State of the Union 3.0 with Team and Group Coaching

 In December an article I had written for choice magazine was featured in their latest quarterly publication - Team and Group Coaching in an Evolving World. This article, "State of the Union 3.0 -

Team and Group Coaching" was the third time I had written a feature article for choice in the last 5 or 6 years. 

Download the article here.

In the article, I covered six core influences on team and group coaching at this moment in time (late 2022 and early 2023), including:

1. Paradigm Shifts

2. Systems Approaches

3. The need for belonging

4. Trust, safety and connection

5. Teaming

6. Adaptive and emerging models

Several of these I explore further in my latest writing - Reconnecting Workspaces, especially chapters 2, 3, 4, 8, 9 and the 21 chapter myths and paradigms.

I shared more about these six influences on team and group coaching in our December 2022 19th annual Year End Holiday party. 

Tune in here and check out the first 30 minutes of the call:

I then enjoyed sitting down with Garry Schlieffer to talk further about this on his Beyond the Page Podcast. The episode should be coming out soon and I will share it when it is ready.

What are you seeing as some of the new influences on your work as a group and team coach? 

Certainly the new ACTC from ICF - Advanced Credential in Team Coaching - will jettison us forward within this part of our profession.  If you haven't caught the recent calls I've hosted on the ACTC and how we are supporting coaches through our new Team Coaching Certificates, check out my December call on the new ACTC:

What are you doing to learn more and scale more conversations with teams and groups? Curious about what it can look like for you? Set up a call.

Enjoy!

Jennifer

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What is your unique style as a coach? Take 2-minutes to complete the NEW Group and Team Coaching Superpower Quiz. You can find it at https://bit.ly/gtcoachingsuperpower. Share your style using the comments below and/or follow along on Instagram at our CoachingBizBuilder site.

Join us for an upcoming program including: 

Coaching Diverse Teams and Groups using the Work Styles - Wednesdays 230 - 345pm ET (14 CCEs): January 26, February 2, 9, 16, 23, and March 2, 2023 (14 CCEs) - Widen your toolkit for working with diverse styles in teams and groups in this 6 week program based on the Hybrid Work Styles. WE also explore Coaching for Creativity and Innovation. This is course 5 in the 70 hour Certificate in Team Coaching Program.

Group Coaching Essentials -Mondays 130-245pm ET starting January 30th OR Fridays 1015 - 1130 am ET starting February 17 running to late March - 8.75 CCEs

Advanced Group and Team Coaching Practicum - 10 CCEs - Fridays 1230 - 145 pm ET: January 13 - mid-Feb (6 weeks) with Jennifer or later in January Mondays 12 - 130pm ET with Evana starting January 30th

Team Coaching Essentials (14 CCEs)  - Being asked to coach teams? Equip yourself with the foundations of this quickly evolving field. This program is grounded in our From One to Many methodology PLUS what works right now in today's evolving workspace. 6 week program on Mondays 12 - 130 pm ET  January 9,  23, 30, February 6, 13, 27 2023 with Kathy

ACTIVATE your Group and Team Coaching Superpowers (14 CCEs) - Fridays 1015 - 1130 am ET starting January 9th with Jennifer (6 weeks)  - January 13, 20, 27, February 3, 10, 17  - Course 4 in the pathway (catch up on call #1 with the recording)

Coaching Supervision Group (Small group format) - Thursdays 12 - 130 pm ET  first week of the month each month (to June 2023) OR book a call to explore individual coaching supervision.

The Coaching Biz Growth Lab is an annual group which meets bi-weekly throughout the year, focusing on your coaching business development. WE meet the 1st and 3rd Fridays of each month throughout 2023 for group calls, plus 12 special monthly events like Get it Done Days, month end planning and design sprints. Cost per month is only $250 US/month.  Click here to learn more and register

Check out our full schedule for January programs which begin the week of January 9th at GroupCoachingEssentials.ca.

Join us for the new Certificate in Team Coaching - 70 and 125 hour pathways.

