GROW Model for Powerful Questions
Four question categories that let people solve their own problem and walk away with a concrete next step
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 4
- Confidence
- 93%
A coaching structure built on four categories of powerful, non-leading questions — Goal, Reality, Options, Way forward — that help someone gain insight and reach a solution they didn't have before. Use it when the person has the context to solve their own problem and just needs space to think.
Origin
Lockett presents GROW as the second core coaching skill (after listening) and runs it live on Lenny, coaching him through his 'endless work' struggle to a concrete two-week commitment. The GROW model itself originated with Sir John Whitmore and colleagues in the 1980s; Lockett adapts it for busy managers.
Core principles
- 01A powerful question has no single right answer — you're curious, not leading the witness to a predetermined answer
- 02You don't have to run the four categories in order; skip ones the person is already clear on and dig into where they're stuck
- 03Coaching presumes the person has the right context and can reach the answer with a nudge
- 04The more resonant the person is with the desired end state, the easier it is for them to be disciplined in the near term
How to run it
- 1
G — Goal
Ask what success looks like and what outcome they want. Any question that defines the best-case scenario.
Pro tip If they're already crystal clear on the outcome, don't linger here.
- 2
R — Reality
Ask about their current reality: Where are you stuck? What are your current challenges? What have you tried?
Pro tip Often, talking through their reality out loud is where the real blocker surfaces (e.g. an unbuilt cross-functional relationship).
- 3
O — Options
Expand the set of choices: What are the various paths you could take? What could you do next?
Pro tip Frame every yes as a trade-off — what would they say yes to if they said no to other things?
- 4
W — Way forward
Ask what they're going to do next. Land on one concrete action, ideally time-boxed.
Pro tip Ask 'What's one thing you could do in the next two weeks?' to force a small, real commitment.
In the wild
Lockett coached Lenny live: Goal (25% more free time while output stays high-quality); Reality (a reflexive addiction to saying yes and filling freed time with new projects); Options (skip newsletter weeks, delegate more, tighten his yes/no policies); Way forward (skip a specific week's newsletter two weeks out and revisit his yes/no policies).
→ Lenny reached his own concrete next steps and said he got great advice — noting he was far more bought in because he came up with it himself rather than being handed a laundry list.
Common mistakes
Leading the witness
Steering someone toward a specific answer you already hold isn't a powerful question — it's disguised advising.
Running it as a rigid 1-2-3-4 script
The four are categories of questions, not a fixed sequence; forcing the order wastes time on areas the person is already clear about.
Is it for you?
Best for
Managers wanting a simple, repeatable structure to coach skilled reports in normal check-ins
Not ideal for
Urgent problems, or when the person lacks context and genuinely needs you to give the answer
From the transcript
“So the G in grow is goal. So what does success look like? What's the outcome that you want to have?”
“The R in the grow model is about your current reality. Where are you stuck? What are your current challenges? What have you tried?”
“The O is about your options.”
“the W in the grow model is the way forward. What are you going to do next?”
From the episode
A guide to difficult conversations, building high-trust teams, and designing a life you love
Rachel Lockett