Conversation 3: Goal Setting With The GROW Coaching Model

You manage a team member who believes they are ready for a promotion but you don’t agree. You believe they have a number of areas to improve first. Your objective is to use the GROW coaching model to help them see where they are currently and then work with them to create an action plan with specific steps and deadlines that will help to achieve their career goals.

• Aisha produces high quality work but inconsistently and is unaware of her shortcomings. She finds it hard to work well with others and has difficulty listening to feedback. She is highly driven and motivated to achieve her career goals and blames her lack of promotion on the lack of opportunities given to her by her manager.
• Zach is highly driven, competitive and a hard worker but is often overconfident. He tends to ignore feedback and can be passive-aggressively rude to his colleagues and often envious of their achievements. He is eager to get promoted and believes he deserves to be but he is unaware of his shortcomings.
• Lucia lacks confidence and tends to shirk away from responsibilities and opportunities. She works hard and produces high quality work but is inconsistent and not a team player. While being highly independent she is also quite introverted and finds it hard to voice her opinions.

• Setting out clear career goals, that are specific, measurable, relevant and time-bound
• Exploring the current reality by asking open questions
• Guiding a brainstorming process to explore their career goals
• Encouraging the drawing up of an action plan, with specific steps and deadlines that will help to achieve their goals
• Demonstrating good active listening