ABSTRACT
After the student has set her goal, she and the coach need to consider her reality. Four key areas to address in the 'Reality' phase of GROW are: how much of the goal the student has already achieved, what is helping her to achieve it, what obstacles are standing in her way, what resources she has at her disposal. Much of 'Reality' is solution-focused. However, asking about obstacles can also be effective, particularly in the context of 'mental contrasting'. A student's 'Reality' will have both a behavioural and a cognitive dimension. The coach can find out about any 'performance-interfering thoughts' (PITs) the student is having and help her to find 'performance-enhancing thoughts' (PETs) instead. By the end of the 'Reality' phase the student should be feeling confident and empowered. This is an excellent time to think about 'Options'.
