GROWing a Plan

I was reminded earlier this month of the coaching tool GROW, and how useful it can be to start conversations that help people change.

• Goal: what is it you want?
• Reality: where are you now?
• Options: what could you do?
• Will: what will you do?

When I heard this again a little thought started to form about the kinds of questions that relate to these words. I was at a three-day workshop on leadership, and as my friend described GROW to the participants it struck me that this could also be a neat framework to help someone prepare for their viva.

• Goal: what does prepared look like for you? What are you working towards?
• Reality: how much time will you have available? Who could help you?
• Options: given your resources, what could you do to be ready? And what do you not have time for?
• Will: how are you going to make time for what you need to do? When will you get the work done?

A short, four-step sequence for figuring out options or a plan for viva prep. There’s no sense in making a plan that won’t work for you.

It doesn’t need to take long to get to work.