Customer Reviews
Wow - the first book you must read if you want to know about coaching - By: Sue Stockdale, 31 Aug 2008 
Simply the best. Its meant to be 5 stars but I made an error! Oops
You don't need to say more than that. The GROW model is simple, powerful, & works! The number of issues & topics related to coaching these days can begin to overcomplicate the issue. At its heart is a process for raising awareness & generating responsibility. End of story.
If you read this book, try it out & make a difference by helping someone else - it will be worthwhile.
One of the most accessible and influential books on Coaching - By: Sonia Thomas, 25 Aug 2008 
In this highly influential book, Sir John Whitmore describes what he believes coaching is, how it can be used, & the skills required for coaching. Whitmore also outlines his GROW model which can be used bothin a personal, corporate & team context.
Chapters 1 to 4
explore what coaching is
Chapters 5 & 6
look at the skills of questioning
Chapters 7 to 10
introduce Whitmore's GROW model - Goals, Reality,Options & Will
Subsequent chapters discuss a range of topics - including motivation, coaching the corporation, feedback & assessment & coaching teams. Whitmore also includes chapters on emotional intelligence & spirtual intelligence & their relation to coaching.
This book is underpinned by Whitmore's beliefin the values & potential of coaching & his emphasis on the performance-related, psychological principles on which he believes coaching is based. In this third edition, Whitmore explains more fully the principles of coaching & illustrates them with simple analogies both from business & sport.
This is an accessible & clearly written book which gives an invaluable introduction to the principles of coaching & the widely used GROW model. Each of the elements of the GROW model are carefully delineated with supporting coaching questions. This book is useful for all new coaches & managers using coaching skillsin performance management - particularly, if they would like a model to complement outcomes based coaching models they may be aready be usingin business or corporate coaching.
A very good introduction to coaching - By: Liz Makin, 25 Apr 2008 Coaching for Performance by John Whitmore describes the skills & the art of coaching, as well as the benefits. The book is a very good introduction to coaching & is writtenin a very easy to read style.
A great guide for anyone in the training industry - By: T. Manwaring, 13 Jan 2007 Clear & with a straight forward layout, this book makes some relatively complex ideas very simple. I train drivers & instructors, & have made this one of my recommended texts due to the success I have had following Whitmore's approach. I use many of the techniquesin the book as part of my training course. Enjoyable & inspiring to read, if you are stuck wondering which of the bewildering array of coaching books will give you a comprehensive yet understandable introduction to the subject - this is the one.
The "Grandfather" of Coaching Books - and Still One of the Best! - By: Keith E. Webb, 23 Dec 2005 This book, nowin its third edition, is the grandfather of coaching books & approaches. Much of what has come to be known as professional business coaching came from Timothy Gallway & Whitmore's sports training techniques. As such, the book provides a simple foundation for coaching based on the context of awareness & responsibility through asking questions & listening. He presents the G R O W model of coaching - Goal, Reality, Option, Will - as a format for coaching sessions.
The book begins with a few foundational beliefs of coaches. Unlike old models of management that work from the "carrot & stick" approach, a coach believesin the potential of the client. Whitmore believes that people are only able to change only that which they are aware. Responsibility must stay with the client if they are to perform. Questions raise awareness & yet maintain the client's responsibility. If the coach tells the coachee something, awareness may increase slightly, but responsibilityin nowin the hands of the coach, the source of the information. Questions cause the client to pay attention to their actions, think at higher levels, & provide feedback for the coach to work from.
The G R O W model provides a sequence of questioning & for the coaching session. A coach starts with the client's goal. Either an end goal, like "retire at age 45," or a performance goal, such as "write a new training manual by December." After further clarifying the goal the coach can move on to the current reality of the situation. Asking such questions as: What have you done on the manual up to now? What are the needs that you think a manual might help? What has kept you from finishing the manual these past two years? Options are then generated from the client as to how they can achieve their goal. Finally, What will you do? Whitmore builds several checks & balances into this last step to ensure performance.
The final section of the book is new territoryin this 3rd edition. Coaching used to be about performance - doing, acheivement. In the past few years coaching has moved to underlaying motivations of personal fulfillment: the "why" underneath the desire to achieve performance goals. Whitmore includes new chapters on coaching for purpose, getting to life's meaning.
Of the dozen books on coaching that I own, this one has consistently been the book I refer back to as I try to explain to someone what is coaching: Believein the potential of people; raise awareness & maintain responsibility through questions & listening; & follow the GROW model. All are the essence of good coaching.
