Wednesday, April 28, 2010

The Group Coaching Business Model - 5 Great Reasons

The Group Coaching Business Model - 5 Great Reasons
This week's Business Booster Tip
Copyright 2010: Jennifer Britton, All Rights Reserved

I often get asked by both new and experienced coaches, why is group coaching an important addition to coaches business models?

1. Many things have shifted in recent years, particularly the economic landscape. Many potential clients, or even former clients, do not have the same ability to afford 1-1 coaching rates. Group Coaching is often a much more affordable option.

2. The individual coaching model allows clients to deeply explore issues. Group Coaching allows clients to explore similar issues while benefiting from a series of alternative perspectivesm and stories, from other group members.

3. At a lower price point, group coaching offers the oppoortunity for more people to get to "know, love and trust you". Many coaches will have heard the adeage people need to know, love and trust you in order to make a decision whether they are going to purchase a service from you. Participation in a group coaching process allow group members the opportunity to get to know you, your style and what you have to offer. Group coaching can be a starting point for people to learn about your other services (including 1-1).

4. The dynamic nature of group coaching. As a group coach, you will find how dynamic and organic group processes can be. Even if I run a similar group coaching program such as the 90 Day BizSuccess several times a year, each group looks and feels different. It allows for your work to stay fresh and dynamic! Each touchpoint is different.

5. The ability to earn more, work less on an hourly basis. Many coaches describe how group coaching allows them to earn more and work less on an hourly basis. It may not mean that 100% of your business will be dedicated to groups, but it may enable you to have more time to focus on other creative projects, marketing or business building.

What do you see as the benefits of a group coaching business model? This was one of the questions I was very intrigued with when I wrote Effective Group Coaching. You can read what 13 other great group coaches have said about their views on the business case for coaching - pick up your own copy today at Amazon.com or my site.

Have a terrific week!

Jennifer Britton, MES, PCC, CPCC
Author of Effective Group Coaching
Creator of the Group Coaching Essentials program which has supported hundreds of coaches to design, market and run their own successful group coaching programs since 2006.
Next Group Starts May 11th (4 spaces remain!)
Telephone: 416-996-8326
Email: info{at}potentialsrealized{dot}com

About Jennifer: As a master group facilitator, Jennifer has been designing award winning group programs since 1988. Since 2004 she has been weaving together her skills and expertise in the areas of coaching, faciltiation and training, to create her own model and approaches to group coaching. Passionate about enabling other coaches to succeed, she has been training coaches in group coaching through the Group Coaching Essentials program, and ICF CCE accredited program. She also offers in-person group coaching training. Jennifer is the founder of Potentials Realized, and is a PCC and CPCC. She also holds professional designations in the areas of HR and performance improvement. Jennifer is the author of the first book to ever be published on group coaching - Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010) which is available at Amazon, Wiley and most major booksellers.

Post Reprint: If you would like to include this in your next newsletter or on your blog, please feel free to share the article, keeping all copyright intact and linking back to the Group Coaching Ins and Outs blog and www.groupcoachingessentials.com.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Case for Coaching: When Training is Not Enough

I was originally attracted to coaching years ago in part due to the opportunity I saw in having it as a support mechanism to "bring the learning home" after a training program or workshop. My work over the last 7 years, both as coach and trainer, has reconfirmed that coaching (group and/or individual) is an essential element in supporting individuals to integrate new learning and behaviors more quickly into their life and work.

In writing Effective Group Coaching I was quite intrigued with exploring what did the research say about transfer of learning? At the same time, I was very interested in identifying what really are the benefits of group coaching from the client's perspective as well as the coaches perspective. In fact, a whole chapter of the book explores the Business (and Learning) Case for Group Coaching.

I'm always on the lookout for great, and succinct, research. One summary of research on the Transfer of Training was written a few years ago over at the Winning Teams Blog by Judy Hollis, entitled Why Training Doesn't Work - 50 Years of Research. It's a great summary of some of the major findings around retention and transfer of learning.

Enjoy!

Warm regards,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, PCC, CPCC
Group Coaching Essentials: Next program begins May 11th (Tuesdays 10:30-11:45 am ET)
Email: info{at}potentialsrealized{dot}com

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Join me Friday May 7 and 14 for a Virtual Retreat



Do you have plans to launch a workshop, retreat or group coaching program this spring or summer but haven't sat down yet to focus on getting it into the works?


Join me on Friday May 7 and 14th from 1-4 pm ET each afternoon for the Group Program Design Virtual Intensive, a 6 hour program designed to support you to get focused and into action around designin and marketing your next group program.


Each hour of the program provides you with structured exercises to undertake to move you forward with your program ideas - vision, design, marketing and exercises. We spend 15 minutes of every hour on the phone as a group, and then 45 minutes working indivdually through the execises provided at our own offices offline.


