Group Coaching Pitfalls: 5 in the Realm of Program Delivery

I'm a firm believer in not reinventing the wheel. I spend quite a bit of time in the Group Coaching Essentials and Group Coaching Intensive program spotlighting some of the simple, yet dangerous, pitfalls we can fall into when designing, marketing or implementing a group program (workshop, retreat, teleclass/teleseminar or group coaching). Here are five pitfalls coaches/leaders/facilitators may find themselves brushing up against in the realm of program delivery:

1. Focusing on a topic that is not relevant to the group - How much time are you spending pre-program or in the first session/hour learning about what has brought your group members there? What their key challenges are? What their opportunities are? Consider how you can find this out.

2. Failing to change the pace/engage the audience frequently enough. On phone based programs it is important to engage your audience regularly. In fact. recent research on virtual learning points to the need to do this every 5 minutes. What approaches do you want to adopt to change the pace/engage your groups frequently enough?

3. Not including time to discuss expectations. Failing to discuss expectations can sometimes lead to tricky issues down the road. What are your expectations (yours and the groups) around starting and ending on time? Sharing of information? Confidentiality? Create time to set ground rules or discuss what people want and can expect as early as possible, even before you get in "the room" (real or virtual) together.

4. Consistently running over in time. Time is one of the most precious commodities in business today. Consistently running over in time can be very disrespectful in many contexts. If you find that you need more time, discuss this, or adopt so that you can wrap up as expected.

5. Not adapting your pace (how fast you are going) and style for different groups. Having worked with groups for the last 25 years wearing many hats (leader/manager/trainer/coach/facilitator) the one commonality they have all had is their unique identity. Each group that you will work with will have its' own needs and preferences regarding balance of content/exploration, pace, interaction etc. Be conscious of what the needs are of each group you are working with.

Before your next group program - workshop, teleseminar, group coaching or other process - refresh yourself with these five pitfalls so you steer clear of them!

Warm regards
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, PCC, CPCC
Group Coaching Essentials
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010)
Host of the Group Coaching Essentials and Group Coaching Intensive programs