LEADERSHIP LIBRARY

IN BRIEF

John Whitmore is considered one of the fathers of modern coaching, and this book is a great overview of coaching excellence. 

GROW Framework

Goal setting for the session as well as short and long term.

Reality checking to explore the current situation.

Options and alternative strategies or courses of action.

What is to be done, When, by Whom, and the Will to do it.

Quotables

“The coachee does acquire facts, not from the coach but from within himself, stimulated by the coach.” (p. 9)

“Coaching is unlocking people’s potential to maximize their own performance. It is helping them to learn rather than teaching them.” (p. 10)

“The underlying and ever-present goal of coaching is building the self-belief of others, regardless of the content of the task or issue.” (p. 19)

“The first key element of coaching in awareness, which is the product of focused attention, concentration, and clarity.” (p. 34) 

“Responsibility is the other key concept of goal of coaching….When we truly accept, choose, or take responsibility for our thoughts and our actions, our commitment to them rises and so does our performance.” (p. 37)

“I am not suggesting that there is never a place for expert input, but the less good coach will tend to overuse it and thereby reduce the value of his coaching, because every time input is provided the responsibility of the coachee is reduced.” (p. 43)

“Awareness is perceiving things as they really are; self-awareness is recognizing those internal factors that distort one’s own perception of reality.” (pp. 67–8)

“We have a measure of choice and control over what we are aware of, but what we are unaware of controls us.” (p.70)

“Performance, learning, and enjoyment are inextricably intertwined…. When one of the three is neglected, sooner or later the other two will suffer.” (p. 99)

“Self-motivation dwells within the mind of each individual, out of reach of even the chiefest of executives.” (p. 106)

“All instruction, all criticism, every reduction in choice, every manifestation of hierarchy, every act of secrecy subtly lowers people’s self-belief. Coaching, trust, openness, respect, authentic praise, freedom of choice, and, of course, success raise it.” (p. 112)

“The door to our wisdom vault is rusty with disuse and old furniture is piled up against it. …That debris is years of parental, social, and cultural conditioning and all the false beliefs and assumptions that arise from it.” (p. 178)

“Big fears are generally an accumulation of a lot of small ones. By focusing exclusively on one challenge at a time, the whole is addressed.” (pp. 179–80)