Use the Grow Coaching Model to Help Your Team Succeed

John Whitmore is credited with creating the GROW coaching model several years ago. Found to work so well, it is used around the globe as a foundational strategy for encouraging growth and change. 

Every organization benefits from their team members achieving personal and professional goals—individually or as a group. The most popular coaching model that facilitates this is the GROW model. 

This is the first of two articles to help you apply the GROW method in your team environment.

GROW – Goal, Reality, Options and Will

GROW, which stands for Goal, Reality, Options (or Obstacles), and Will, is a great tool to use in coaching and mentoring team members through a structured conversation that helps them set and achieve their goals.

Let’s break it down and look at the application. 

Goal

Start by helping an individual or group clarify their goal or objective. 

What do they want to achieve? Encourage them to be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (also popularly known as SMART). Ask specific questions to explore their goals in more detail. What would success look like? How will they know when they have achieved their goal or objective?

Some helpful questions to ask here:
  • What would you like to work on?
  • What is your goal related to this issue?
  • When are you going to achieve it?
  • What are the benefits for you in achieving this goal?
  • Who else will benefit, and in what way?
  • What will it be like if you achieve your goal?
  • What will you see/hear/feel?

Reality

The next step is exploring their current situation (or reality) related to the goal. What is happening right now? What is working well, and what challenges are they facing? 

Encourage the individual or team to reflect on their current skills, resources, and any obstacles that may be in their way. This step helps create a realistic understanding of the current situation.

Some helpful questions to ask here:
  • What action have you taken so far?
  • What is moving you toward your goal?
  • What is getting in the way?

Options

Now, it’s time to brainstorm potential options and solutions for reaching their goal. This is where you want to encourage creative thinking and consider a variety of approaches. 

For example, at this stage, help the individual or group members evaluate the pros and cons of each option. What are the potential risks and benefits? This step is about expanding perspective and generating alternative strategies. 

Some helpful questions to ask here:
  • What different kinds of options do you have to achieve your goal?
  • What else could you do?
  • What are the principal advantages and disadvantages of each option?

Will

Determine your team member’s or team’s actions to move toward their goal. What steps will they commit to? What is their plan of action? Set a timeline for the actions and discuss potential obstacles that might arise. 

As a leader, you will want to help your team develop strategies to overcome these obstacles. Ensure that everyone is committed and motivated to take the necessary steps. This step is about creating a sense of accountability and ownership—individually and as a group.

Some helpful questions to ask here:
  • Which options will you choose to act on?
  • When are you going to start each action?
  • How committed are you to taking each of these actions on a scale of 1–10?
  • If it is not a 10, what would make it a 10?
  • What will you commit to doing? (Note: It is also an option to do nothing and review at a later date.)

Additional Tips For Using the GROW model

Active Listening

Throughout the coaching conversation, practice active listening. This involves fully focusing on what is being said, paraphrasing to ensure understanding, and asking clarifying questions.

Open-ended questions

Use open-ended questions to encourage reflection and exploration. These questions often begin with words like “what,” “how,” or “tell me about.”

Reflective feedback

Provide feedback that reflects what the individual has shared. This helps them gain insights and deepen their understanding.

Empowerment

Encourage everyone to take ownership of their goals and actions. The GROW model is a collaborative process where the coach facilitates self-discovery and empowerment.

Remember that effective coaching involves active listening, asking open-ended questions, and providing support and encouragement. The GROW model is a flexible framework that can be adapted to various coaching situations.

Begin With You

Let’s begin with you.  Your first step is to work through the GROW model with a goal of yours. In the following article, we will discuss what you learned and how to apply that with your team.

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