So what’s your Problem?

In this blog I would to consider the nature of a ‘problem’ and why GROW is so effective at dealing with problems.

In GROW terms a ‘problem’ has a particular meaning. Most people have some idea what the word ‘problem’ means for them but when we use it in connection with GROW we assign a particular meaning to the term.

SO WHAT IS A ‘PROBLEM’?

Definition of a problem

For the purposes of using GROW a problem always has two attributes. First there is a goal, purpose, idea or something a person is trying to accomplish. Secondly, there is something opposing and blocking it, which appears to prevent them doing what they want.

In order to solve a problem a person has to be clear on the elements that make it up. If either of the elements is absent then there is not a clear problem and it becomes very difficult to solve.

The value of using this definition with GROW is that the elements of a problem are automatically built into the process. The Goal is where you want to get to, the Reality is where you are, the Obstacles are what is stopping you and the Options are the ways around the Obstacles.

If you bear the definition of a problem in mind while you are working out the elements of GROW then it can assist you in ensuring you have the correct information. For instance when you get to Obstacles you have to ensure that you and the client understand how the Obstacles are stopping them from achieving their Goal. If they are not really stopping them then you don’t have a problem and the client can probably move forward.

Lets look at a few examples. The statement “My house has burned down” is not a problem. “My house has burned down I have no clothes left and I have to be on TV in 20 minutes” could be a problem. “I want to drive my car to the beach but I have a broken leg” is a problem. If, however, I can afford a taxi, it stops being a problem and turns into a ‘project’.

Thus, a problem is not like a project, where there may be obstacles but the way forward is clear and can be planned. What GROW does so effectively is to turn problems into projects.