Structuring a Coaching Conversation

The 'TO GROW' model is well-established coaching model and is probably the most widely used model for structuring a performance coaching conversation. This five-stage model starts a conversation about the player's TOPIC, followed by the next phase GOAL for the session.

The third phase is a conversation to deepen mutual understanding around the player's current REALITY, phase four is OPTIONS and the final phase is WRAP - UP.

In fact, the conversation will hardly ever be linear and will slide seamlessly around the model a number of times during the conversation.

The role of the coach is to understand where they are in the model and to ensure that all the phases are discussed.

The 'TO GROW' Model - Purpose of Each Phase

TOPIC

To understand the players general issue (Context, scale, emotional, attachement, longer term goal) and to contextualise the conversation.

GOAL

What does the player want to achieve from this conversation? This is not about long-term goals, just the desired outcome of the current conversation.

REALITY

To deepen the mutual understanding about the issue and raising awareness by examining assumptions and self-limiting beliefs/gaining deeper clarity and insight. There is no problem solving at this stage, but simply getting the pieces of the table as far as possbile. The more pieces of the jigsaw on the table, the more the player will begin to see the issue for what it is, rather than for what they think it is.

OPTIONS

What are all the possible options for action? Help the player to think wide and creatively about what else could they do.

WRAP-UP

There should be commitment from the player to move forward and to take some action or next step for themselves. What is the player going to do and by when? Check alignment of actions with the original session goal and what help do they need and where will they get it?

Conclusion

With practice and experience, the coach will acquire an ease with structuring conversations in this way, such that, whatever converstional structure they are following, it will recede into the background of their awareness.

Those less practiced often say that the models get in the way of their listening for the player and become more of a hindrance than a help. It really is worth persevering - without the background structure, a coaching conversation will soon turn into an aimless chat with a lack of focus, poor concentration and unclear outcomes.