 

Group Coaching Core Essentials - 6 of 18 - Add Structures to Support Engagement and Forward Action

Welcome back to our sixth of eighteen Group Coaching Core Essentials. This week’s focus is on the principle of “ Add structures that support the engagement and forward action between group members throughout the program.”

In coaching, it's often said that "the impact of coaching happens in between the sessions". Keeping people connected, and in dialogue, between calls is an important consideration for group coaching.

For example, peer buddies, Facebook groups, third-party community networks like mighty network.

Practically, you will want to:

·       Consider what elements will keep people connected

·       Support the learning, insights and conversations that happen in between formal coaching calls

·       Boost connection

·       Support accountability

·       Create an ongoing focus for group coaching members

 Group Coaching is always shaped by our group members interests and focus areas. Their needs and focus areas will shape where we go.

Later this week I will be talking about Group Coaching and Experiential Approaches to Marisa Murgatroyd’s Momentum community. In my conversation I am going to highlight the many different ways, and structures, we can use to support engagement, action and awareness for our group coaching members.

Consider these different approaches to group coaching:

• Laser Coaching
• Breakouts
• Reflective Pause
• PErspectives Work
• Wheel of 
• Action planning
• Spider Web
• Fishbone
• Priorities
• Visual prompt
• Appreciations
  
• Smart-E Goals™

  Which ones of these do you want to incorporate? We cover a lot of these in the Group Coaching Essentials program (week 4) or you can read more about them in the appendices of Effective Group Coaching or From One To Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching

Activity this week:

Consider what engagement approaches you want to use.

If you are working virtually, which of the Five Engagement Levers™ will you activate?

What structures are you putting into place to support ongoing action?

What are you doing to support clients in diving deeper into the various layers of awareness. Be sure to check out what I write about the Iceberg of Coaching Awareness in Coaching Business Builder (Section 1) and my latest book ReconnectingWorkspaces.

Enjoy the conversation!

Jennifer

 

Jennifer Britton - Group Coaching Essentials | Effective Virtual Conversations | Potentials Realized
Instagram @CoachingBizBuilder (for coaches)

Want to know what's new? Looking for remote and hybrid resources - Pick up a copy of the  Reconnecting Workspaces book or the 90-Day Guide for Success. Instagram: @ReconnectingWorkspaces

Group Coaching Essentials (8.75 CCEs) - Join us in July on Fridays from 1015 - 1130 am ET: July 15, 22, 29, August 5 and 12 (Just Added) Or Tuesdays 1015 - 1130 am ET: July 12, 19, 26, August 9 and 16, 2022 (2 spots open)

Team Coaching Essentials (14 CCEs) - next starts on Monday July 11th at 830 am ET, running July 11, 18, 26, August 1 and 8 (830 - 10 am ET for 5 Weeks)

Advanced Group and Team Coaching Practicum (10 CCEs): Starting July 26th - Tuesdays 830-10 am Et: July 26, August 9, 16, 23, and 30, 2022

Mentor Coaching Group - for ACC/PCC - Fridays 9 - 10 am ET running June 10 - September 9, 2022 with Evana Valle OR Mondays 1230 - 130 pm ET starting July 11 running to October 10, 2022 (with Jennifer)

Jennifer is also the author of Effective Group Coaching (2010), Coaching Business Builder (2018), Effective Virtual Conversations (2017) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (2013). Check out her author page on Amazon for all publications.

 

2020 focus areas for group coaches

Happy New Year! I hope that your 2020 has started off well. Keeping with tradition, I wanted to

dedicate my first few blog posts of 2020 to some of the key focus areas we may see in the year ahead when we work with groups and teams as a coach. I covered these more in-depth in the 16th annual year end group and team programs call I hosted just before the holidays.

