Why the “W” in GROW™ Matters: Where Coaching Turns into Performance

In the GROW model, the last stage, Will, is where awareness turns into choice and action. This is when responsibility becomes clear, and commitment is made.

In our approach – as outlined in the foundational Coaching for Performance book – coaching is not about analysis or advice, but about what the coachee will do next. Without Will, insight remains passive, and performance remains the same.

This focus has always been important in formal coaching, but now organizations are using it more broadly, endorsing “coaching in the flow of work” as one of our clients recently put it beautifully. Many forward-looking corporations are training their managers to add regular coaching conversations to support development as work happens, not just looking back at past performance.

Organizations such as our healthcare client, Medtronic, referenced in Coaching for Performance, are looking beyond simple performance ratings and are strengthening coaching capability to build continuous responsibility and self-directed performance. It is in the Will stage of GROW that this approach becomes operational.

Accountability: Will in Action

A coaching conversation matters only if it leads to action. In GROW, accountability is not forced by the coach but accepted by the coachee.

Our founder and GROW model co-creator, John Whitmore, makes it clear: commitment is built in the Will stage. Without commitment, performance does not change.

Effective accountability is established through questions that clarify:

• What will be done
• By when
• How progress will be recognized

These questions turn awareness into responsible choices and actions. They do not tell people what to do, but help them take ownership.

Writing down agreed actions strengthens ownership by making the commitment clear.

Feedback: Increasing Awareness

In Whitmore’s approach, feedback is meant to raise awareness, not to judge or rate performance.

After the action has occurred, the coach supports the coachee in accurately describing what happened and in noticing its effects. This reflection allows the coachee to draw conclusions and decide what to do differently next time.

Typical feedback questions include:

• What happened?
• What did you notice?
• What conclusions are you drawing?
• What will you do next?

This process helps people improve by correcting themselves, not just by following instructions.

GROW Feedback Framework – Tips

Why Accountability and Feedback Belong Together

Without will, feedback remains reflection. Without feedback, action lacks awareness.

Accountability creates action.

Feedback increases awareness.

Together, accountability and feedback complete the coaching cycle and help people continue to improve their performance.

The Coach’s Role in the Will Stage

A coach, or a leader who coaches, is not there to solve problems.

Their role is to:

Maintain focus on responsibility
Support clarity of choice
Trust the coachee’s capability
Ensure commitment is owned
This sets up the right conditions for high performance, built on clarity, trust, and self-responsibility.

The W in GROW is the stage where coaching leads to real performance.

It is where:

• Awareness informs choice
• Choice leads to action
• Action improves performance

Coaching does not end with agreeing on action. It continues as awareness is reviewed and responsibility renewed. That discipline in the Will stage is what makes coaching effective.