There are dozens of models that get used to improve workplace processes, but one of my favorites and one that I think you might find easy and extremely useful is the GROW Model for coaching and mentoring. Let’s look at the GROW Model benefits and how to use it in 4 easy steps.
What Is the GROW Model That Is Used in Coaching?
The GROW MODEL is attributed to Sir John Whitmore, Graham Alexander, and Alan Fine, three academics who came up with this useful concept in the 1980s.
This model provides a 4-step structured process that acts as a guide for coaches and mentors to more easily guide the person they are coaching through the process, using the stages: Goal, Reality, Options, and Way Forward.
If you have been involved with coaching or mentoring yourself, you might perhaps also have experienced the way in which these processes can very quickly become unstructured and fail to deliver the hoped-for results.
The GROW Model benefits come in its simplicity, as it provides a handy roadmap that makes understanding how to generate a meaningful conversation with the people you are coaching or mentoring fairly simple.
The model helps you ensure that the person being coached builds clear objectives (including setting a clear goal), explores the existing situation in which they find themself, looks at the opportunities and barriers they’d face, and then comes up with a clear strategy.
Using the GROW Model for coaching employees is great as a manager, as the model helps with self-reflection and accountability, and guides communication between you as a coach or mentor and the coachee/mentee (person being helped).
Let’s take a look at each stage of the GROW model for coaching employees.
4 Steps of the GROW Model
1. G – Goal Setting
The first step of the GROW model is to set a clear and specific goal, and this goal will be the focus of the coaching or mentoring process.
Goal setting is important because it provides a clear focus for both you as the coach and for the coachee.
It gives the coachee something specific to be able to measure in terms of progress (or not), and with a goal, it means they can also set specific aims and objectives.
The absence of a clear and well-defined goal tends to mean that the coaching will be far less effective than it otherwise can be.
Tip: When helping the employee to set their main goal, try to use SMART goals so that even the goal itself is clearly structured, i.e., with clear ways to measure whether the goal is achieved or not, and with time set targets, etc.
GROW Questions for Goal Setting:
- What do you want to achieve in your role or career?
- How do you visualize success, i.e., what would it look like if you achieved your goal?
- How does your goal align with your overall career path, and why is this goal important to you in relation to this career path?
- How will you know when you’ve successfully achieved this goal?
For example, if the employee you are coaching is a marketing assistant and they have said that they want to learn how to be an expert in Instagram marketing (as it fits in with their career path, and there is also a need for a social media marketer in the company), the goal could be framed as:
- “In the next 3 months, I want to understand every aspect of Instagram marketing and to have set up a successful campaign/profile for the company and be the person the company turns to for social media marketing.”
Clearly defining the goal gives both the employee and the mentor a shared vision to work toward, making the coaching process much more effective.
2. R – Reality: Assessing the Current Situation
With the goal defined, the next step of the Grow coaching model is to develop an understanding of the position the employee is presently at, in terms of resources, skills, etc.
Understanding where the employee is in relation to their goal is critical so that you can help guide the employee toward creating a realistic plan of action for moving forward.
The areas to look at include evaluating the employee’s strengths and areas for improvement.
During this phase, you might want to encourage the employee to reflect as honestly as they can on their current performance and situation.
Useful GROW Questions for Reality:
- Where are you now in relation to your goal, i.e., what progress have you already made, and what has worked well to date?
- Is there anything blocking your way at the moment that stops you from achieving this goal?
- What things are you already good at or know that could really help you to achieve this goal? Likewise, what other resources and support do you have that might also help?
For example, imagine that the goal of an employee named Bobbi is to become the Instagram and social media expert for her department.
She might have already started doing a course on this and has identified that no one else is willing to take on this role, so there is a real opportunity.
By evaluating the reality of the opportunities and what is realistic, the employee and you (as the coach) can better understand what needs to change and where to focus your efforts.
3. O – Options: Exploring Pathways and Solutions
The third stage to use in the growth model is ‘Options’.
These are the options in terms of opportunities, i.e., the choices we have available to us to help us guide ourselves towards our goal as a coachee.
This is the stage where the employee needs to consider the advantages and disadvantages of each option, including looking at and considering any barriers that they might face in trying to achieve the goal.
In stage 2, we looked at understanding the current reality, so now, in essence, we need to get creative and use this as the brainstorming phase where we encourage the employee to think broadly about possible strategies, solutions, and resources.
The intention, at this stage, is to try to generate as many options as possible, i.e., they need to spread the net wide in terms of the ideas they come up with, as these ideas can be whittled down to the best choices afterward.
As a coach or mentor, your role is not to tell them what to decide or choose, but simply to facilitate this exploration, and you can do this by asking them open-ended questions.
These open-ended questions should help the employee to consider different paths and new possible approaches, i.e., ones they might not have otherwise considered.
Useful GROW Questions for Options:
- What are some possible ways you could achieve this goal?
- What resources or strategies could help you overcome current challenges?
- Who can support you, or what additional skills might you need?
For example, to develop Instagram and social media marketing expertise, Bobbi might explore the option of seeking a mentor from another department in the company.
She might also attend further training for advanced skills, and she might ask if she can start taking on more responsibilities in their current role, including the social media role, to begin getting hands-on experience.
This phase is about generating a range of possibilities before narrowing them down to the most viable and realistic option in terms of the chance to succeed and complete the goal.
4. W – Way Forward: Creating a Plan of Action
The final step in the GROW model for coaching is to set a definite plan of action.
This is where the employee needs to take accountability by committing to specific steps they will take to move closer to their goal.
Accountability is crucial in this stage because the employee ultimately is the one who needs to take action toward their goal, and so they will need to take ownership of their own development and follow the steps that they set under your coaching.