Here are four areas you may want to keep in mind as you go to design and lead your group coaching conversations this year:

#1 - Connection
#2 - Trust
#3 - Adding value
# 4 - Micro-conversations

Inherent to a group coaching process are numbers 1 and 2. Ensuring that there is connection in the group, with you as the coach, and also with other group members. If people do not feel connected, it's likely that the conversation will remain on the surface, not dipping into the areas which are more personal to ourselves. It's these deeper layers that are the focus of coaching. If we stay at the surface due to lack of trust there is a missed opportunity.

Consider how you are going to build connection, and how your programming is creating the opportunities for connection. Are you building in breakout work? Handing things over to the group? Pairing people in pairs or triads for conversation between calls. Inviting people to always be on video? Building in agreements that group members will be present and actively engage during calls. Size matters in this as well and you will want to consider how you connect.

A second area which is critical for group coaching is TRUST. This has also been a key issue for leader, teams, business and communities for many years now. What are you doing to create transparency, engagement, and safety in your groups. What does follow through and follow up look like? What are you doing to address issues swiftly and respectfully if they emerge? Without trust, groups will also stay at the surface. This is where people will opt out as well. Consider what you can influence, including group size and the right fit of the program for the group members.

Third, what is the value add for your group members. Understanding our clients is key to success. What does adding value mean to them? How are you ensuring that they are setting the roadmap and focus? This may entail dedicating part of your first session to creating a roadmap together, having people complete pre-work in terms of goal setting and sharing with others, as well as undertaking pre-calls with everyone to learn more about them.

Finally, another influence in the group coaching space is the time available on the part of our clients. Going back to the value add, different clients may have different preferences in terms of conversation length and frequency. What are their preferences? What are yours?
One area which has shifted significantly in the last decade is the perceived time urgency many clients have mindsets around. This may translate to offering shorter call lengths - i.e. 45 minutes vs 90 minutes, as well as thinking about the overall elements of a program - including pre-work rather than doing it during the call, so you can use the time together to go deeper into the topics you are exploring.

Shorter conversations don't always mean less impactful conversations. Be noticing your assumptions as a coach and also your own preferences and biases in this area.

Our work as coaches in bringing together people for connection, sharing and learning, is so important at this moment in time. I hope that 2020 is going to bring you and your clients many opportunities to have great conversations together!

If you haven't seen the 2019 Year End Group and Team Coaching Call I hosted last month, check it out - 20 minutes.



If you missed my Countdown to 2020 posts before the holidays, be sure to catch them here. They focused on some of the essential elements and components in our work as group and team coaches including resourcing, questions, tools and focus areas.

Enjoy and I look forward to bringing you 1-2 blog posts each week throughout the year. Up next - winter program announcements (see footer) and next post will be dedicated to some of the team coaching themes we may be seeing in 2020.

With best wishes,
Jennifer


If you are looking for  coaching skills development through CCE approved programs - I’ll be kicking off the first Group CoachingEssentials CCE approved program on Friday January 10^th at 1015 am ET. This 8.75 CCE program also includes weekly 1-1 time with me (15 min each week). Is 2020 your year to get your groups going or expand the number of groups you are doing? Whether you are new to group coaching or stepping into your next year, there’s always something to learn – I hope you’ll join us. Reserve your spot here.

Also starting in January is the Virtual Facilitation Essentials - spaces are still open in the Monday group starting on Monday January 13th from 130 - 2:45 pm Eastern - 5 weeks, 8.5 CCEs.

The Winter 2020 Mentor Coaching Group starts on Friday January 10th - Fridays 2nd and 4th weeks of the month from 9 - 10 am Eastern. Reserve your spot now in this 10 hour program which meets the requirements of the ICF.

Finally, starting this month with the first live call on Monday January 6th - calling on coaches who want to focus on growing their coaching business. Reserve your spot for the 60Day Coaching Business Builder Accelerator where you will be focusing on taking daily steps and consistent action around your coaching business. This program is based on my 2018 work, Coaching Business Builder.

Four Activities for Building Trust and Connection in Group Programs

My recent series of posts on activities and approaches has been warmly welcomed by readers, according to the blog stats. Continuing along in this vein I wanted to share with you four different activities I've used throughout the years in building trust and connection in groups. Taking time to not only create ways of working or group agreements at the start of our work, but also to get to know each other, is key to success within the group coaching process. Without trust and connection it's hard to drop into the depths needed for a coaching conversation.

