Showing posts with label GROW coaching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label GROW coaching. Show all posts

Head Tilt #50: GROW great people









One of the most important parts of being a great leader is developing others. As one of my clients used to say, leaders need to grow great people. But how?

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Imagine someone took a snapshot of a "perfect" developmental or problem-solving conversation. 

What would that picture look like? 

It would probably mirror the GROW coaching model. 

What it is: Developed in the 1980s by Sir John Whitmore, GROW coaching is a fundamental coaching model. It follows the logical progression of a development or problem-solving conversation. 

Who can use it: Managers, peers, parents, friends, partners, dogs

When to use it: When you want to understand another's view and help them create a powerful pathway to a goal. It's particularly helpful in one-on-ones.

Why we use it: To empower others, enable autonomy and build trusting relationships. (So much goodness!)

Key skills for using this model: Curiosity, listening, care, patience, humility (i. e., you might not always have the best solution)

Watch outs: Suspend the urge to immediately prescribe the path. Ask good questions but don't slip into the role of therapist. If this is a new way of communicating for you, try some transparency; tell your co-communicator that you're trying to practice curiosity instead of command. 


Suppose you are planning a trip. You'd probably want to know your destination, starting place, possible routes, and your plan, right? 

That  is GROW coaching. 

G = GOAL This is the destination. Where does your co-communicator (let's call them the "coachee") want to go? Or, if that's predetermined, what is the goal you want them to achieve?

R= REALITY This is the starting place. Where are they right now in comparison to the goal? 

O = OPTIONS This is where you and your coachee generate options for bridging the gap. How will they get from where they are now to the destination? 

W = WILL (AKA: What's next, Way forward) Which of the options is best? 


Here are some GROW coaching questions to get you started:

Goal questions: What is your most important priority right now? Why? What would count as a win this week/month/quarter/season?

Reality questions: What's happening for you now? On a scale of 1-10, how close are you to the goal? What have you tried? What works? What doesn't?

Option questions: What ideas do you have to meet your goal? What has worked so far, and what if you continued that? What do you think your customer would suggest? What is the most feasible plan right now considering time, motivation and resources? 

Will/What's next questions: Which plan makes the most sense to you?  When will you start? On a scale of 1-10, how motivated are you? How can I help? 

There are sooooo many more questions you can ask. Presence with the conversation, coupled with positive intent, greatly outweighs following any script. Go with the flow. Sometimes you'll need to provide information or direction. That's okay! For the best results, pay attention to how much you are speaking and how much you are listening. Look for some sort of balance between the two roles. 

Message me at michellemakeswaves@gmail.com  for a list of my favorite GROW questions. 😉



Photo by Akil Mazumder from Pexels