Obstacles Conversation Planning Tool

GROW-Header-Obstacles
OBSTACLE Conversation Planning Tool

OBSTACLE Conversation Planning Tool

This tool allows you to plan and practice a coaching conversation by choosing the questions you want to ask for the OBSTACLE step of the GROW process. To select the question for the conversation, select "Include."

Obstacle Questions

Step 3A identifies OBSTACLES that contribute to a REALITY and need to be addressed to advance from their current performance level to their GOAL. Find the true root causes for skill, behavioral, or performance gaps.


Focus of OBSTACLE Questions:
• What prevents the GOAL?
• When was the problem, issue, or skill gap first evident?
• Identify OBSTACLES: skill gaps, behavioral issues, expectations, culture, resources, time, and working environment
• Understand what is holding the individual back
• Try to identify root causes


To select the question for the conversation, select "Yes"; to exclude the question click "No."

OBSTACLE 1 - What were the factors leading up to the setback? Which of these factors will be the most difficult to resolve?
OBSTACLE 2 - What capabilities are holding you or your team back (skills, beliefs, factors, other people, etc.)?
OBSTACLE 3 - When and with whom does the problem typically happen?
OBSTACLE 4 - Take time to trace the negative behavior back to the last time it occurred. Did you feel some sort of emotion prior to the occurrence that may have spurred it?
OBSTACLE 5 - What were the circumstances, where were you, or what event prevented you from feeling in control, from being your authentic self?
OBSTACLE 6 - Did you give or take power from someone else, flee the situation, fight, or do all the work yourself?
OBSTACLE 7 - What is holding you back? (reaction to conflict, fear of failure, desires, other people, etc.) And What Else?
OBSTACLE 8 - What wouldn’t work? What is the opposite of that?
OBSTACLE 9 - What have you already ruled out? And What Else?