How to do motivational mentoring with the G.R.O.W framework

Most people are more motivated at work when they feel like they are growing in their career. They also like feeling that their manager cares about them, both where they are now and where they are going in the future.

But how do you go about having these transformational conversations?

The S.M.A.R.T framework is really good at forcing the conversation to be very concrete with measurable and structured goals. But sometimes the most important personal growth can’t be measured with metrics and numbers. The G.R.O.W framework still give structure and accountability, but may be more flexible for transformational coaching.

One empowering aspect of the G.R.O.W framework is that coach is less of telling the mentee what to do, and more about facilitating to mentee’s own self-growth. This can be done with managers and reports, or between peers. One person adopts the role of coach and helps coach the other through any area of growth that they want.

So how do G.R.O.W conversations work? The G.R.O.W framework is the foundation of an all day Coaching For Transformation workshop that LinkedIn hosts for it’s new managers, but here is the 5 min version:

What are some goals you have? Here are some questions to uncover some goals:

Sometimes asking the “why” behind the goal can open up the possibilities of how to achieve it. For instance if someone wants to run a half marathon, perhaps there are deeper reasons. Perhaps they want to be healthier, or stronger, or lose weight and feel more confident. Perhaps uncovering the fact that they want to be healthier so they can take better care of their spouse and kids. Often times diving deeper behind and initial goal can unlock an even more impactive personal need.

You can uncover new goals, or perhaps you talk about the motivations that go into the goal, and still end up picking that specific goal. That’s ok too!

Come up with a list of 2–3 goals, and then pick one to discuss.

Now ask about where they actually are now, and what issues and challenges are blocking them from where they want to be. These are their pain points and blockers. “Reality” is a chance to have some authentic self awareness, and a chance to identify the difference of where you are today and where you want to be in the future. Be as honest as possible. The bigger the delta between goal and reality, the more opportunity for growth.

If they want to run a half marathon, what are the challenges they face today? Perhaps it’s hard to find time. Perhaps they find running boring, or painful, or have never trained for a long event like that before, and don’t know where to start a training plan.

Now brainstorm different options of how to get there. These can be creative ways to address the problem that were raised in the Reality section. For instance, if the goal is to run a half marathon, what’s in your way?

Are you having a hard time motivating yourself? If so, you might…

Is it boring to run?

Try to come up with as many options as possible. The coach wants to pull these ideas out of the mentee. Only if the mentee hits a wall, perhaps you and add a few ideas to broaden how they are thinking about it. Once you have 5–10 listed, reflect on the list.

Now that you’ve brainstormed a list of things that could be done, commit to 1–3 concrete steps the mentee will do. Write them down. Ask them by when they will do those options. A few days? A week? Pick a timeline that is specific and actionable. Then ask if it would be OK you follow up with them after that timeline.

Generally this process will help someone identify an area of growth, identify where they are now and what is keeping them from that goal. It will also empower them to feel like they have action steps they can take to get there. And committing to two action steps, it will give them a sense of accountability to get there.

At the end of the day, how the employees feel about their work environment boosts moral, increases productivity, and supports overall happiness. Having empowering conversations allow people to connect with themselves and each other in deep meaningful ways helps people feel happier at work. Growth oriented conversations aren’t just about people feeling good. It’s also about becoming better at our jobs, unleashing new skills, and ultimately being better humans.

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