Here are four of my favorites. Each can be used both in person and virtually:

1. Personal Logos - One of my favorite at the start of a group process is to get each person to introduce themselves to the group and to share one thing that they bring to the group process is to draw it in a logo. It's always amazing to see what similarities and differences show up in groups, and when working with teams have them notice and comments on the synergies, themes and gaps that show up.

2. Visual Cards introduction - as a twist to personal logos, lay photographs out in the raining room (or on a whiteboard  - with copyright approval) - and have people select the photo that represents what they bring to the conversation.

While these two are great starters,  you will want to introduce activities that provide the opportunithy to share at different levels.

3. A third favorite I've been using was introduced to me by a participant in a Facilitation Skills Training I did (thanks Jason!) called COINS. Get people to select a coin from their pocket or from a cental source you have. Ask them to look at the date on the coin and have them share something about themselves and the experience they had in that year. Several times now I have seen this be a significant activity in accelerating the trust factor in groups, depending on the vulnerability demonstrated by group members and what they choose to share.

4. Who am I when I am at my best? Providing people with the opportunity to leverage their strengths, or think about who they are at their best, provides the opportunity for expansion. This is a short activity which can be very powerful, especially if done in a team, where team members can share with each other, their memories when they have seen each other at their best.

What are some of your favorite activities to create trust and connection with groups?

Here are some other posts on connection you may find useful:

Creating Connection amongst group members - from 2014. Click here to read

Check out the Appendices of both of my books - Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2009) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013). Available at Amazon, Indigo and other booksellers.



Have a great start to your week,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, PCC, CPTGroupCoachingEssentials.com
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2009) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013)
Email: info {at}potentialsrealized{dot}com

Registration is now open for our fall programming including:
Advanced Group and Team Coaching Practicum (10 CCES with the ICF including 9,25 hrs core competencies): Gain practice and confidence in your group and team coaching skills in this hands-on practicum based class. We'll be taking a deeper dive into content around group and team coaching, as well as giving you a chance to lead us through some group and team coaching activities. Starts Friday September 9th at 1:15 pm ET (runs for 6 weeks, no call 9/16). Click here to learn more and register

Group Coaching Essentials (8.75 CCEs) - Our flagship program celebrating our 10th year in supporting coaches through the best practices of designing, marketing and implementing group coaching programs. We cover content related to best practices, and model a number of approaches you can use in your own groups (in person, virtual, corporate and public groups). Weekly assignments support you in moving from program ideas to skeleton structure. Starts Friday September 9th at 10:15 am ET *runs for 5 weeks, no call 9/16)Click here to learn more and register.

Mentor Coaching Group for ACC Renewal and PCC - Looking to recertify or work towards your ACC or PCC? Join us for this 10 hour mentor coaching group where we take a deeper dive into the core coaching competencies - what they are, what approaches we use and what they look and sound like. Seven hours of small group calls, and 3 hours of 1-1 mentor coaching with me. Group calls are held on Friday September 9th - two separate groups (Group A - 9-10 am ET, Group B - 12-1 pm ET)  Click here to learn more and register.

Creating Shared Expectations and Shared Agreements Early on is Key

Over the past few weeks I've been leading a lot of in person programming - from coaching skills training

for leaders, to team coaching engagements and leading facilitation skills training. What's been so important for success in all of these engagements has been working with each group and team around creating shared agreements and creating shared expectations early on in our work. Checking in to see  how we are doing along the way has also been critical in creating the space for WOW programming.

Whether you are coaching, training or facilitating it is important to have dialogue with the groups and teams we are working with around how we will operate. What is, and what is not, acceptable. For example, what agreements are around phone and technology use, start and tend times, as well as respect for the differences which inevitably exist within a group or team of individuals. Confidentiality is another area which will be important to define.

