When the BBC broadcast a documentary based on Tim Gallwey’s books on The Inner Game (documenting the relationship between the best mental state for high performance and learning) Sir John Whitmore launched a coaching practice in the UK.
While the original focus was on sports performance, ‘coaching’ subsequently began to enter the business vernacular and interest grew in the idea that a leader would be more effective by facilitating action rather than telling people what to do. Blue chip company representatives from the likes of IBM and McKinsey & Co. began showing up on British tennis courts to learn about this new approach. The Inner Game instructors included Chris Morgan and Graham Alexander.
Graham Alexander later formed The Alexander Corporation to focus exclusively on business coaching. The coaching method was refined with client experience. Most notably: 1. We co-developed the GROW model with McKinsey which Whitmore subsequently detailed in his popular book Coaching For Performance (over a million copies sold) 2. We added multi-perspective feedback to raise our clients’ awareness and inform coaching goals.
The Alexander Corporation was recognized by The Economist Intelligence Unit as 'The U.K. market leader in business coaching.”
Chris Morgan moved back to the San Francisco Bay Area and opened an office for Alexander. Three years later Morgan and Alexander agreed to an amicable separation and US -based Morgan Alexander was launched. We remain good partners with our UK colleagues and our practices continue to thrive and innovate together to meet our clients' needs.