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Key Takeaways: The GROW Model is a coaching framework that involves four steps: Goal, Reality, Options and Will (or Way Forward)
- Set effective coaching Goals. Establish goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound (SMART). This ensures clear direction and measurable progress in coaching sessions.
- Examine your current Reality. Identify starting points and missing information. This often reveals solutions naturally, as team members describe their present situation.
- Explore Options effectively. Guide team members to brainstorm multiple solutions while letting them lead the conversation. Ask open-ended questions to explore advantages and obstacles.
- Establish Will and build commitment. Secure specific action commitments with timelines, and measure accountability. Schedule regular progress reviews to maintain motivation and adjust approaches as needed.
As a leader, one of your most important roles is to coach your people to do their best. By doing this, you'll help them make better decisions, solve problems that are holding them back, learn new skills, and otherwise progress their careers.
The GROW Model is a simple yet powerful framework for structuring your coaching or mentoring sessions.
GROW stands for:
- Goal.
- Current Reality.
- Options (or Obstacles).
- Will (or Way Forward).
You'll learn how to apply it in this article, video and infographic.
What Is the GROW Model?
Click here to see our animated video on the GROW Model.
The GROW Model was originally developed in the 1980s by business coaches Graham Alexander, Alan Fine and Sir John Whitmore. [1]
A good way of thinking about the GROW Model is to consider 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, establishing the Will, you ensure that you're committed to making the journey, and are prepared for the obstacles that you could meet on the way.
How to Use the GROW Model of Coaching
To structure a coaching or mentoring session using the GROW Model, take the following steps. You can download our free GROW Coaching Session templateto help you.
1. Establish the Goal
First, you and your team member need to look at the behavior that you want to change, and then structure this change as a goal that they want to achieve.
Make sure that this is a SMART goal: it should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound.
When doing this, it's useful to ask questions like:
- How will you know that your team member has achieved this goal?
- How will you know that the problem or issue is solved?
- Does this goal fit with their overall career objectives?
- Does it fit with the team's objectives?
2. Examine the Current Reality
Next, ask your team member to describe their 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 team member tells you about their 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 toward your goal?
- Does this goal conflict with any other goals or objectives?
3. Explore the Options
Once you and your team member have explored the current reality, it's time to determine what is possible – meaning all of the possible options for reaching their objective.
Help your team member brainstorm as many good options as possible. Then, discuss these and help them decide on the best ones.
By all means, offer your own suggestions in this step. But let your team member offer suggestions first, and let them do most of the talking. It's important to guide them in the right direction, without actually making decisions for them.
Typical questions that you can use to explore options are as follows:
- What else could you do?
- What if this or that constraint were removed? Would that change things?
- 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 stop doing in order to achieve this goal?
- What obstacles stand in your way?
4. Establish the Will
By examining the current reality and exploring the options, your team member will now have a good idea of how they can achieve their goal.
That's great – but in itself, this may not be enough. The final step is to get your team member to commit to specific actions in order to move forward toward their goal. In doing this, you will help them establish their will and boost their motivation.
Useful questions to ask here include:
- So, what will you do now, and after that? 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 their progress. This will provide some accountability, and allow them to change their approach if the original plan isn't working.
Note:
The GROW Model assumes that the coach is not an expert in the client's situation. This means that the coach must act as a facilitator, helping the client to select the best options, and not offering advice or direction. However, when leaders coach their own team members, or act as their mentor, this may not apply. In fact, it may be the leader's responsibility to use their knowledge, and to guide their team members to make decisions that suit both them and the organization.
Developing Your GROW Model of Coaching Skills
Here are some helpful tips for using the GROW model:
- 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. Then, write down some stock questions as prompts for future coaching sessions.
- The two most important skills for a coach are the ability to ask good questions and the ability to listen effectively.
- 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 skills and let your "client" do most of the talking. Remember that silence provides valuable thinking time: you don't always have to fill silence with the next question.
An Example of the GROW Model in Action
You're helping a team member, Julie, achieve her goals using the GROW Model.
Julie says that she would like a promotion to team leader within the next two years. This is a SMART goal – it's specific, measurable, attainable (as she already has one year of experience, and there are several team leader positions in her department), relevant (both to Julie's overall career aspirations and the team's mission), and time-bound.
You and Julie now look at her current reality. She's in an entry-level position, but she already has some of the skills needed to be a team leader. You brainstorm the additional skills that she'll need in order to be successful in a team leader role:
She needs more experience of managing other people, and experience dealing with overseas customers. She also needs to continue performing well in her role, so that she'll be considered for a promotion when one is available.
You then both review her options. To get the experience she needs, she could lead a small team on a small project. She could also spend time in the overseas team.
Finally, you establish the will. As her manager, you offer to let her lead a small team on a minor project. If she performs well, she can take on additional projects with more responsibility in the future. Julie must also approach the overseas team to arrange to spend time in that department, and continue performing well in her current role. You agree to review her progress in three months' time.
Download free GROW Coaching Session template.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the GROW Model stand for?
GROW stands for Goal, Current Reality, Options, and Will (or Way Forward).
Why is the GROW Model useful in coaching?
It provides a clear, structured framework for helping people set goals, assess their situation, explore solutions, and commit to action.
How can a coach help explore the "Options" stage effectively?
A coach should encourage brainstorming, ask open-ended questions and guide the conversation without making decisions for the team member.
What is the purpose of the "Will" stage in the GROW Model?
It helps the individual commit to specific actions and stay motivated to achieve their goal.
What skills are essential for a coach using the GROW Model?
The coach must be skilled in asking open-ended questions and practicing active, effective listening
The GROW Model of Coaching and Mentoring Infographic
See the GROW Model represented in our infographic.
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