Our ability to walk our talk - returning back from break early ourselves and starting as we said we would or putting our own phone away - is part of the equation as well, and is inherent in building trust.

Questions to consider: What are the shared agreements the team/group you are working with wants to create? Where will you build in time for this conversation? How much time do you think it will take?

A related area for group connection is creating shared expectations with you and with each other. What can your group or team members count on from you? From each other? Expect from you/each other? Are you a diplomat, or a on-the-table truth teller. Really, what can people expect. As coaches it is critical to be ourselves and also to let people know what they can expect.

Questions to consider: What can groups or teams expect from you? What can they count on you for? What can they count on from each other? What strengths do they each bring? What is the role you find you comfortably play? What are your biases?

As you go to launch new programs consider how you want to support the group in creating shared expectations and shared agreements early on.

Have a great week,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, PCC, CPCC, CPT
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)
(416)996-8326

Join me for a spring program -
Advanced Group Coaching Practicum (now 10 CCEs with the ICF including 9.25 hrs of core competencies): Thursdays 1:30 - 2:45 pm ET starting April 9th
Group Coaching Essentials - Thursdays 10:15 - 11:30 am ET starting March 26th
Mentor Coaching Group - for ACC Renewals, ACC/PCC portfolio - Thursdays 9-10 am ET starting March 26th or Mondays 1030-1130am Eastern/New York starting mid-April 
OR join me in Toronto (in person or virtual) the weekend of April 11-12 for the Team and Group Coaching Intensive (being renewed for at least 15 CCES)

Key elements in starting a group or team coaching engagement

It is no surprise that one of the ICF core coaching competencies is about Designing the Coaching

Agreement and another is about Creating Connection and Trust. The start of a group and team coaching engagement is one of the most important things to start planning for, and considering, as your relationships with group and team members, and the expectations you create together, create the foundation for a successful engagement.

Today's blog post encourages you to consider these elements in starting up your next group or team coaching engagement:

1. Get to know group/team members: For years I've talked about, and written about, the importance of a pre-program 1-1 call in terms of getting to know your group members, identifying common issues/themes across the group, and also answering any questions about the program. These pre-calls are also important in starting to create shared expectations about the coaching process.

2.Creating Ground Rules/Ways of Working - Creating shared agreements about behaviors which will support a positive learning environment is key component of the first call. Discussion around confidentiality and what this means, and other process issues, helps to create shared understanding. It also becomes a reference point if behaviors do not match these shared agreements during your work.

3. Building connection amongst group members. Consider your introductory activities and how you want to start building relationships amongst group members. Trust and connection is key in the team and group coaching process. What will bring together the group? What themes do you want to illustrate in your work together? Whether you bring in a visual deck like Conversation Sparker Cards(TM) or look to a site such such as Wilderdom.com for inspiration, remember that people tend to remember the start and end of things, so your kick off is key!

4. Identify areas for coaching - a number of coaches ask " How is it possible to coach more than one person at a time?". Key to success is identifying the common areas people want coaching around. This can look different in different types of programs.

For team coaching, assessments often get at the core what the issues are. Assessments like the Team Diagnostic Survey from Team Coaching International, or the Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team(TM) help to pinpoint areas where there may be systemic areas of focus - low trust, inability to work across conflict etc.

In group coaching you may be marketing a program publically - for example - a business group coaching program for solopreneurs. Your program description may have drawn some of your group members to the program. Ask group members to identify and prioritize key focus areas. Working together through dialogue, what are the key topics for each session

A key definer of the coaching process is that it is shaped by the people being coached, so watch your balance between coaching and facilitation.

What else do you want to consider as you move into preparing for your fall programs? What else will create a positive first session?

Have a great week,
Jennifer


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

Join us for an upcoming program including:
 The Group Coaching Essentials teleseminar starting Friday September 12  from 10:15-11:30 am ET by phone, with calls held September 12, 19, 26, October 3 and 10 (5 calls, 6.75 CCEs)
Advanced Group Coaching Practicum - starting Thursday September 11 from 10:15 - 11:30 am ET running to mid-October (6 calls, 8 CCEs)
Mentor Coaching Group starting Friday September 12 at 9 am Eastern, running for 3 months to mid-December. Meets the 10 hours of mentor coaching requirements with the ICF.

