Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Group Coaching Trends for 2012


What do you see as the trends for group coaching during 2012? I addressed some of the trends I saw for this year in last month's 8th Annual Year End Group Programs Call. If you missed it, you can listen to it here (45 minutes)

Some of the trends I see as being important for this year as it relates to group coaching includes:
1. Continued diversification of types of clients/people getting involved in group coaching processes at a personal level. Back in January of 2006 when I started offering the Group Coaching Essentials programs to coaches, group coaching was raising the eyebrows of even coaches. In the last year I saw coaches go through this program with the aim to take their own group coaching to their client groups - parents, retirees, new moms, students, those in career transition, business owners, men, women, international professionals, and the list could go on. Group Coaching is also spreading the globe. Last year I worked with coaches from as far an wide as Australia, Turkey, Ireland, Germany, Bolivia, and theCzech Repulic.

Question to Consider: Which of your clients do you think would be interested, and would benefit from group coaching?

2. Continued diversification of organizations leveraging group coaching - It has also been interesting to note how group coaching is being utilized by different types of organizations - government, health care, education, financial services, safety, professional services. While some are adding a group coaching element onto their current training initiatives (i.e. leadership) to sustain the conversation, other organizations are looking to add group coaching initiatives as a stand alone, add-on or enhancement to their current coaching offerings.

Question to consider: If you work with organizations, how can they utilize group coaching to enhance their business results?

3. Leveraging Technology - As technology continues to change and as people become more comfortable with using these different tools, there is potential for group coaching leverage these domains. Although their have been some new tools in this last year, like Google Hangouts, coaches should be considerate to barriers which still exist for their group members in using the technology as well as the security and ability to maintain a confidential environment.

Question to Consider: What barriers exist for your participants/clients/group members to participate? How can technology support, or add to this?

And in closing,
  • As a coach this year what activities have you identified as helping you keep on focus and in action?
  • What activities are you going to undertake to continue to build relationships, and add value, to your client base?
  • What steps will you take to systematize your programs? (Check out my post yesterday on Leverage)
  • As a coach, what steps will you take to keep your skills in working with groups sharp? Coaching is a skill set, and like a muscle, "if you don't use it, you lose it?". What is your commitment to keeping your skills sharp this year?

Have a wonderful week,

Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, CPCC, PCC

Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010)

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