Using GROW to become a coach-like leader

In coaching conversations with leaders, they often realise that once they develop and practice coaching skills, there is an immediate return from their team members. This includes improved trust and responsibility.

Engaged team members can draw out ideas and solutions as well as develop more fruitful perspectives. The GROW model will help you “lead like a coach” so that your team is empowered to respond to challenges more effectively. It is an effective tool for bringing attention to the present, here and now, to focus on effective problem-solving. 

Developed by Sir John Whitmore, the GROW model will help you clarify your goals and create action plans to reach success. In other words, it’ll help you GROW. It is a simple yet effective approach to coaching your team and can be applied to goal-setting and problem-solving.

Here the four steps to the process:

1) Establish the goal

The first step is to agree on the goal: ‘What is to be achieved?’ Determine the topic for discussion, the team members’ objectives, and the specific outcomes desired. Ensure that the goals are S.M.A.R.T – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound.

2) Examine the current reality

Next, you will outline the reality of the situation and discuss any previous attempts to accomplish the goal. Be an excellent listener. Whilst being attentive and supportive, invite the team member to assess the situation for themselves, and you could use this opportunity to offer feedback and prompt examination of untested assumptions or limiting beliefs. Encourage the team member to imagine doing better at something – they will often surprise you.

3) Discover the options

In the third stage, you will support the team member to explore as many good options as possible, with ideas coming mostly from the team member themselves. Be ready to collaborate and offer suggestions to identify new ways of meeting the goal and/or overcoming the challenges.

4) Establish the will

In this final stage, you will get the team member commit to the plan or specific actions. Expect to remain flexible throughout the process, as goals and plans may need to be altered over time. In this stage, help them establish their will and boost their motivation.

Now that you are familiar with the GROW model, visit my page to get an idea of typical questions and practice guidelines to get you using the GROW model this week.

Karl Grech coaches mid to senior leaders to enhance how they connect, influence, and inspire others. Karl is an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) with the International Coaching Federation (ICF). He can be reached at [email protected] or visit www.karlgrech.com  to learn more.