Coach Yourself!

14GRPI: A Diagnostic Framework to Unlock Team Needs

A correct diagnosis is three‐fourths the remedy.

—Mahatma Gandhi

GRPI stands for Goals, Roles and Responsibilities, Processes, and Interpersonal Relationships. These concepts may seem so basic that we would expect bosses to understand them without needing a framework! But in my experience, GRPI has proven to be a helpful diagnostic tool for many managers confronted with workplace challenges.

A savvy, trusted colleague, Michelle, introduced me to GRPI, a 50‐year‐old framework put forth by organizational theorist Richard Beckhard in 1972, and I started using it immediately in my coaching practice because I saw how powerful it was as a diagnostic tool.¹ Bosses can use it as a checklist to understand the root of a work problem. Problems at the top of the hierarchy cascade down if they aren't resolved. GRPI helps diagnose the actual problem and where it resides in this hierarchy because responses and solutions are not one size fits all.

Of course, life is more complicated than this. Often a problem in the workplace has multiple dimensions, making it hard to pinpoint the original cause but digging down to understand the core of the problem is extremely valuable. I have seen bosses who initially assumed interpersonal issues were at the heart of a workplace challenge use GRPI to discover that unclear goals, roles, or processes were the true pain point. As boss, employing GRPI demonstrates you show up ready to do the work and get ...