T-GROW Coaching Model: Adding Topic to GROW — Questions & Example
Clients rarely arrive with a goal; they arrive with a topic — a situation, a feeling, a mess. T-GROW gives that its own stage. The coach explores the topic broadly, then helps the client choose a goal for the session, and only then runs GROW.
Origin: A refinement of GROW popularised by Myles Downey (Effective Coaching), adding a Topic stage so the client can describe the area before narrowing to a goal.
T-GROW at a glance — Topic, Goal, Reality, Options, Will
- 1Topic: Let the client describe the territory in their own words before any goal is set.
- 2Goal: Choose what to achieve in this session, inside the topic.
- 3Reality: Explore what is actually happening now.
- 4Options: Generate possibilities before evaluating them.
- 5Will: Commit to action and accountability.
The T-GROW stages, with questions
Topic
Let the client describe the territory in their own words before any goal is set.
- “What would you like to talk about?”
- “What's important about that for you?”
- “Tell me more — what's the bigger picture?”
Goal
Choose what to achieve in this session, inside the topic.
- “Of everything you've said, what would be most useful to focus on today?”
- “What do you want to leave with?”
- “How will you know we got there?”
Reality
Explore what is actually happening now.
- “What is happening now?”
- “What have you tried?”
- “What are you assuming?”
Options
Generate possibilities before evaluating them.
- “What could you do?”
- “What else?”
- “What would you do if you were certain it would work?”
Will
Commit to action and accountability.
- “What will you do, and when?”
- “What might get in the way?”
- “How will you know it's done?”
When to use T-GROW — and when not to
Use it when
- • Clients who arrive with a situation, not a goal
- • First sessions and discovery conversations
- • Coaches who find GROW's Goal stage forces the client too early
Set it aside when
- • The client already has a crisp goal — go straight to GROW
- • Very short sessions where a topic exploration would eat the time
Example: T-GROW in a coaching conversation
T-GROW model FAQ
What does T-GROW stand for?+
Topic, Goal, Reality, Options, Will — GROW with an added Topic stage at the start.
Why add Topic to GROW?+
Because clients usually arrive with a broad situation rather than a goal. Exploring the topic first lets the client choose a session goal that is genuinely theirs instead of one forced by the model.
T-GROW vs GROW: which should I use?+
Use T-GROW when the client has a situation but no clear goal, and GROW when the goal is already clear.
Related models and guides
- GROW coaching model — Goal, Reality, Options, Will
- CLEAR coaching model — Contracting, Listening, Exploring, Action, Review
- OSCAR coaching model — Outcome, Situation, Choices & Consequences, Actions, Review
- All coaching models compared
- The 8 ICF Core Competencies
- Coaching questions library
Stages and questions are a map for the coach, not a script for the client — ICF assesses the competencies, not the model.
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