As their coach or mentor, try to guide them toward breaking down their goals into manageable parts with realistic timelines.
Also, use this stage for setting a schedule as the coach for when and how often the coachee will check in with you.
Useful GROW Questions for the Way Forward:
- What specific actions are you going to set for yourself to reach your goal?
- Any specific obstacles that you foresee? If so, what are you thinking in terms of solutions for overcoming these obstacles?
For example, with Bobbi, who wants to become a social media expert, exactly what course will she study? Who exactly, or what is her exact plan of action to find a mentor? What other exact goals does she plan to achieve as a social media expert, specifically in Instagram marketing?
Setting these specific steps ensures the employee stays on track and steadily moves toward their goal.
7 Tips on How to Adapt the GROW Model for Different Employees
If you can see the benefits of using the GROW model and want to use the GROW model for coaching employees in your workplace, these 7 tips might help you adapt this model according to your own workplace.
1. Understand Individual Learning Styles
It can be easy, as a coach, to get into a set routine for thinking about how employees should approach things, but we have to remember that different employees have different learning preferences and ways of tackling and achieving goals.
Make sure to tailor your approach to match the learning style of the employee, such as by using diagrams for visual learners.
2. Adjust Communication Styles
Likewise, you might want to slightly adapt your communication style to match the employee’s personality and preferences.
For some employees, speaking directly and up front with them works very well, and this is certainly the easiest option where it works.
For coaching other employees, though, they can sometimes respond better to a more conversational and relational approach.
Building rapport through a more tailored communication approach can help.
3. Incorporate Flexible Goal Setting
It is worth remembering as a coach that the goals that are set need to be relevant and meaningful to each employee’s unique situation.
For some employees, it might be about immediate performance improvement, while others may focus on long-term career aspirations.
4. Consider the Organizational Culture
The company you work for and the workplace culture that you find yourself in WILL certainly influence how the GROW Model can be applied.
In a fast-paced, results-oriented workplace, you might be best off guiding the employee toward actionable steps that connect with rapid progress.
In a collaborative environment, you might want to put more emphasis on relationship-building and support throughout the coaching process.
5. Provide Contextual Examples
Try to use examples that resonate with the employee’s specific role, responsibilities, and industry and sector.
Providing context can really make the GROW Model more relatable and understandable for the employee, especially when you help them visualize things.
6. Encourage Self-Reflection
Self-reflection is important at each stage of the GROW Model, so make sure to remember to ask open-ended questions.
These questions should prompt employees to think critically about their goals, current realities, and potential options.
7. Follow Up and Adjust
Make sure to check with the employee to ensure they remain accountable and are progressing with their goals.
It is also an opportunity to see if they have any issues that they need help or guidance on, and if their circumstances are the same.
GROW Model Coaching Examples & Case Studies
Case Study 1: Shoe Factory Production Efficiency
In a medium-sized shoe manufacturing factory, Bob, a senior manager, needs to make the production more efficient and to reduce waste on the production line.
Bob is familiar with the GROW Model for coaching and decides to use it to guide his production supervisors, alongside using the Spiral Coaching Steps Model.
Goal Setting
Bob sets a clear goal, which is to reduce production waste by 25% within 12 months.
He wants each supervisor to be responsible for identifying how to achieve this reduction in their specific department.
Reality Assessment
During the reality phase, each supervisor conducts an assessment of their existing production processes.
After each supervisor has analyzed the process and then looked at data on waste generation, in addition to having talked and taken on board feedback from line workers about potential inefficiencies, they create a report.
The assessment reveals that outdated machinery and inconsistent training for new employees are two major contributing factors to the waste issue.
Options Exploration
In the options phase, the supervisors are now asked to brainstorm and consider various strategies.
These include upgrading machinery, implementing a newer, more appropriate training program for new hires, and developing standard operating procedures (SOPs) to streamline processes.
Way Forward
The supervisors create an action plan that includes training sessions for employees, the upgrade of equipment, and they also plan to involve workers in regular team meetings to discuss ongoing challenges and solutions.
Over the next six months, the factory reported a 28% reduction in production waste, surpassing the initial goal.
This not only improved overall efficiency but also boosted employee morale, as workers felt more engaged and valued in the improvement process.
Case Study 2: Supermarket Customer Service Improvements
A local supermarket chain aimed to improve customer satisfaction and retention by focusing on staff training and service delivery.
The store manager, Jolleen, used the GROW Model to develop the skills of the customer service team.
Goal Setting
The goal was set to improve customer satisfaction scores by 25% within three months.
Jolleen encouraged the customer service team to identify specific aspects of customer service they wanted to improve.
Reality Assessment
In the reality phase, the customer service team reviewed past customer feedback and satisfaction surveys.
What they found was that customers often cited long wait times at the checkout and a lack of product knowledge among staff. These were the main pain points.
Options Exploration
During the options phase, the team held some brainstorming sessions, and the ideas they came up with included:
- Implementing a more efficient checkout process
- Cross-training staff on product knowledge
- and introducing customer service role-playing exercises
They also suggested that they have regular team meetings in the future.
Way Forward
The action plan included:
- a series of staff training sessions on product knowledge
- Reorganizing checkout lanes to improve efficiency
- and establishing a schedule for team meetings to discuss customer feedback
While customer feedback didn’t drop by 25% in three months as hoped, the 25% reduction was achieved within six months, which was still an excellent outcome.
Using the GROW Model helped Jolleen’s customer service team to not only improve customer service feedback, but it also helped create a work atmosphere where continuous improvement and collaboration among staff are now the norm.
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