The business world is dynamic, to say the least. Think back to how simple things were a century and a half ago: you could count on a traditional business model to work, and keep working, probably for as long as you owned your business. Not so much anymore.
Technology and the global marketplace are rendering old business models obsolete. And if you don’t keep up, you’ll be left behind.
To learn to focus on what is truly important in terms of where to focus your energies, use the GROW Model: a personal and professional development model. This way you can identify what you are doing right and expand on it – and what you are doing wrong, and modify it.
G: Goal. What’s the objective? If you are a sole proprietor with no employees, you still have to be clear on what you want. And if you’ve got people to deal with, effectively communicating your goals will ensure that everyone is on board and working toward the same vision. Questions to ask: “What do I want?”
R: Reality. What’s the current situation? What contributed to this situation – or, how did we get here? This involves taking personal responsibility for everything that’s going on, good and bad (and if you have employees, they also have to understand the value of personal responsibility). Questions to ask: “The current situation is what it is. What did I (we) do right? What could I (we) have done differently to… (prevent this or move this forward)?”
O: Options. Don’t bother looking at options or solutions until you’ve identified the goal and the current situation. Questions to ask, once you’ve identified the goal and the current situation: “What can I (we) do differently starting right now? What would be the consequences of Action A or Action B?”
W: Way Forward. It’s decision time, followed immediately by action.
This model applies to all goals, both in your personal and business life:
● A goal of solving a problem
● Reaching a milestone
● Achieving your ultimate vision
The GROW Model helps you make changes in thinking, behaviours, systems and protocols. All of these changes will move your business in the right direction.
Inspired by Dr. Maynard Brusman’s blog on www.workingresourceblog.com