The G.R.O.W. Coaching Model in Leadership: Part Four

Pictured here is part of a way forward. OSU Extension educators helped plan urban agriculture zones in Cleveland, Ohio to allow expanded gardening and farming, thus helping address the overarching issue of food security in low-resource neighborhoods. Imagine one of your students, colleagues, or mentees asking for your help on their own project or idea’s way forward.

When standing at a fork in the road, how do you know which way to go?

As discussed in the prior three posts, the G.R.O.W. coaching model provides a simple four-part process that most anyone can deploy to help coach a person through any variety of issues.

Goal: What do you want to achieve?

Reality: What/where are you now?

Obstacles/Options: What is in your way? What are the options?

Way Forward: What are the next steps to move forward?

After the person you’re coaching understands their goals, reality, obstacles and options, they can more easily identify a way forward. The key here is to determine what the person you are coaching will commit to — and how can you help them get started.

Please remember, the way forward will likely include incremental steps. As noted previously, a winning football season doesn’t start at the Rose Bowl or with the national championship game. It starts back at the pre-season practices. The way forward for a winning season has to start with getting those practices right.

The bottom line is to always remember coaching is all about the person being coached. It’s very easy to get caught up in thinking about the goal, reality, obstacles, options and a way forward, thus allowing or prompting yourself to take over making those decisions. Don’t do it. As a coach, remember to keep the focus on the other person. Keep asking questions to stimulate their thinking.

Your job is to provide insights. The results will come from there. When done correctly, you can truly help the person or people you’re coaching begin to GROW.

Note: As you’re encouraging a way forward, challenge the person you’re coaching to think about (and perhaps discover for the first time) their “personal mission.” That can be a powerful tool that provides clarity and focus. Watch for a future blog post on that subject.