In the past coaches have left the program having:

* Clarified their vision for their program;
* Completed their program session formats;
* Researched into exercises they want to incorporate:
* Identified marketing sources;
* Drafted marketing materials - websites, blog posts, announcements
* Identified and booked their venues

The list of possibilities for what you can accomplish is endless, as the focus of the day is on getting YOU FOCUSED on what you want to create.

The program is a steal at $150 US which includes the 6 hours of calls, the Virtual Intensive e-manual which includes all exercises, as well as a group call a few weeks after the retreat.

You can find out more information about the program here, as well as register there.

I look forward to having you join me!

Warm regards,

Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, PCC, CPCC
Phone: 416.996.TEAM (8326)

Email: info{at}potentialsrealized{dot}com






Style and Group Coaching: Part 2

In my last post, I wrote about the importance of styles and the impact on group coaching. In today's post, I want to share with you some of the resource tools you may want to look into if you are interested in incorporating any style work into your programs.

Three of my favorite style tools are:

MBTI - The quintessential Myers-Briggs is an ever popular go-to resource for work around styles. Throughout the years there has been debate regarding how effective the tool really is. Nonetheless, many of us have gone through the MBTI at one stage or another. To adminster the MBTI you need to be certified.

DiSC - The DiSC is a great, lower cost style tool and offers many different reports - for individuals, as well as teams. I've used the DISC quite effectively in group coaching with business owners, as well as with teams (as pre-work). There are several different DISCs on the market including Extended DiSC.

Personal Style Inventory - I really enjoy using the PSI with clients as it is a much lower cost option and provides them with a quick snapshot of their preferred styles. The PSI is a great foundation for conversation, and coaching around the impact of style on communication, leadership and work styles. Available in hard copy and online forms.

What other style tools do you use? What are your favorites? How do you incorporate them into your coaching work (either individual or group coaching)? As always, please feel free to comment below.

Warm regards,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, CPCC, PCC
Group Coaching Essentials
Author of Effective Group Coaching
Email: info{at}potentialsrealized{dot}com

Thursday, April 15, 2010

What's Style Got to Do With Group Coaching?: Part 1

I've been doing a lot of in person group work in recent weeks, some of which has revolved around working with styles - communication, leadership, and work styles.

Have you ever stopped to think about your style as a coach? What your style is when working 1-1, or what your style is with a group?

Exercise:
Take a moment and write down 3 adjectives (for each category) which describe your:
- Coaching style with 1-1 clients;
- Coaching sytle with group clients;
- Communication style;
- Facilitation style

Reflect on the following questions:

  1. What common adjectives are showing up across these categories?
  2. What strengths do you bring in terms of sytles you employ?
  3. What are your blindspots? (Remember, an overused strength can be a weakness)?

So why are styles important to group coaching work?

Your own personal style as a group coach will have tremendous impact on how you lead groups, ask questions, and even how you select your exercises.

To maximize your impact with your next group spend some time thinking about the different style preferences which individual group members bring, and how this aligns, or does not align, with your style. What changes/modifications might you want to make to your own style to meet the needs of your groups.

Stay Tuned for Part 2 of this post, where I will share some of my favorite style tools for those who are interested in exploring this topic more fully.

Cheers,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, PCC, CPCC
Author of Effective Group Coaching
Potentials Realized
Phone: 416.996.8326
Email: info{at}potentialsrealized{dot}com

Saturday, April 03, 2010

Business Booster Shot - Systems for Group Programs and Business

many of you may know that for several years was a part time Business Studies Faculty member and lectured on small business topics including marketing, business planning, business development and others. I continue to assert that coaches need to pay attention to the business side of their work, and hence the new addition of this regular column - the Business Booster Shot, to support those of you who are in business for yourself.

Whether you work for yourself, or someone else, the concept of having systems in place will enable you to leverage your time and resources. Here's an adapted excerpt from my book on Systems:

Systems are streamlined processes which will allow you to replicate core pieces of your business. Systems will also help to institutionalize knowledge and allow others to take on activities as your own work expands. Once in place, systems should be updated on a regular basis (quarterly or annually).

As a group program facilitator and solopreneur, it is important to look at systems on two levels:
1. Systems for group programs
2. Systems for your business

Business systems can help you to leverage your time and resouces, while supporting your business growth, productivity and efficiency. Systems for group coaching will make your program work that much more streamlined and easier to have multiple groups on the go at any one time.

In general there are certain areas where business systems may provide support for you in the short and long term including:

- Sales and Marketing
- Clients
- Invoicing
- Registration systems
- Telephone/Web - bridgeline/webinar platform, and long distance packages
- Program Design Systems

Questions to consider:
What business systems do you currently have in place?

What new systems would boost your efficiency?

What would make your work easier and have more impact?
(Adpated from Effective Group Coaching, Britton, pp 189)

Warm regards,

Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, PCC

Group Coaching Essentials


PS - The 90 Days BizSuccess program provides support for business owners who want more success within their businesses. This spring and summer, I will be continuing to tailor programs for service based professionals such as coaches, trainers and other independent professionals. Our next program starts on Wednesday April 21st at 2 pm ET