GROW Coaching Model: Basics and a Template
The GROW Coaching Model helps bring structure to a coaching conversation. It starts with the goal, then looks at the current situation, possible options and the next step someone is willing to take. That sounds simple, and that is partly the strength of the model. It gives a conversation direction without making it too heavy. A coach, manager or team leader can use it to slow down the conversation just enough. What do you want to achieve? What is happening now? What could you do? And what will you actually do next?
The model is often used in coaching, self-reflection and performance conversations. It works especially well when someone already has a question, challenge or development goal, but needs help to think it through more clearly. In this article, you’ll read what the GROW model is, where it comes from and how the four steps work. You’ll also find useful questions for each phase, practical examples and points of attention for using the model in coaching, conversations and daily work.
What is the GROW Coaching Model?
The GROW Coaching Model became widely known through Sir John Whitmore, one of the most prominent figures in modern coaching practice. He further developed the model as a conversation framework that helps people gain self-insight, clarify choices, and determine concrete actions. As a result, the GROW Coaching Model has become a widely used tool in coaching, leadership, and development discussions.
The GROW Coaching Model (Goal, Reality, Obstacles or Options, and Way Forward) helps to approach coaching in a structured and efficient manner. Based on a four-step plan, a conversation can be conducted with another person in a truly coaching-oriented way.
The GROW Coaching Model primarily shows which questions can be asked and how the conversation should be concretely concluded, in such a way that clear results emerge.
The conversation partner is actively involved in clarifying the problem and proposing solutions, and as a result, the outcome will more easily lead to improvement and intrinsic motivation is further nurtured.
The GROW Coaching Model is an effective tool for coaches to conduct structured and goal-oriented conversations. This model is frequently used in the professional coaching world, including within online coaching programs. Thus, the GROW Coaching Model not only offers value to coaches but also opportunities for coaches themselves.
How is the GROW model used in coaching?
The GROW Coaching Model assumes that the coach is not an expert on the client’s situation. The coach is seen as an objective facilitator who helps the client select the best options without offering advice or direction.
When the GROW Coaching Model is used within teams, different dynamics come into play: as a leader, you likely possess some expertise and knowledge; it is your job to guide your organization through the options and prevent harmful choices.
Different Steps in the GROW Coaching Model including the basic questions
The GROW Coaching Model is a four-step plan. GROW is an acronym for Goal, Reality, Options, Obstacles and Will/ Way Forward.
figure 1 – the elements of the GROW Coaching model
1. Where are you going? (Goal / Objective)
The goal must be set first, both for the longer term (the theme or themes the coachee inputs for the coaching process) and for the meeting itself (what should the coaching session yield concretely?).
It’s important that the goal meets the SMART requirements: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound.
GROW Coaching Model: the questions to discover the objective
- What do you wish to achieve (final goal and objective)?
- When do you want to achieve it?
- How do you know when you’ve reached your goal?
- What situation would be satisfactory?
- Is it measurable?
2. Where are you now? (Reality/ Current situation)
After the goal has been determined, step two explores the current situation. In this stage, it’s important to comprehend and refine the conversation theme. Here, the coach’s role is to encourage the coachee to engage in self-evaluation and analyse concrete examples. It’s important to hold onto the central theme and timely close irrelevant segues. By means of specific feedback, the coach is able to contribute to clarifying the core problem.
GROW Coaching Model: the questions to explore the situation
- What is happening now?
- Who are involved?
- What have you achieved so far?
- Which results has this yielded?
- What are the most important obstacles for you?
3. Exploring options
The goal of step three of the GROW Coaching Model is to create ideas that can contribute to solving the problem. Free brainstorming is an important component in this step. The coach encourages the creative thought process in the coachee, categorises the output (for instance by writing things down) and suggests ideas if necessary.
Example questions for coming up with options
- What options do you have?
- What would a list of your possible actions look like?
- What else could you do?
- What are the pros and cons of the various options?
