Coaching questions for managers: 60 questions organised by the GROW model

A coaching question gives someone room to think and decide; it is not a disguised instruction. Managers often default to telling because a decision is urgent or because they already know one workable answer. Coaching is more useful when the other person needs to build judgement, not merely receive information. Use a question, listen, then ask what they have learned before moving on. If there is a safety issue, a non-negotiable standard or missing factual information, be direct instead.

The GROW sequence, associated with John Whitmore, moves from Goal (the desired outcome) to Reality (what is happening), Options (possible moves) and Will (a committed next step). It is a conversation map, not a script: you can return to an earlier stage when new information emerges. Pick two or three questions rather than interrogating someone with all sixty. Each question below includes a note about when it is useful.

Goal: 15 questions

1. What would make this conversation useful for you? At the start of a one-to-one.

1. What outcome are you hoping for? When the request is broad.

1. What would good look like in practice? To turn an ambition into observable change.

1. Which part of this matters most to you? When several goals compete.

1. What would you like to be different by next month? For a near-term development goal.

1. How will you know you have made progress? To define a useful signal.

1. What is within your influence here? When the goal depends on others.

1. What would success mean for the people affected? To include stakeholders.

1. If this went well, what would you notice first? To make success concrete.

1. What is the smallest worthwhile outcome? When the goal feels overwhelming.

1. Why does this matter now? To establish urgency without pressure.

1. What do you want to learn, as well as achieve? In a development conversation.

1. What would you like to leave with today? To scope a short check-in.

1. How does this fit your wider priorities? To test alignment.

1. Which goal would you choose if we could work on only one? To focus the conversation.

Reality: 15 questions

1. What is happening at the moment? To establish the facts.

1. What have you already tried? To avoid repeating an unsuccessful step.

1. What worked, even a little? To identify useful evidence.

1. What has been harder than you expected? To surface a hidden obstacle.

1. What feedback have you heard from others? To widen the perspective.

1. What are you assuming is true? To examine an untested belief.

1. Which parts are facts, and which are interpretations? When emotions are running high.

1. When does this problem not occur? To find exceptions.

1. Who else is affected, and how? For a team issue.

1. What is taking most of your energy? In a wellbeing check-in.

1. What is currently helping you? To locate existing support.

1. Where do you get stuck in the process? To locate a workflow bottleneck.

1. What did you check before trusting the AI output? When reviewing AI-assisted work.

1. What might someone else say is happening? To invite another viewpoint.

1. What is the cost of leaving things as they are? To assess the status quo.

Options: 15 questions

1. What could you try first? To begin generating choices.

1. What else might work? After the obvious answer.

1. If time were less constrained, what would you do? To expand possibilities.

1. What could you do with the resources you already have? When capacity is tight.

1. Who could help you think this through? To identify support.

1. What would you advise a colleague in this situation? To create distance from the problem.

1. What is a low-risk experiment you could run? When uncertainty is high.

1. What could you stop doing to make space? When the diary is full.

1. How might you approach this conversation differently? For a difficult conversation.

1. What would happen if you asked the team? When shared ownership is needed.

1. What can be simplified? When a plan has become complex.

1. What would a partial solution look like? When an ideal answer is unavailable.

1. Which option protects quality as well as speed? When considering AI-assisted work.

1. What trade-off comes with each option? To compare alternatives honestly.

1. Which possibility have you not considered yet? To challenge a narrow shortlist.

Will: 15 questions

1. Which option will you take forward? To move from exploration to choice.

1. What is your first specific step? To make the commitment actionable.

1. When will you take that step? To set a time.

1. What will you say or do first? Before a challenging conversation.

1. What might get in your way? To anticipate obstacles.

1. What will you do if that happens? To plan a response to a blocker.

1. Who needs to know about your plan? When others depend on the action.

1. What support do you want from me? To clarify the manager's role.

1. What will you measure or notice? To track progress.

1. How confident are you that you will do this? To test whether the plan is realistic.

1. What would raise your confidence? If commitment feels tentative.

1. What will you decide if the first attempt fails? To keep learning in view.

1. When should we check in again? To agree follow-up.

1. What are you committing to in your own words? To confirm ownership.

1. What is one thing you are taking from this conversation? To close the session.

Questions for four everyday moments

Performance: Start with "What result were we aiming for?" and "Where did your approach diverge from that expectation?" Give the specific observed evidence first; do not use questions to hide a performance judgement. End by agreeing what support and review date are needed.

Development: Try "Which responsibility would stretch you without setting you up to fail?" and "What feedback would tell you you are improving?" A development conversation should lead to a real opportunity to practise, not just a course recommendation. Use the development conversation guide to record the commitment.

Wellbeing: Ask "What is demanding most of your energy right now?" and "What could we change in the work?" Listen without diagnosing. Respect privacy, remove work obstacles within your control and signpost appropriate support when needed.

AI-related work: Ask "What did you check before you trusted the output?" and "Which parts require your own judgement or a specialist review?" Agree who owns the final decision and what must never be put into an external tool. The aim is safer work, not catching someone out.

Questions to avoid

"Don't you think you should speak to them?" is advice with a question mark. Say what you think openly if you need to advise; otherwise ask "What conversations could help?" Repeated "Why did you do that?" can sound accusatory, especially after a mistake. "What was happening when you chose that?" invites explanation without removing accountability. Avoid stacking questions, interrupting an answer or promising confidentiality you cannot keep. If the person needs a clear decision from you, make it.

Does manager coaching help?

Jones, Woods and Guillaume's 2016 meta-analysis brought together 17 workplace-coaching studies and reported positive average outcomes. Crucially, it excluded manager–subordinate and peer coaching: it is not direct evidence that a manager using these questions will improve team performance. Context, practice, a working relationship and follow-through matter. Managers also have authority over the people they coach, so they must distinguish genuine choice from a decision already made. Whitmore's GROW model offers structure, not a guarantee of results.

Try a two-week practice: complete the Manager as Coach Assessment, choose one conversation each week, use one question per GROW stage, and note when you listened rather than solved. Repeat the assessment and ask the person whether the conversation helped them think and act. Keep what worked; change what felt like an interview.

Download the printable coaching question cards, or use the GROW coaching template. For supported practice, explore coaching skills training, management coaching, our coaching skills guide and coaching versus mentoring. Workshop F4, The Manager as Coach, is listed in the library.