Product Description

This edition includes additional chapters on incorporating meaning and purpose into work, into goal-setting, and a spiritual approach to coaching, together with a final section on "Coaching the Organizations' Culture". Adopted by many of the world's major corporations, this work also argues for using questions, rather than instructions and commands, and following the GROW sequence - Goals, Reality, Options, Will - to generate prompt action and peak performance. It explores the dynamics of team development and it positions coaching as the essential team leadership skill.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #33413 in Books
• Published on: 2002-03-12
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

About the Author
Sir John Whitmore consults and lectures widely on coaching and human resource management together with his colleagues David Hemery and David Whitaker of Performance Consultants. After running businesses in the UK, Switzerland and USA he founded Inner Game Ltd with Timothy Gallwey which has been highly influential in introducing new approaches to sports and business training. Sir John Whitmore began his career as a professional racing driver, driving for the highly successful Ford team at Le Mans and won both the British and European Saloon Car championships in the 1960s.

Customer Reviews

The "Grandfather" of Coaching Books - and Still One of the Best!
This book, now in its third edition, is the grandfather of coaching books and approaches. Much of what has come to be known as professional business coaching came from Timothy Gallway and Whitmore's sports training techniques. As such, the book provides a simple foundation for coaching based on the context of awareness and responsibility through asking questions and 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 and stick" approach, a coach believes in 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 and yet maintain the client's responsibility. If the coach tells the coachee something, awareness may increase slightly, but responsibility in now in the hands of the coach, the source of the information. Questions cause the client to pay attention to their actions, think at higher levels, and provide feedback for the coach to work from.

The G R O W model provides a sequence of questioning and 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 and balances into this last step to ensure performance.

The final section of the book is new territory in 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: Believe in the potential of people; raise awareness and maintain responsibility through questions and listening; and follow the GROW model. All are the essence of good coaching.

Authoritiative yet readable executive coaching guide
A first class guide to coaching in business. This is an updated version and is very highly recommended. Sir John worked with Timothy Gallwey to develop the Inner Game approach which is, after all, the bedrock of current coaching training and thinking. This book is therefore authoritiative yet highly readable and has been the basis for many other writers books on coaching. So read it straight from the horse's mouth!

An authorative introduction to the power of coaching.
Sir John definitely knows the power of coaching for performance. He systematically shows how coaching is the preferred tool of choice for those that realise change is here to stay.

I'm not too sure who would benefit from reading this book. New coaches - I doubt it. Those aspiring to coaching - not really. Managers in corporations - definitely.

This is definitely not a self development book but therin lies its power. This book is for those who truly desire to be more effective in their work, their relationships and with their teams.

Sir John gives practical guidance and a model which really does work. I read the book, put it into practice and saw results.

A little too theoretical and academic at times but well worth perservering. Worth the read. Come on Sir john how about a sequel.