GROW Model Coaching Conversation Script

GROW works because the manager asks and the rep answers — not the other way around. If you find yourself talking more than the rep in this conversation, stop and ask the next question instead of the next statement. Read every bracketed line exactly as written the first few times you run this; the phrasing is calibrated to keep the rep in the driver's seat.

Open the Session (30 seconds)

"This is your session — I'm here to help you think it through, not to hand you the answer. We'll spend about 20 minutes: a few minutes on what you want to get better at, a few minutes being honest about where you actually are, some time on options, and then you'll leave with your own plan. Sound good?"

G — Goal (What does the rep want to be true?)

1. "If we fast-forward three months and this is going really well — what's different?"
2. "Of everything we could focus on today, what's the one skill or outcome that would move the needle most for you?"
3. "How would you describe that goal in one sentence, in your own words?"
4. "How will you know you've hit it — what will you be able to see or measure?"
5. "On a scale of 1-10, how much does this goal actually matter to you right now?" (If below 7, stop and ask: "What would make this a 9 or 10?" — don't proceed on a goal the rep hasn't bought into.)

R — Reality (Where are they actually, and why?)

1. "Where are you right now against that goal — what's actually happening?"
2. "What have you already tried?"
3. "What worked about that? What didn't?"
4. "What's getting in the way — is it a skill, a habit, a belief, or something outside your control?"
5. "If I were watching your calls right now, what would I actually see?" (This question surfaces self-awareness gaps — listen for a mismatch between their answer and what you've observed.)

O — Options (What could they do — generated by them, not you)

1. "What are all the things you could do here — even the ones that seem unrealistic? Just list them, don't filter yet."
2. "What's worked for someone else on the team facing something similar?"
3. "What would you try if you knew you couldn't fail?"
4. "What haven't you tried yet that you've been putting off?"
5. "Of everything on that list, which two feel most doable this week?"

Only after the rep has generated their own list: "Can I add one option to consider?" — ask permission before offering your own idea. If they say yes, offer it as one more option, not the answer.

W — Will / Way Forward (What will they actually commit to?)

1. "Which one option are you going to commit to first?"
2. "What exactly will you do, and by when?"
3. "On a scale of 1-10, how confident are you that you'll actually do this?" (If below 8: "What would need to change to make that a 9?" — shrink the commitment until confidence is high.)
4. "What could get in the way, and what will you do if it does?"
5. "How do you want me to follow up — and when?"

Close the Session — Recap Script

"So let me play that back: your goal is [restate in their words]. You're going to [restate their specific commitment] by [date]. I'll check in on [date/method they chose]. Did I get that right?"

Wait for their confirmation before ending. If they correct anything, that correction is theirs to keep — don't argue it back to your version.

Schedule the Follow-Up (Say This, Don't Skip It)

"Let's put 10 minutes on the calendar for [date] specifically to check on this — not a full session, just a pulse check on the one thing."

Manager Self-Check

After the session, rate yourself honestly:

• Did the rep talk more than I did? (Target: rep talks 70%+ of the session)
• Did I ask a question before I gave an opinion, every time?
• Did the rep name their own goal, or did I name it for them?

If any answer is no, the session was manager-led, not rep-led — GROW didn't actually happen even if you asked the right-shaped questions.