GROW Programme

GROW is a six month mentoring scheme aimed at helping staff across all Professional Services to enhance skills, maximise potential, expand networks and consider career paths by working with others at the University of Sheffield. The aim of the GROW Programme is to provide support for each other by linking professional services staff to colleagues with relevant experience, skills or knowledge that matches their goals and development needs. All grades of staff and levels of experience (including previous participants) are invited to participate each year.Professional services staff are crucial to Department, Faculty and University operations, underpinning our research and teaching agendas. The GROW programme objectives and outcomes align closely with our institutional values outlined in The Sheffield Leader and The Sheffield Professional.206 staff took part in the 2017 GROW programme from 46 departments.

In 2011, the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health developed the GROW programme for all professional service staff. The GROW scheme was expanded and amalgamated with the Technical Focus scheme in the Faculties of Engineering and Science the following year. Year on year expansion, detailed our GROW partnership statistics, has resulted in all five university faculties and the Professional Services departments of EFM & IT, Research Services, the Library, Student Support Services and DARE, so far, taking part in the forthcoming 2018 GROW programme. GROW is led by staff from the Faculty of MDH and is collectively managed by representatives from each participating faculty and department. Staff from departments not officially participating in the GROW programme are always welcomed into the scheme

The GROW programme has gained significant reputation being recognised in a national winningTHELMA award in 2014 (Outstanding Departmental Administration Team – Faculty of MDH) and citation in several Athena SWAN awards and applications across the organisation. The programme has been presented at national conferences and an invited article has been published in AUA NewslinkIssue Number 82, Autumn 2015. Evidence from the GROW Programme in Sheffield has been submitted to a study commissioned by The Leadership Foundation for Higher Educationto explore the impact of mentoring/coaching in Higher Education. Although the outcomes of the study are not yet published, here in Sheffield we can demonstrate that the GROW programme has had a large impact across the institution.

“The successful professional mentoring scheme GROW extended across all faculties demonstrates great innovation in leadership, culture, communications and development which supports the vital work of teaching and research” Prof. Sir Keith Burnett

A number of case studies demonstrate the benefits and managers have signposted the programme to support and enhance performance. Further expansion, of the programme will support the University’s Equality and Diversity and talent retention policies. Given the positive impacts, both institutionally and individually, we recommend that opportunities be sought to extend the GROW programme to make it available for all University of Sheffield professional services staff.

Feedback from the GROW programme demonstrates that 82% of GROW mentees said they would recommend the programme to their colleagues, whilst 77% ofGROW mentors said they would recommend the programme. When asked how participants rated the programme, 70% of mentors report they were “satisfied or very satisfied” and 81% of mentees said they were “satisfied or very satisfied."

Further details of the GROW programmeare available at our comprehensive website:

GROW Impact

Institutional impact

  • Provides support for each other and improves relationships
  • Chance to learn beyond department and faculty boundaries
  • Solid evidence of an increase in staff morale and motivation
  • Excellent networking opportunities to share good practice and to encourage thinking with unlimited boundaries
  • Expand skill base across the University
  • Promotes an adaptable workforce and builds strong teams
  • A more structured approach to succession planning
  • Cost effective transfer of competencies from one person to another
  • Better management of culture change
  • Effective leadership and problem solving
  • A mechanism for supporting under-represented groups and demonstrating the organisation’s commitment to diversity

Individual impact

  • Maximise potential
  • Expand networks
  • Develop specific skills
  • Help define future career goals
  • Get a different perspective on a work-related problem
  • Address work/life balance
  • Develop managerial or supervisory skills
  • Improve performance
  • Expand knowledge of the organisation

Feedback quotes from past GROW programmes:

Kevin Oxley

05/01/2018