The GROW model is a simple way to think a problem through. It has four steps: Goal, Reality, Options, and Will. You can use it alone, with a coach, or on the back of an envelope.
When your thinking goes in circles
Maybe you've turned the same problem over for days. Every time you think about it, you end up where you started. It's tiring, and nothing moves.
That's not a sign you're bad at deciding. Loose thinking has no shape, so it loops. Give it a shape, and it has somewhere to go.
The four steps give thinking a shape
The four steps take you from "I'm stuck" to "here's what I'll do." Each one answers a single question.
- Goal. What do you want?
- Reality. What's true right now?
- Options. What could you do?
- Will. What will you do, and when?
You don't need to spend long on each one. Five minutes per step is plenty to start.
You can go in order, or loop back. If the options step shows your goal was off, change the goal. That's part of how it works.
Goal: what you want from this
Start with what you'd like to be different. Keep it to this one problem, not your whole life. Try questions like these:
- What would a good outcome look like?
- What do you want by the end of today's thinking?
A clear goal can be small. "Know whether to say yes to the project" counts.
Reality: what's true right now
Next, look at where things stand. Stick to facts, not worries. Ask yourself:
- What's happening now?
- What have you tried so far?
- What's in the way?
If you're not sure about something, write "I don't know yet." That counts as a fact too.
This step often brings relief. Once the facts are written down, the problem can look smaller than it felt.
Options: what you could do
Now list what you could do. Aim for at least three options. Odd or unlikely ones count too.
- What could you try?
- What would you tell a friend to try?
- What's the smallest possible version?
Don't judge them yet. More options make it easier to find one that fits.
Will: what you'll do, and when
Last, pick one option and turn it into a next step. Give it a day and a time. Make it small enough to start.
- Which option will you try first?
- When will you do it?
- What might get in the way, and what will you do then?
You don't need the whole plan. You need the next step.
Example
Goal: Decide whether to lead a new project at work.
Reality: It's a good chance to grow. The current workload is already full.
Options: Say yes. Say no. Say yes if one current project moves to someone else.
Will: Ask the manager on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. whether one project can move.
Where the four steps came from
The four steps were developed in the UK in the 1980s. Graham Alexander, Alan Fine, and Sir John Whitmore are credited with the method. Whitmore made it widely known through his book, Coaching for Performance.
Today, many coaches use the four steps in some form. They're popular because they're plain and they end with a next step.
How sessions use the four steps
An AI coach can walk you through the four steps out loud. Every Coachyn session follows them and is set up to end with a next step. You can see how a session works.
If you're working on where your time goes, you can also see focus and time coaches.
Sources
- John Whitmore, Coaching for Performance. Nicholas Brealey Publishing. First published 1992.