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Fortnightly ritual · Seen at Google

GROW Coaching Conversation

A simple four-step structure for coaching one-to-ones — Goal, Reality, Options, Will — that helps managers ask instead of tell.

Why it matters

Coaching tops Google’s research-based list of what great managers do. GROW, a widely used coaching model developed in the UK, gives managers a repeatable structure so one-to-ones help people find their own answers — “listen to learn”, not “listen to fix”.

How to run it

  1. Goal — "What do you want?" Let the team member choose the issue and define what success looks like.
  2. Reality — "What's happening now?" Explore the situation, what's been tried, and what's getting in the way.
  3. Options — "What could you do?" Generate several possibilities before evaluating any.
  4. Will — "What will you do?" The team member commits to a next step and a date.

Tips: use open "what" and "how" questions; listen to learn rather than to fix; notice your own assumptions; and know when to stop advising.

Related: The Flipped 1:1 · Peer Coaching Hour

Watch out for

  • Jumping to Options before understanding Reality
  • The manager supplying the answer at the Will stage
  • Using GROW when someone simply needs information — sometimes teaching is right

Sources

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