In my most recent BD Tips Wednesday post on LinkedIn, I shared a professional development growth model that has been around since the 1980s and used relatively frequently by coaches such as me.

It’s called the GROW model, named in honor of the GROW acronym, and I thought readers of this blog might like to read about it:

• Goal
• Reality
• Obstacles and Options, and
• Way forward

Grow

Where:

Goal = The end point. Where you want to get to. Your Goal. This needs to be structured/set-out in a way where it is obvious there is a finish line.

Reality = Warts and all – where are you now? How far do you need to travel to reach the ‘Goal’? Is the ‘Goal’ pie in the sky or a reality?

Obstacles and Options = What Obstacles are in the way of you achieving your ‘Goal’? Once the Obstacles have been identified, do you have Options to deal with these Obstacles that will allow you to achieve your Goal?

Way forward = Last but not least, what action steps need to be put in place in order for you to achieve your Goal. In other words, what is the Way Forward!

Using the GROW model in your business development planning should add a little bit of perspective around the realistic nature of you achieving your Goal. It not only identifies what your Goal is – which is a great start in business development, but its also sets parameters around this so you clearly know when you have completed the Goal.

Bringing it all together

What I particularly like though is it highlights what the challenges will likely be and allows you to start working through how you can overcome those challenges – rather than waiting for the challenge to hit you on the nose!

Don’t get me wrong, GROW is not the only business development strategy tool you can use – and we will certainly be covering off others on BD Tips Wednesdays of the future, but it is a very useful tool to keep in your toolkit!

As always, get in touch if you need help with your business development strategy and activities.

Richard & GSJ