- How easy or difficult are these options for you?
- Do the various options have any undesired side effects?
4. Choosing from options + motivation + prepared (Will)
The fourth and final step is arriving at a completing conclusion. What option will the coachee choose that he/ she will take every effort for? This step is concluded with a clear action plan about who will do what within what time period.
Example questions for creating an action plan:
- What will you do in concrete terms?
- When will you do this?
- Does this meet your goal?
- What obstacles do you think you will encounter?
- How will you overcome these?
- Who should know?
- Do you need help?
- How will you get it?
Using the GROW Coaching Model in Practice
The GROW Coaching Model works well when you want to bring structure to a conversation about development, behavior, or change. You use it to first clarify the goal, then thoroughly examine the current situation, next explore options, and finally make concrete agreements.
In coaching, this helps prevent jumping to solutions too quickly. In workplace conversations, the model fosters greater focus, ownership, and clarity. Skills such as active listening, asking follow-up questions, and summarizing make a big difference in this process. This is precisely why the GROW model is widely applicable, from one-on-one coaching to development discussions, feedback sessions, and team reflection.
A brief practical example of the GROW model
The GROW Coaching Model is useful when a goal sounds clear, but still does not lead to different behaviour. Take someone who wants to live healthier. The intention is there, yet after a busy week the old pattern returns. Too little sleep. Quick meals. No time for exercise.
A coach can then slow the conversation down. First: what does “healthier” actually mean for this person? More energy during the day? Exercising twice a week? Cooking at home more often? Then the current situation comes into view. What is already going well? Where does it usually go wrong? Maybe the problem is not motivation, but planning. Or tiredness after work. Or a household where unhealthy snacks are always within reach.
After that, the coach explores options. Not ten perfect ideas, but a few realistic ones. For example, preparing lunch the evening before, planning one fixed sports moment, or going to bed half an hour earlier on weekdays.
The final step is choosing one action. Small enough to start. Clear enough to check. For example: “This week, I will take a 20-minute walk after dinner on Monday and Thursday.” That is where the GROW model becomes practical. It turns a broad intention into a conversation about behaviour, obstacles and one next step that can actually be done.
The GROW Coaching Model in Practice: Mini Examples for Each Step
The power of the GROW Coaching Model lies in its application to real conversations and relatable situations. That’s why you’ll see below, for each step, how the model can look in the workplace and in personal development. This makes it clearer how to move from an issue to a feasible action.
Goal
In the Goal phase, you formulate the objective in a single clear sentence. Consider a difficult conversation you’ve been putting off. Your goal might be to have a calm conversation with colleague X this week and conclude with one clear agreement.
When dealing with work pressure and focus, your goal might be to spend sixty minutes each workday over the next two weeks working on your most important task. For a career question, your goal could be to decide on your next step within six weeks and then take one concrete action.
Reality
In Reality, you take an honest look at what’s really happening right now. Without belittling yourself, but also without making excuses. With the difficult conversation, the reality might be that you’re avoiding it, that your frustration is growing, and that this is causing you to respond more curtly in emails.
With work pressure, the reality might be that your calendar is filling up with ad hoc tasks, causing your most important task to keep getting pushed back. When it comes to a career question, the reality might be that you think about it a lot and talk about it, but take little action, which keeps the doubt lingering.
Options
With Options, you think broadly. Not one perfect solution, but multiple paths. For the difficult conversation, for example, you could plan the conversation around three points, start with concrete examples, ask a neutral question about what you both need, and conclude with one agreement plus a brief follow-up.
For work pressure and focus, consider scheduling a focus block first, turning off notifications, checking email at set times, clustering meetings, and choosing one top task instead of five. For a career question, consider mapping out three directions, scheduling conversations with people who already do that work, doing a small test via an assignment or course, and defining clear criteria such as energy, growth, and balance.
