The GROW Model
GROW is an acronym that stands for Goals, Realities, Options, and Will, and it has several purposes. It helps you and your employees clarify their initial goals, assess what’s currently happening, and identify potential roadblocks. It also helps your people brainstorm both opportunities and resources for growth.
Goals:
- What is it you would like to focus on?
- What would you like to achieve?
- What would you like to happen that is not happening now?
- How would you know you were being successful if you achieved your goal?
- How could you break this goal down into manageable chunks?
- What are all the things that would need to be done to achieve the goal?
Realities - Assess what’s currently going on:
- What is happening at the moment to derail your progress toward the goal?
- When and how often does this happen? Be precise if possible.
- What effect does this have?
- What other factors are relevant?
- Who else is relevant?
- What is that person’s perception of the situation?
- What have you tried so far?
- What else is conflicting with achieving the goal?
Options - Kick-start some brainstorming:
- What possibilities for action do you see? Don’t worry about how realistic they are at this stage.
- Who might be able to help?
- Which options do you like the most?
- What are the benefits and pitfalls of these options?
- Which options are of interest to you?
- Rate from 1 to 10 your assessment of the practicality of each of these options.
- Would you like to choose an option to act on?
Will - Unlock actions, accountabilities, and roadblocks:
- What are your next steps?
- Precisely when will you take them?
- What might get in the way?