The GROW Model
GROW stands for:
Goal
Current Reality
Options
Way Forward
A good way of thinking about the GROW Model is to think about how you'd plan a journey. First, you decide where you are going (the goal), and establish where you currently are (your current reality).
You then explore various routes (the options) to your destination. In the final step, the way forward, you ensure that you're committed to making the journey, and are prepared for the obstacles that you could meet on the way.
In its traditional application, the GROW Model assumes that the coach is not an expert in the situation. This means that the coach must act as a facilitator, helping the preceptee select the best course of action. On one hand, it's more powerful for people to draw conclusions for themselves, rather than having these conclusions thrust upon them. On the other hand, as a team leader, you'll often have expert knowledge to offer.
1. Establish the Goal
First, you and your preceptee need to look at the behavior that you want to change, and then structure this change as a goal
Make sure that this is a SMART goal: one that is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound.
When doing this, it's useful to ask questions like:
How will you know that your preceptee has achieved this goal?
How will you know that the problem or issue is solved?
2. Examine the Current Reality
Next, ask your preceptee to describe his current reality.
This is an important step. Too often, people try to solve a problem or reach a goal without fully considering their starting point, and often they're missing some information that they need in order to reach their goal effectively.
As your preceptee tells you about his current reality, the solution may start to emerge.
Useful coaching questions in this step include the following:
What is happening now (what, who, when, and how often)? What is the effect or result of this?
Have you already taken any steps towards your goal?
3. Explore the Options
Once you and your preceptee have explored the current reality, it's time to determine what is possible – meaning all of the possible options for reaching her objective.
Help your preceptee brainstorm, identifying options. Discuss these and help him or her decide on the best ones.
By all means, offer your own suggestions in this step. But let your preceptee offer suggestions first, and let her do most of the talking. It's important to guide her in the right direction, without actually making decisions for her.
Typical questions that you can use to explore options are as follows:
What else could you do?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of each option?
What factors or considerations will you use to weigh the options?
What do you need to start or stop doing in order to achieve this goal?
What obstacles stand in your way?
4. Establish the Way Forward
By examining the current reality and exploring the options, your preceptee will now have a good idea of how he can achieve his goal.
That's great – but in itself, this may not be enough. The final step is to get your preceptee to commit to specific actions in order to move forward towards his goal. In doing this, you will help him establish his will and boost his motivation.
Useful questions to ask here include:
So, what will you do now, and when? What else will you do?
What could stop you moving forward? How will you overcome this?
How can you keep yourself motivated?
When do you need to review progress? Daily, weekly, monthly?
Finally, decide on a date when you'll both review his progress. This will provide some accountability, and allow him to change his approach if the original plan isn't working.
Helpful Tips
A great way to practice using the model is to address your own challenges and issues. By practicing on your own and getting yourself "unstuck," you'll learn how to ask the most helpful questions.
Don't ask closed questions that call for a yes or no answer (such as "Did that cause a problem?"). Instead, ask open ones, like "What effect did that have?"
Be prepared with a list of questions for each stage of the GROW process.
Use active listening. Remember that silence provides valuable thinking time: you don't always have to fill silence with the next question.
Adapted from https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_89.htm
GROW stands for:
Goal
Current Reality
Options
Way Forward
A good way of thinking about the GROW Model is to think about how you'd plan a journey. First, you decide where you are going (the goal), and establish where you currently are (your current reality).
You then explore various routes (the options) to your destination. In the final step, the way forward, you ensure that you're committed to making the journey, and are prepared for the obstacles that you could meet on the way.
In its traditional application, the GROW Model assumes that the coach is not an expert in the situation. This means that the coach must act as a facilitator, helping the preceptee select the best course of action. On one hand, it's more powerful for people to draw conclusions for themselves, rather than having these conclusions thrust upon them. On the other hand, as a team leader, you'll often have expert knowledge to offer.
1. Establish the Goal
First, you and your preceptee need to look at the behavior that you want to change, and then structure this change as a goal
Make sure that this is a SMART goal: one that is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound.
When doing this, it's useful to ask questions like:
How will you know that your preceptee has achieved this goal?
How will you know that the problem or issue is solved?
2. Examine the Current Reality
Next, ask your preceptee to describe his current reality.
This is an important step. Too often, people try to solve a problem or reach a goal without fully considering their starting point, and often they're missing some information that they need in order to reach their goal effectively.
As your preceptee tells you about his current reality, the solution may start to emerge.
Useful coaching questions in this step include the following:
What is happening now (what, who, when, and how often)? What is the effect or result of this?
Have you already taken any steps towards your goal?
3. Explore the Options
Once you and your preceptee have explored the current reality, it's time to determine what is possible – meaning all of the possible options for reaching her objective.
Help your preceptee brainstorm, identifying options. Discuss these and help him or her decide on the best ones.
By all means, offer your own suggestions in this step. But let your preceptee offer suggestions first, and let her do most of the talking. It's important to guide her in the right direction, without actually making decisions for her.
Typical questions that you can use to explore options are as follows:
What else could you do?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of each option?
What factors or considerations will you use to weigh the options?
What do you need to start or stop doing in order to achieve this goal?
What obstacles stand in your way?
4. Establish the Way Forward
By examining the current reality and exploring the options, your preceptee will now have a good idea of how he can achieve his goal.
That's great – but in itself, this may not be enough. The final step is to get your preceptee to commit to specific actions in order to move forward towards his goal. In doing this, you will help him establish his will and boost his motivation.
Useful questions to ask here include:
So, what will you do now, and when? What else will you do?
What could stop you moving forward? How will you overcome this?
How can you keep yourself motivated?
When do you need to review progress? Daily, weekly, monthly?
Finally, decide on a date when you'll both review his progress. This will provide some accountability, and allow him to change his approach if the original plan isn't working.
Helpful Tips
A great way to practice using the model is to address your own challenges and issues. By practicing on your own and getting yourself "unstuck," you'll learn how to ask the most helpful questions.
Don't ask closed questions that call for a yes or no answer (such as "Did that cause a problem?"). Instead, ask open ones, like "What effect did that have?"
Be prepared with a list of questions for each stage of the GROW process.
Use active listening. Remember that silence provides valuable thinking time: you don't always have to fill silence with the next question.
Adapted from https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_89.htm