The GROW-SMART Life Coaching model

The GROW-SMART model is a process for goal setting and problem solving, which is commonly used in Life Coaching.

It provides an effective, structured methodology that is easy to understand and straightforward to apply.

It can be used to successfully deal with many kinds of problems in everyday life.

G.R.O.W.

GROW is an acronym that stands for Goal, Reality, Obstacles and Options, Way forward and Will. While there are several variations on what each letter may stand for, the fundamental steps in the problem solving process are the same. An experienced and skilful Life Coach will know which questions to ask and how much detail to cover for each step, in order to help you resolve the problem that you are struggling with.

GROW-SMART: Goal

All problem solving obviously begins with the recognition that there is something you would like to be different than how it currently is. The “Goal” step of the problem solving process consists of getting absolutely clear about how you would like things to be, once the problem is solved. Unfortunately, it is quite common that people all too casually skim over the formulation of what they want to achieve, and thus end up with a solution to their problem that still isn’t quite satisfying.

In the GROW-SMART model, for a goal to be well-formulated, not only does it need to be specific, but it also needs to be measureable, so that you have some way of determining when the goal has been achieved. Obviously also, the goal needs to be attainable and relevant, and have a timeline attached to it, so that you can keep track of your progress and be assured to reach the goal in an acceptable time. A good strategy for setting well-formulated goals is described in the S.M.A.R.T. section below.

Example: You want to bring your weight down to 79 kgs by the first of December.

GROW-SMART: Reality

If you are lost in the forest, or you are participating in an orienteering event, and you know where you want to go (you have a clear Goal in mind), having a compass and a map will be of little use unless you know where you are currently. The steps to get to where you want to go depend entirely on where you are starting from.

The “Reality” step of the problem solving process, therefore, is to identify where you are at currently; what you know, what resources are available to you, how far you have reached toward your goal as yet etc.

Example: Your current weight is 90 kgs, you know that you need to do more exercise, and while you have a gym membership you rarely actually go to the gym.

GROW-SMART: Obstacles and Options

The obstacles are what make your problem a problem. If there were no obstacles, you would already have achieved, or be on track for achieving, your goal. Yet, sometimes it can be difficult to identify exactly what is blocking the way, and this is where the help of a Life Coach can be really useful.

Apart from providing an outsider’s perspective on the problem that you are trying to resolve, a skilful Life Coach will, more importantly, also ask questions that draw your attention to aspects of the problem that you may have overlooked. As you reflect on those questions, you develop an increased awareness of your difficulties around the situation, and new insights emerge that deepen your understanding of the nature of the problem and of what works – and what doesn’t work – for you when trying to resolve it.

Once you have a clearer understanding of what the obstacles are, and the specifics of how they block the way to your goal, you will easier identify the available options – or strategies – for getting around them. Some of the options may be quite obvious, based on what has been uncovered about the obstacles. Others may be in the form of strategies that your Life Coach already has available in his “tool box,” and that he can help you learn how to use. Picking the right options/strategies for you, is typically a matter of how to best utilise your existing strengths and skills for dealing with the particular problem.

Example: You realise that the reason you don’t get around to visiting the gym is that you only go when you feel like it, which you rarely do after a long day of work. Since you have good skills for planning and keeping to a schedule in other areas of your life, you decide to schedule your gym visits at the beginning of each week, and to stick to your schedule “whether you feel like it or not.”

GROW-SMART: Way forward and Will

When you have decided what strategies you will use to overcome the obstacles, you will need to establish your “Way forward”, i.e. your action plan; you need to identify the specific actions that you need to take, and when you will take them.

Then you need to commit to actually taking those steps at those times, i.e. verbalise your “Will” to take the required actions. Your Life Coach may ask you, “On a scale from zero to ten, how likely are you to take these actions?” If you have established an action plan that will work for you, your answer should be, “Ten.” If your answer is a number less than ten, the actions may need to be broken down into smaller ones, that are less daunting. You may also need to include other actions, which serve the purpose of keeping you inspired to put in the required effort for reaching your goal.

One of the important functions of your Life Coach is to be someone that you are accountable to for delivering on your commitments, and to help you modify your strategies when necessary, so that you can remain on track to achieving your goals.

Example: You commit to putting together your weekly gym schedule each Sunday afternoon, and to post it on your notice board next to a picture of yourself in a swim suit, the way you looked when you last weighed 79 kgs. You also decide to tell your partner what your schedule is each week, to put a bit of “extra pressure” on yourself to actually stick to it…

S.M.A.R.T.

Knowing how to establish well-formulated goals is a crucial aspect of achievement. The SMART acronym captures the central components of a well-formulated goal.

GROW-SMART: Specific

Your goal must be clear and unambiguous, rather than vague and general. Exactly what is it that you want to achieve? “I want to be a healthier weight” could mean all kinds of things, depending on opinions, whereas “I want to lose weight” can only mean just that.

Some goals may involve other people, in which case the goal also needs to specify exactly who these people are. Similarly a goal may need to include specifics about where something is to take place. Sometimes it may also be helpful to include the reasons for why a goal is desired; the specific reasons, purposes and benefits of achieving the goal.

GROW-SMART: Measurable

In order to know for sure when you have achieved your goal, you need to have some way of measuring your progress. Whether it is about hours, kilos, dollars or whatever, you need to be able to answer questions such as “exactly how much?” or “exactly how many?” in relation to your goal. To “lose a few kilos” is very different from “losing 5 kgs” or “being 79 kgs.”

GROW-SMART: Attainable

A well-formulated goal is attainable and realistic, even while it demands of you to stretch yourself beyond what you have done so far – otherwise the goal would have already been achieved. Of course, it is important to set big goals that fill you with excitement, but it is also imperative to make sure that they are attainable. Therefore you must take both your strengths and limitations into consideration when you formulate your goals.

GROW-SMART: Relevant

The goal that you are formulating must make sense and be meaningful in the context of what you are striving for in your life. You are formulating a goal as part of solving a problem that you have identified in your life, and the goal must be clearly related to the problem. While this in many cases is a more than obvious point, it can sometimes reveal a misunderstanding of actual realities. For example, if your problem is that your job application has been rejected, it may not necessarily (depends on the job) be relevant to set up an ever so specific, measurable, and attainable goal of losing 5 kgs in 5 weeks!

GROW-SMART: Time-bound

That a goal is time-bound means that it answers the question “exactly when will it be achieved?” Goals that are not time-bound are more likely to end up on the shelf forever. For many goals it is also relevant and important to set specific times for when the final goal should be fulfilled in part; milestones that progress can be measured against.

[ return to the Goal section of the GROW-SMART model ]

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To read more about life coaching, visit this page: Life Coaching. And if you wish to discuss how life coaching can assist you in achieving the life you want, don’t delay – contact me today!