching for Performance.
How long does a GROW coaching session take?
Anything from 10 minutes to an hour. The structure works for quick check-ins and full sessions.
Can I use the GROW model on myself?
Yes. Write your goal, the facts of your situation, a list of options and one committed action with a date.
Is GROW only for business?
No. It is used in life coaching, education, sport, health and personal development.
What is the difference between GROW and SMART?
GROW structures a whole conversation, while SMART is a way of writing the goal itself. Many coaches use SMART inside the Goal stage.
Does coaching work?
Meta-analyses have found positive effects of coaching on performance, well-being and goal-directed self-regulation.
What are good GROW questions?
Examples include ‘What would success look like?’, ‘What have you tried so far?’, ‘What else could you do?’ and ‘What will you do, and when?’
Key Takeaways
- GROW stands for Goal, Reality, Options and Will.
- It was developed in the UK in the 1980s and popularised by Sir John Whitmore’s Coaching for Performance.
- The coach asks questions rather than giving advice.
- Research supports coaching for performance, well-being and goal pursuit.
- You can use GROW to coach yourself in 15 minutes.
- It pairs well with SMART goals, the Johari Window and Six Thinking Hats.
Explore More on Self Help Supermarket
Use these pages alongside this one:
- SMART Goals – writing goals that work
- The Johari Window – feedback and self-awareness
- Six Thinking Hats – structured thinking for options
- NLP – language patterns used by many coaches
- Productivity – systems to support your action plan
- The Success Principles – Jack Canfield’s lessons on goals
- McClelland’s Motivation Theory – what drives the people you coach
- Leadership Style Quiz – find your main Goleman leadership style
- Browse all self-help techniques – compare every method on Self Help Supermarket.
Sources
- Performance Consultants. The GROW model. https://www.performanceconsultants.com/resources/the-grow-model/
- Whitmore, J. (1992). Coaching for Performance. London: Nicholas Brealey.
- Grant, A. M. (2011). Is it time to REGROW the GROW model? Issues related to teaching coaching session structures. The Coaching Psychologist, 7(2), 118–126.
- Theeboom, T., Beersma, B., and van Vianen, A. E. M. (2014). Does coaching work? A meta-analysis on the effects of coaching on individual level outcomes in an organizational context. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 9(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2013.837499
- Jones, R. J., Woods, S. A., and Guillaume, Y. R. F. (2016). The effectiveness of workplace coaching: A meta-analysis of learning and performance outcomes from coaching. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 89(2), 249–277. https://doi.org/10.1111/joop.12119
- Locke, E. A., and Latham, G. P. (2002). Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation: A 35-year odyssey. American Psychologist, 57(9), 705–717. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.57.9.705
- Gollwitzer, P. M., and Sheeran, P. (2006). Implementation intentions and goal achievement: A meta-analysis of effects and processes. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 38, 69–119. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2601%2806%2938002-1
Self Help Supermarket guides are for general information and are not a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice.