Group and Team Coaching Focus Areas: a- z part 1

This spring I am doing an a-z look at focus areas for coaching teams and groups over at my Facebook page. 

Here is a through e:

What else would you add as additional areas you have coached teams and groups around? Hope that you will follow future focus areas at my Facebook page.

Have a great week,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, CPCC, PCC
GroupCoachingEssentials.com
Email: info{at}potentialsrealized{dot}com
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (being released this summer!)
Join me for an upcoming program: Group Coaching Essentials starts Friday May 3 at 10 am ET (6.75 CCEs - calls May 3, 10, 17, 31 and June 14) or the Mentor Coaching Group for ACC Renewals and ACC/PCC portfolio routes (Starts Friday May 10 and runs to August 10th at 1:30 pm ET - space limited to 4-6 coaches)
Phone: (416)996-TEAM (8326)

3 Pitfalls for any phone based program - group coaching, teleseminar, teleclass

Phone based programs continue to make up a large percentage of my programming, especially in the winter months. I also really enjoy working with group members all over the world, and this is often one of the consistent pieces of feedback I receive after running teleclasses, virtual retreats and group coaching programs by phone. It is encouraging to see more virtual programs being offered, and being filled.

I've got many posts on what makes phone based program work well, including:
Group Coaching By Phone: 4 Things to Keep in Mind
Virtual Program Tips
Teleclasses and Teleseminars: 5 Tips

So what gets in the way with phone-based (and virtual) programs?

1. Technology - Technology does not always work. Case in point, a new group I started running last week. Everyone except for myself and one other participant dropped off at the hour mark, with no other warning (such as bells indicating that people had left). It was only through the posing of a question to the group, and a email that came in from one of the participants that

Solution: Have a back-up and always let group members know in advance what they should do if they get bounced off the line *i.e. try again and check email for instructions if an alternative bridgeline needs to be accessed.
Don't panic as a facilitator, and keep in mind you may still be heard or visible. I was on a virtual call as a participant a few weeks ago and the faciliator thought that they had lost us. Little did they know that we could in fact hear their swearing and reaction. Do not panic!

2. Lack of connection felt by the group - It is surprising how facilitators overlook how important it is to build connection amongst group members. Connection is an essential ingredient for group coaching, and is an important foundation even with a telesemianr or teleclass which may be more content focused. Engagement levels will be impacted if group members do not feel connected with the host and/or others.

Solution: Consider how you can build connection (as appropriate) amongst group members. If it is an extended program are you giving air time for everyone to speak? Are you encouaging that people send out a bio/photo between calls? For one-off engagements are you posing questions to the group which they can respond to verbally, by email/chat or by using their key pad?

3. The multi-tasking mindset -  The multi-tasking mindset can be common place for many of us. What can you do to capture people's attention and keep it focused.

Solution: Consider these questions: Are you making a request for people to disconnect from other technologies? Are you changing the pace frequently (ie. every 5-7 or 10 min)? Are you creating opportunities for individuals to pause and engage at their desk?

What other pitfalls may exist for you in your phone-based program? What can you do to avoid them?

Have a great week,
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)
Host of the Group Coaching Essentials program (6.75 CCEs starting Friday May 3 at 10:30 am Eastern) and the Mentor Coaching Group (starting Friday May 10 at 9am Eastern)

MindMapping - An essential part of group coaching design

"How do I design a group coaching program" is one of the most common questions I get when I speak

to coaches. From experience, there is always a tension between doing some per-preparation design, and also having this infused buy the group or team participants.

One of the design tools I wrote about in Effective Group Coaching was the MindMap (Refer to chapter 5 on Design).  My Effective Group Coaching Tip today on my Facebook page was in fact a reminder of this handy design tool (see today's blog post photo).