Way forward
In Way forward, you make it concrete. You choose one step to take within 48 hours and link it to a specific time. For the difficult conversation, this might mean scheduling the conversation for Thursday at 10:00 AM, jotting down two examples, and wrapping up with one specific action for the next two weeks.
For work pressure and focus, this might mean scheduling a focus block in your calendar from 9:00 to 10:00 AM tomorrow and not opening your email until after 10:15 AM. For a career question, this might mean exploring three directions this week and scheduling two exploratory meetings next week, so you don’t get stuck in overthinking but start taking action.
GROW Coaching Model worksheet and template
Use this GROW Coaching Model template to use during a coaching session or its preparation. Available as an editable worksheet / template.
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The GROW Coaching Model in Modern Organizations
The GROW Coaching Model was originally developed for coaching. Yet it is also useful in today’s organizations. Work changes quickly. Teams work partly from home. Projects are often divided into short cycles. In that context, a simple conversation structure can help.
GROW brings people back to four basic questions. What are we trying to achieve? What is happening now? Which options do we have? And what is the next step? That may sound basic, but in busy organizations these questions are often skipped too quickly.
This is why the model also fits agile teams. Agile work depends on short feedback loops. Teams set a goal, test what is happening in reality and adjust when needed. GROW supports that rhythm. It helps prevent discussions from staying vague or getting stuck in assumptions.
The model is also useful in hybrid and remote teams. When people work from different places, small misunderstandings can grow quickly. Goals may seem clear in a meeting, but mean something different once the work starts. A GROW conversation forces people to slow down for a moment. What exactly do we mean? What is blocking progress? Which step are we agreeing on?
More organizations also use GROW in talent development and performance conversations. That can make these conversations less formal and more useful. Instead of working through a long form, the conversation becomes more focused on development. What does someone want to improve? What is happening in the role now? Which options are realistic? And what will be tried next?
In that sense, GROW is no longer only a coaching model. It is a practical way to bring more focus, ownership and clarity into everyday work.
The Role of the Facilitator: Coach or Leader?
The GROW model is often explained as a coaching model. The coach asks questions. The other person thinks, reflects and chooses the next step. In a pure coaching setting, that works well.
Inside organizations, the situation is often less clean. A manager or team lead usually has information the employee does not have. Think of team priorities, customer pressure, budget limits or earlier decisions. In those cases, only asking questions can feel unnatural or even unhelpful.
That is why the facilitator’s role matters. Sometimes the best contribution is a good question. What do you want to achieve? What is blocking you? Which option have you not considered yet?
At other moments, more direction is needed. An employee may miss context. A team may underestimate a risk. Or the discussion keeps circling around the same point. Then a leader can add information, set a boundary or suggest a framework.
The strength is in switching consciously. Ask when someone can think it through. Guide when the situation asks for clarity. Advise when experience prevents unnecessary mistakes. GROW should therefore not be used too rigidly. It is a conversation structure, not a script. A good facilitator keeps the ownership with the other person, but does not pretend to have no view of the situation.
Used in that way, the model becomes more practical. It helps clarify the goal, the reality, the options and the next step, while still allowing the leader to bring in context and judgment where that is needed.
When is the GROW model less effective?
The GROW model is useful in many conversations, but not in every situation. It works best when someone is willing to think honestly about a goal, the current situation and the next step. When that willingness is missing, the conversation can stay polite, but little really changes.
The model also struggles when the goal is still too unclear. Someone may say, “I want more balance” or “I want to grow in my role”. Those are valid wishes, but they need more work before the GROW steps become useful. Otherwise, the conversation stays too broad.
There are also moments when GROW feels too open. In a crisis, under high time pressure or when a decision simply has to be made, asking more questions is not always the best route. A manager may then need to give direction first. Later, there may be room for reflection.
Another limitation appears when the real issue is not the goal, but the relationship. Think of low trust, conflict in the team, fear of speaking up or frustration that has been building for months. In those cases, GROW can feel too neat for the problem. The conversation first needs safety, honesty and sometimes a more direct intervention.
