If you’re starting out with a new a project then a GROW workshop can be a great collobrative exercise to complete with your team to align goals and generate ideas.
GROW (Goals, Reality, Options, Way Forward) is an idea that’s been around since the 1980s. Originally created by Max Landsberg as a coaching method for individuals. It was then developed further by Sir John Whitmore, Graham Alexander and Alan Fine, and has since been used for productivity.
How to start
Start the workshop with a quick explainer of what we are trying to achieve, and make sure everyone has post-its or pens available. If this is online, make sure people are comfortable with whatever tool you are using (I’ve used Figma recently with decent results).
On the whiteboard, create 4 post-its going horizontally titled Goals, Reality, Options and Way Forward. Take 10 minutes per each category and allow each participant to write up post-it notes withoiut conferring with each other. Next to each category, add the information shown below so each participant has a good idea of what each category represents.
Goals
What do you want?
What does that look like? What will people be saying to you? How will you feel once this is achieved? What is different?
Reality
Where are you now?
What is happening right now? How far are you from an ideal situation? How do you feel about your current situation? What is the impact on you and your life? What is standing in the way of your goal?
Options
What could you do?
What could you have? What ideas do you have? What actions have worked for you in the past? Who could help you to achieve your goals? What information do you need and how could you acquire it?
Way Forward
What will you do?
What will you do to achieve your goals? How and when will you do it? Who will you talk to throughout? Are there any other measures you need to put into place? How committed are you to this action?
Finishing up
Once you have finished the last section, use the remaining 15 minutes to ask each participant to cateogrise each post-it note to avoid duplicate post-its.
Once each section has been grouped, talk through this with your team and start to take actions that could be achieveable or split these groups into tasks for each individual to do on your team.
Your team should be on the same page about the challenges and tasks that need to be completed for your project.