MindMapping is a right-brained tool, originally created by Tony Busan. Business Dictionary.com provides the following definition of mindmapping:

Graphical technique for visualizing connections between several ideas or pieces of information. Each idea or fact is written down and then linked by lines or curves to its major or minor (or following or previous) idea or fact, thus creating a web of relationships. Developed by the UK researcher Tony Buzan in his 1972 book 'Use Your Head,' mind mapping is used in note taking, brainstorming, problem solving, and project planning. Like other mapping techniques its purpose is to focus attention, and to capture and frame knowledge to facilitate sharing of ideas and concepts.

Read more: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/mind-mapping.html#ixzz2Ptfn9TBX

I find mindmapping a terrific tool to capture program ideas as I move through initial deisgn, into pre-program calls, and then program design.

Some professionals my prefer to draw their MindMap by hand. If you prefer using the computer some of the diferent MindMap software you may prefer are:
MindJet.com
MindMeister.com
Buzan's ThinkBuzan.com

There are also a number of great apps available for MindMaping on a iPad or Android. You can see me talk about my experience using MindMapping on an Android tablet here.

The activity I pose in today's Effective Group Coaching tip is to spend 10 minutes MindMapping all of your program ideas for an upcoming program. Capture all of your thoughts around potential themes, questions, activities, venue, to dos etc.

Have a great week!

With best wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, PCC, CPCC
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010)
My newest book - From One to Many - Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching will be released mid-June.
Phone: (416)996-TEAM (8326)
Email: info{at}potentiaslrealized{dot}com

Join me for an upcoming program including the:
 Group Coaching Practicum - 8 CCEs: starts Tuesday April 9th at 4:30 pm Eastern/1:30 pm Pacific. Practice and get feedback on your group coaching skills in the virtual domain. Group calls April 9, 16,

30, May 14, 21 and 28, 2013
Group Coaching Essentials - 6.75 CCEs: starts Thursday April 11th at 10 am Eastern/7 am Pacific. This teleseminar provides coaches with the foundations of group coaching - design, marketing, implementation and exercises. Group calls Thurs 10-11:15 am ET April 11, 19, May 2, 9, 16, 2013. The next program will start in May on Fridays 10-11:15 am ET May 3-31, 2013.
Mentor Coaching Group - For ACC Renewals, and ACC/PCC Portfolio Routes, Fridays 12 - 1 pm ET April 12 - July 12th. 10 hours of mentor coahcing - 7 hours small group calls, 3 hours individual calls. Click here for more info and to register.

Effective Group Coaching Tips #2

Here are some of the recent Effective Group Coaching Tips I've posted at our Facebook page:

For those that are moving their programs into the virtual domain, consider these tips:

For those that are looking for more of a checklist/reminder of things to do/consider before the start of the program:

What other program supports will help you move your group programs into reality this spring?

Have a great week,

Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, PCC, CPCC

Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010)

Email: info{at}potentialsrealized{dot}com

Phone: (416)996-TEAM (8326)

Join me for an upcoming program by phone this month. Programs include: Group Coaching Essentials (6.75 CCEs starting Thursday April 11th at 10 am Eastern - 5 spots open), the Advanced Group Coaching Practicum (8 CCEs starting Tuesday April 9th at 4:30 pm Eastern by phone  - 3 spots open) and the Mentor Coaching Group for ACC Renewals and ACC/PCC portfolio routes (starts Friday April 12th at 12 noon ET - 3 spots open)

Partnering and Marketplace Opportunity - Group Coaching

Joint Partnerships, collaboration and co-facilitation are all avenues coaches may incorporate into their own business growth. We have the potential for the sum of one plus one to be greater than two when we synergize.

Some tips for making partnering work are:
1. Spend time upfront discussing expectations, strengths, vision and where you want to go with your work/project.
2. Look at where overlap and gaps may exist.
3. Create a plan together with specific accountabilities, responsibilities and feedback loop.
4. Discuss how you want to operate as a team.

I often receive requests from coaches for coaches who are interested in reaching out to the group coaching community. I wanted to share with you on such request as a Marketplace Opportunity. This is from Coach Fiona MacNeil who writes:

"Calling All Group Coaches! 

