Monday, June 22, 2015

Six Coaching Questions around Priorities and Time Management

Time Management can be a key issue facing many of our coaching clients - individuals and teams.
Whether it is balancing work life issues, juggling too many things on the plate, time management may be a theme which creeps into many coaching session. Continuing on with our 6 Coaching Questions a day, today's post is about supporting enhanced awareness and action around prioritization with your clients.

Consider these questions:
  1. What are your top 3-5 priorities?
  2. What's really important right now?
  3. What's the low hanging fruit?
  4. What, if left unaddressed, could create a significant impact?
  5. What's the quickest thing to get off your plate and clear up sapce?
  6. When you clear this issue, what will be avaialble to you?
  7. What do you ned to say NO to right now?
  8. What are your next steps around this issue?
What other questions do you like to ask around prioritization? As always, please feel free to comment below!

Best wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, PCC
GroupCoachingEssentials.com | Potentials Realized
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2009) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013)
Phone: 416-996-8326

Join us this summer for the Advanced Group Coaching Practicum starting July 14th (Tuesdays and Thursdays 1:15-2:30 pm ET - 10 CCEs with the ICF)

Monday, June 08, 2015

Six Powerful Questions to Deepen Awareness in Groups

Many coaches have been enjoying my series of "Six Questions". Today we look at six powerful
questions you may want to incorporate in your next group program to deepen awareness.  Consider how you might use these:

1. What's your role (in the group, in the issue etc)?
2. What impact did you have?
3. What are the beliefs underlying the issue? (mine for enabling beliefs, limiting beliefs)
4. What perspective are you in around (insert issue...)?
5. Six months from now, how will you think about (the issue/topic)?
6. What's helping you? What's hindering you?

In a group coaching process you may be posing these questions to the entire group (one question at a time, of course) and you may get group members to:
  • Indivudallly reflect and journal around the question
  • Individually reflect and write down their responses in the session
  • Discuss the question in the group (particularly if you have a smaller grouping of 3 - 6 members)
  • Indicate if they are interested in being "laser" coached around one of these areas in front of other group member (like a fishbowl)
  • Discuss this in smaller groups or triads using a breakout (including virtual breakout rooms)
Activity:
Make a list of 20 powerful questions you might use to support group members in deepening awareness around  a specific topic you are coaching around.
Use one or more of your powerful questions with your group. What do you notice about their impact? Which ones had more of a "sticky" factor or resonance?

Deepening Awareness is one of the eleven core coaching competencies. How much time are you spending as a coach with your clients in support of them deepening awareness?





Have  a great week,
Jennifer


Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, PCC, CPCC
Potentials Realized | GroupCoachingEssentials.com
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013)
Phone: (416)996-8326



Mentor Coaching Group starts Tuesday June 9 at 3 pm ET

Calling all coaches needing to recertify their ACC or who are working towards their ACC or PCC and
need to complete 10 hours of Mentor Coaching. The next Mentor Coaching Group will start on Tuesday June 9th from 3 - 4pm ET/New York by phone, running to September 10th.

This is a 10 hour small group mentor coaching program, where we explore the eleven competencies of the ICF. Three hours are scheduled individually with me over the three months, and seven of the hours are scheduled by phone for one hour calls in a small group setting (maximum 6 coaches). 
During our group calls we spend half of each class exploring two or three of the competencies each session, also discussing approaches and resources you as a coach utilize. The other half of each of the group call is a coaching practicum, where you on a rotational basis will have the opportunity to coach at least one other participant. You will receive feedback on your skills, and you will also benefit from seeing different styles at play.
Each group call is supported by module notes, which include more information about the competencies. 
Here’s what a recent alumni said about the program:
An excellent programme, supporting me to develop my confidence and capability as a coach.  Jennifer is a brilliant facilitator and very generous coach, sharing her comprehensive knowledge and expertise.  The opportunity to work with other coaches in the group calls and practicums was particularly empowering and affirming.  I loved it.  I feel I’ve really grown as a coach.” - Lorna Shaw, www.theheartofcoaching.co.uk
Cost: $1000 US or CDN (plus HST) for the 10 hour program
 
You can learn more about the program here as well as register here.

Have a great week,
Jennifer
 

Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, PCC, CPCC
Potentials Realized | GroupCoachingEssentials.com
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013)
Phone:416-996-8326

Jennifer