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. Show Some people are fortunate enough to get formal training in coaching. However, many people have to develop this important skill themselves. This may sound daunting but, if you arm yourself with some proven techniques, practice, and trust your instincts, you can become a great coach. The GROW Model is a simple yet powerful framework for structuring your coaching or mentoring sessions. We'll look at how to apply it in this article, video and infographic, below. Click here to see our animated video on the GROW Model About the ModelGROW stands for:
The model was originally developed in the 1980s by business coaches Graham Alexander, Alan Fine, and Sir John Whitmore. 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, 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.
In its traditional application, 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 select the best options, and not offering advice or direction. When leaders coach their team members, or act as mentors to them, this may or may not apply. 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. Also, it's your job to guide team members to make decisions that are best for your organization. How to Use the ToolTo structure a coaching or mentoring session using the GROW Model, take the following steps: 1. Establish the GoalFirst, 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: one that is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound. When doing this, it's useful to ask questions like:
2. Examine the Current RealityNext, 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:
3. Explore the OptionsOnce 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:
4. Establish the WillBy 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:
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.
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. Tip 2: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. ExampleYou'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 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. InfographicYou can see our infographic on the GROW Model here:
The GROW Model is a simple four-step process that helps you structure coaching and mentoring sessions with team members. GROW is an acronym that stands for:
You can use the model to help team members improve performance, and to help them plan for and reach their longer-term career objectives.
The trouble with not having a goal is that you can spend your life running up and down the field and never score.– Bill Copeland Do you ever feel like you're working hard but not getting anywhere? Maybe you see little improvement in your skills or achievements when you reflect on the last five or 10 years. Or perhaps you struggle to see how you'll fulfil your ambitions during the next few years. Many people spend their lives drifting from one job to another, or rushing around trying to get more done while actually accomplishing very little. Setting SMART goals means you can clarify your ideas, focus your efforts, use your time and resources productively, and increase your chances of achieving what you want in life. In this article, we'll explore what SMART goals are, and we'll look at how you can use them to achieve your objectives. Learn how to set SMART goals with our video and transcript. What Does SMART Mean?SMART is an acronym that you can use to guide your goal setting. Its criteria are commonly attributed to Peter Drucker's Management by Objectives concept. The first known use of the term occurs in the November 1981 issue of Management Review by George T. Doran. Since then, Professor Robert S. Rubin (Saint Louis University) wrote about SMART in an article for The Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology. He stated that SMART has come to mean different things to different people, as shown below. To make sure your goals are clear and reachable, each one should be:
Professor Rubin also notes that the definition of the SMART acronym may need updating to reflect the importance of efficacy and feedback. However, some authors have expanded it to include extra focus areas; SMARTER, for example, includes Evaluated and Reviewed. How to Use SMART GoalsPaul J. Meyer, businessman, author and founder of Success Motivation International, describes the characteristics of SMART goals in his 2003 book, "Attitude Is Everything: If You Want to Succeed Above and Beyond." We'll expand on his definitions to explore how to create, develop and achieve your goals: 1. SpecificYour goal should be clear and specific, otherwise you won't be able to focus your efforts or feel truly motivated to achieve it. When drafting your goal, try to answer the five "W" questions:
ExampleImagine that you are currently a marketing executive, and you'd like to become head of marketing. A specific goal could be, "I want to gain the skills and experience necessary to become head of marketing within my organization, so that I can build my career and lead a successful team." 2. MeasurableIt's important to have measurable goals, so that you can track your progress and stay motivated. Assessing progress helps you to stay focused, meet your deadlines, and feel the excitement of getting closer to achieving your goal. A measurable goal should address questions such as:
ExampleYou might measure your goal of acquiring the skills to become head of marketing by determining that you will have completed the necessary training courses and gained the relevant experience within five years' time. 3. AchievableYour goal also needs to be realistic and attainable to be successful. In other words, it should stretch your abilities but still remain possible. When you set an achievable goal, you may be able to identify previously overlooked opportunities or resources that can bring you closer to it. An achievable goal will usually answer questions such as:
ExampleYou might need to ask yourself whether developing the skills required to become head of marketing is realistic, based on your existing experience and qualifications. For example, do you have the time to complete the required training effectively? Are the necessary resources available to you? Can you afford to do it?
Beware of setting goals that someone else has power over. For example, "Get that promotion!" depends on who else applies, and on the recruiter's decision. But "Get the experience and training that I need to be considered for that promotion" is entirely down to you. 4. RelevantThis step is about ensuring that your goal matters to you, and that it also aligns with other relevant goals. We all need support and assistance in achieving our goals, but it's important to retain control over them. So, make sure that your plans drive everyone forward, but that you're still responsible for achieving your own goal. A relevant goal can answer "yes" to these questions:
ExampleYou might want to gain the skills to become head of marketing within your organization, but is it the right time to undertake the required training, or work toward additional qualifications? Are you sure that you're the right person for the head of marketing role? Have you considered your partner's goals? For example, if you want to start a family, would completing training in your free time make this more difficult? 5. Time-boundEvery goal needs a target date, so that you have a deadline to focus on and something to work toward. This part of the SMART goal criteria helps to prevent everyday tasks from taking priority over your longer-term goals. A time-bound goal will usually answer these questions:
ExampleGaining the skills to become head of marketing may require additional training or experience, as we mentioned earlier. How long will it take you to acquire these skills? Do you need further training, so that you're eligible for certain exams or qualifications? It's important to give yourself a realistic time frame for accomplishing the smaller goals that are necessary to achieving your final objective. Read our Privacy Policy |