GROW
A simple model with a lot of power for change
You’re a busy person, everyone seems to be these days. You have several goals on the horizon but are not sure how to get to any one of them. While you’d like to reach them you’re starting to resign yourself to the idea that they may not happen. It is at this point (or before!) where the GROW model can be helpful. It is even more powerful to have someone, like a coach, work through it with you as they can hold you accountable and ask you questions you may not want to ask yourself!
GROW is an acronym that can work as a linear framework or be cycled through depending on where the conversation goes. It was developed by John Whitmore in 1992 and has been well used in that time in a variety of contexts and so proving its value.
Goal
Where do you want to be? What does success look like? If you had a magic wand, what would it look like to have that goal reached tomorrow?
Stephen Covey, author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, calls this “starting with the end in mind”. This is an important step and can often take longer than I first realised and may be refined as you work through the rest of the model. If the goal is clear then it provides structure and helps stop the conversation from being derailed. If the goal is unclear then the rest of the conversation can be quite muddled.
Reality
What is your current context? Who is involved? What is stopping you moving forward?
The what/where/when/how of the conversation. This part of the model may help refine the goal into what is more realistic. Some who have come across the GROW model before may know the ‘O’ to be ‘Obstacles’ which means that this section can overlap with the ‘O’ of the model. The overlap is, I think, what makes it a realistic model for conversations and getting into the detail of what the goal is. In reality, there are obstacles to overcome to reach the goal but these obstacles may also be the reason for particular options in finding a solution.
Options
What solutions can you think of to overcoming the obstacles? Who can help? Imagine you were an expert in this topic, what advice would you give yourself?
This is where the magic happens. Come up with as many options as you can. Michael Bungay Stanier notes a study in his book The Coaching Habit where decisions have less of a failure rate when more than 2 options are thought about but another that shows we’re overwhelmed when there are too many options. The conclusion is that 3-5 options tends to be the sweet spot.
Will/Way forward
Which of your options do you NEED to do? Which do you WANT to do and does this need to be refined? Do you need to say no to something to say yes to one of your options? Who will hold you accountable? What is your first step and when will you get it done?
This is where your commitment is tested. What is needed, what is wanted, and what can be removed to enable the goal to be reached. Give yourself a first step and a timeline for when it will get done and make sure someone who can hold you to account knows that you are going to take that first step.
Conclusion
While you can work through this as a model for yourself and ask yourself the questions, having someone with experience use this model with you, non-judgementally, and without leading you with their advice is surprisingly powerful. If you are interested in seeing how this works, feel free to send me a message below.
Resources:
The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier - he offers 7 different questions that can easily be mapped on to the GROW model.