That does not make the model weak. It just means it should be used at the right moment. GROW is a practical structure for development and change, not a solution for every workplace issue. When the situation fits, it helps people move from vague intention to a concrete next step. When the situation does not fit, forcing the model usually makes the conversation less useful.
Frequently asked questions about the GROW Coaching Model
What is the difference between the GROW model and SMART goals?
SMART goals and the GROW model are often mentioned together. Still, they are not the same tool.
SMART helps you sharpen the goal itself. Is it specific enough? Can you measure it? Is it realistic? Does it matter? And is there a clear time frame? The GROW model looks at the whole conversation around that goal. It starts with the goal, but does not stop there. It also looks at the current situation, the possible routes and the step someone is actually going to take.
A simple way to use both: use SMART to make the Goal phase sharper. Then use GROW to move from that goal to action.
Can the GROW model be used for self-coaching?
Yes. The GROW Coaching Model also works when you use it on your own. That can be useful when you are stuck on a personal goal, a work issue or a decision.
The model forces you to slow down a little. Not straight to the solution, but first back to the basics. What do I want? What is going on now? What could I try? What will I do first? Writing the answers down helps. A thought that feels clear in your head often becomes less clear on paper. That is useful.
It shows where the goal is still vague, where the obstacle sits and which next step is realistic.
What is the difference between the GROW model and the GROWS model?
The GROW Coaching Model is a small extension of GROW. The extra S usually stands for support. That addition can be helpful after the action has been chosen. Because a next step may be clear, but still difficult to carry out. Someone may need time, feedback, encouragement, information or help from a manager or colleague.
The original GROW model keeps the structure short: Goal, Reality, Options and Will. GROWS adds one extra question at the end: what support is needed to keep this going?
That makes GROWS useful when change depends on more than intention alone. For example, when someone needs help from the team, when a habit has to change or when progress is easy to lose after the conversation.
ecommended books and articles on the GROW Coaching Model
This literature ties in seamlessly with the above article. It deepens the theoretical basis of the GROW Coaching Model and shows how to use the steps in practice in a more focused, effective, and impactful way. Ideal for readers who want to go a step further than the basics and strengthen their coaching conversations with more insight, structure, and professional depth.
- Alexander, G., & Fine, A. (2010). From GROW to GROUP: Theoretical issues and a practical model for group coaching in organisations. Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice. → This article expands the GROW Coaching Model to include group coaching; give your article a forward-thinking and innovative approach.
- Deiorio, N. M., et al. (2022). Coaching models, theories, and structures: An overview for educators. Frontiers in Psychology. → Positions GROW among other coaching models.
- Panchal, S., & Riddell, P. (2020). The GROWS model: Extending the GROW coaching model to support behavioural change. The Coaching Psychologist, 16(2), 12–25. → This article provides a modern extension to GROW.
- Parsloe, E., & Leedham, M. (2016). Coaching and mentoring: Practical techniques for developing learning and performance. London, UK: Kogan Page. → This book combines coaching and mentoring models, including GROW; useful for comparing the model with alternatives.
- Rahman, M. A. (2023). Professional development in an institution through the GROW model. Assyfa Learning Journal, 1(2), 89–103. → Practical example in an educational context; valuable for readers who want to use the model with teams.
- Whitmore, J. (2017). Coaching for performance: The principles and practice of coaching and leadership. London, UK: Nicholas Brealey Publishing. → The classic and original source of the GROW model; ideal for giving your article a strong theoretical foundation.
- Wilson, C. (2021). Performance coaching: A practical guide for creating breakthrough results. London, UK: Kogan Page. → This boek is a modern approach to performance dialogues in which GROW is explicitly reflected — beneficial for leaders and entrepreneurs.
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Original publication date: January 1, 2019 | Last update: April 28, 2026
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One response to “GROW Coaching Model: Basics and a Template”
Love the GROW coaching model but use Way forward instead of Will.