Problems With Using The GROW Model For Contact Center Coaching

Transcript

Hi there. This is Blair from BravaTrak.

I've been thinking about the GROW conversation, which is the most common coaching model team leaders are trained to use.

My take on the GROW Model - and Sir John Whitmore’s

Let me say this; you're wasting your time, money and opportunity if you're training your team leaders in this model. Frankly, the GROW sequence, which stands for Goals, Reality, Options, and Way forward is much more complex than it appears. And most managers I've observed do it poorly.

Even the developer of the approach, the late Sir John Whitmore, said that without understanding the underlying principles, GROW is useless.

You don't believe me. Okay then. Point me to a contact centre where the use of the GROW conversation by all the managers and team leaders led to a significant increase in performance, combined with a substantial improvement in employee engagement, as indicated by reduced unplanned leave and attrition. Oh, you can't do that.

All right then, let's make it easy. Tell me about a team where the consistent use of the GROW conversation by the team leader led to a significant increase in team performance, combined with a substantial improvement in employee engagement, as indicated by reduced unplanned leave and attrition. You still can't.

GROW - the least important coaching method for strengthening engagement and driving results

Aside for the issue of the unseen complexity of the GROW conversation, there's something else going on here as well. There are three different reasons for holding a coaching conversation; to reinforce behaviour, to correct behaviour and to guide behaviour.

GROW fits into that final category. Yet while important, guiding behaviour is the least critical of the coaching purposes. If you truly want to strengthen engagement and drive results, you want to focus your team leaders on reinforcing desired agent behaviour, and GROW can't help them do that.

I've got a whole lot more to say about GROW in the coming days, but for the moment, that's my take. What do you think?