As a mentor, helping your mentee set and achieve goals can be a challenging task. But fear not—we're here to offer you a helpful tool to set your mentee up for success: the GROW(TH) model.
As a mentor, helping your mentee set and achieve goals can be a challenging task. But fear not—we're here to offer you a helpful tool to set your mentee up for success: the GROW(TH) model.
The GROW acronym stands for Goal, Current Reality, Options (of Obstacles) and Will (or Way forward). This model was developed by Sir John Whitmore and colleagues and it's a great way to structure goal setting and help your mentee stay on track. Let's dive into how you can use the GROW(TH) model to help your mentee set SMART goals.
The first step in the mentoring process is to define the two main learning objectives with your mentee. When it comes to goal setting, make sure that it's a SMART goal: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-bound. Ask your mentee how they will know when the goal has been achieved and if it fits with their career objectives.
Ask your mentee to describe their current reality. Take time to ask in-depth questions about specific situations, context and background. What is happening now? What is the result of this? Have they taken any steps towards their goal?
Now take the time to determine all the possible options for reaching their objective. Help your mentee brainstorm viable options and then help them decide on the best ones. Ask questions like "What else could you do?" "What if this constraint were removed?" "What are the advantages or disadvantages of each option?" "What obstacles stand in your way?"
Now that your mentee has a good idea of how to achieve their goal, it's time to set up a plan for commitment to specific actions in order to move toward their goal. Plan a follow-up meeting to review progress. Ask questions like "So, what will you do now and when?" "What could stop you from moving forward and how will you overcome this?" "How can you keep yourself motivated?" "When do you need to review progress; daily, weekly, monthly?"
The two letters T and H have been added later on. Establishing tactics and habits for goal setting makes the process more sustainable and attainable overall. These might take some time to be established, so give your mentee enough time to reflect on them. Tactics include questions like "How and when will you do it?" Habits include questions like "How will you sustain your success?"
The GROW(TH) model is a powerful tool for you to help mentees set and achieve SMART goals. By working through the GROW(TH) model together, you can help your mentee stay on track, reflect on their progress and achieve their career objectives.
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