Audio Post - Group and Team Process Considerations

Last week I had the pleasure of presenting two breakouts at the Capital Coaches Conference in

Washington DC. What a fantastic day! It was terrific to get to speak to, and facilitate dialogue amongst a large group of participants. For those who attended, I forwarded the slide deck to the conference organizers so that you can receive your own copy.

I wanted to share with all of you, whether you were at the conference or not, a reminder of the process groups and teams move through. In this short audio post, I briefly share some of my reflections on the day, and also discuss the stages of group formation. Consider how this is showing up in your work, and what you, as a coach, can do to support those that you work with.

Here's the short 6 minute audio:

Loading the player ...

Enjoy!

With best wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, PCC, CPCC
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013)
(416)996-8326

Join us for an upcoming program - the Group Coaching Essentials teleseminar starting June 11th (at 9am ET Wednesdays) or July 17th (Thursdays at 10am ET)- 6.75 CCEs. You can also join me in beautiful Huntsville, Muskoka on July 10-11 (Thurs/Friday) for the Group and Team Coaching Intensive (15 CCEs)

Creating Connection Amongst Group Members: Group Coaching

One of the eleven core competencies (of the ICF) is about Building Trust and Rapport with our

Five Ways to Build Connection - Copyright 2014, Jennifer Britton

coaching clients. In a group and team coaching context creating connection amongst group members is just as important in creating a "safe" space for a coaching conversation. Without the sense of safety it is unlikely that people will engage into the depth of a coaching conversation. It may be more of a "surface" conversation.

Today's blog post explores five ways to create connetion amongst group members. As we know, the coaching process may begin before you even get in the room, or on the phone together. Many of thes tips are also useful in creating a link between you and each particpant.

#1 - Introductions: Consider how you can make introductions a key part of creating connection. Whether you are in person or on the phone/web, consider how you can use introductions to make people feel more connected. Is there any follow-up (i.e. photos and a paragraph about themselves) you would like people to share after the first session?

#2 - Utilize breakouts: Breakouts make a huge difference in getting people to connect in a larger group setting (even when the group may only be 4-8 people). Historically, it was only conference calling services such as Maestro Conferencing that allowed you to do breakouts on the phone. today free services such as FreeConferencing.com allow you to break into up to four separate groups. How might you leverage breakouts for connection?


#3 - Bring in different approaches, for example, Visuals. I continue to get amazed at the impact of using Visual tools such as Visual explorer in my work. Seveal weeks ago, while I was delivering a conference presentation I brought in Visual Explorer as a conversation sparker around collaboration. The change of energy in the room was instantanenous, which says a lot for 3:30pm! using visual resources may allow certain participants to connect to the conversation in a different way.

Click here to view my December video post on different visual tools I use in my work.

#4 - Leave enough time - Creating connection takes time. A best practice in any group coaching work is "Less is more". What might you need to let go of in terms of topics, activities, in order to provide the space for people to be in dialogue?

# 5 - Peer learning partners/buddies - Creating peer partners (twos or threes) can also provide a significant way to keep the conversation flowing and boost connection between some group members. If you are concerned that these connections may create cliques, rotate the pairings. Fro my experience, I have found that people have enjoyed building connection with one or two other peers in the group, and that it has allowed them to go deeper in their own goals and plans. Also, it's always interesting to notice what connections people find, even it pairings are done randomly!

What approaches do you want to bring into your next group coaching process?

Best wishes,
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
 
Join us for an upcoming program - 
Group Coaching Essentials (starts Thursday March 20th at 10:15 am Eastern/New York) - 6.75 CCEs
Mentor Coaching Group for ACC Renewals and ACC/PCC portfolio routes (starting Thursdays 9-10 am ET on Feb 20th running to May 22nd)