Hi, my name is Fiona MacNeil. I'm looking for several experienced group coaches who want to create an affiliate marketing partnership. If you offer international/virtual group coaching, I have 300K followers on Facebook who'd love to meet you! 

All coaches are invited to send me a "Friend Request" on Facebook. Please send me a private

message with a bit of information about you and your business goals. I look forward to making new 

friends and discovering new opportunities!"

You can reach Fiona via Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CoachFiona.

If you have an opportunity you want to share with the group coaching community as a marketplace opportunity, please contact me.  (Please note that I am not responsible for, or connected to, any business results related to these marketplace opportunities I pass on unless specifically identified.)

Questions to consider:

What partnership opportunities exist for you right now?

What more in your business can you create through partnerships/synergies?

What are your expectations around partnerships? What do you bring to the table that is unique?

What will make your partnership excel?

Have a great week,

Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, PCC, CPCC

GroupCoachingEssentials.com

Phone: (416)996-TEAM (8326)

Upcoming programs include: Group Coaching Essentials (6.75 CCEs starting Thurs April 11 at 10am ET - meeting April 11, 18,  May 2, 9, 16), Advanced Group Coaching Practicum (8 CCEs starting Tuesday April 9 at 4:30 pm ET on April 9, 16, 30, May 7, 21 and 28), and the Mentor Coaching Group starting Friday April 12th and running to July (3 spots open)

 

Mentor Coaching Group for ACC /PCC starts Friday April 12th

Are you an ACC needing to complete your mentor coaching hours for renewal, or a coach who is moving towards their ACC or PCC portfolio route? If so, you may be interested in joining me for an upcoming Mentor Coaching Group. This program meets the 10 hour mentor coaching requirement with the ICF, and is geared to support coaches getting "crisper" with their skills while taking a deep dive around the ICF core coaching competencies.

Held over three months, the program includes 3 hours of individual mentor coaching calls (1 hour taken each of the three months), and seven hours of group mentor coaching calls (maximum 4-5 coaches). Our group calls provide coaches with an opportunity to practice and get feedback on their coaching skills, as well as explore the 11 core competencies, and are supported by written module notes.  The program is held by phone so you can participate from wherever you are located.

The next Mentor Coaching Group starts Friday April 12th. We will be meeting by phone on Fridays from 12-1 pm Eastern/NY/Toronto on April 12, 19* , 26, May 3, 10, 31, June 14 (*Note April 19th call may be rescheduled to May 17). We will hold a monthly 1-1 coaching call in May, June and early July. If there is a date you cannot make, calls are recorded.

Here's what alumni of the program have said:

"Jennifer is a coach’s coach . I hired her to fulfill the mentor coaching requirement for renewing my ICF credential and came away with much more." - Shirin Khamisa, Coach and HeartMath Provider, www.careersbydesign.ca

"Done as Jennifer does it, I would only ever recommend Mentor Coaching in a group setting (barring the 3 hours of individual hours required). It opened me to considering new ways of providing coach work in the world. Jennifer's way of working with the group modeled best practice for group coaching and facilitation. She is a professional through and through, showing up authentically with felt presence. She provided a space that allowed for the experience to be effective, compassionate and inspirational" - Kathy Igoe, ACC, 2011 President of Professional Coaches Association of Michigan

Cost: $1000 US or CDN(plus HST), payable in 1, 2 or 3 installments

For more information and to register please click here.

I hope that you will join me for an upcoming Mentor Coaching Group.

Warm regards,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, PCC, CPCC
GroupCoachingEssentials.com
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010)
Phone: (416)996-8326

Effective Group Coaching Tips -

A number of followers have indicated how much they enjoy the Effective Group Coaching Tips I post on my Effective Group Coaching Facebook page. If you haven't been following me yet there, here's a collection from March which you may enjoy.

What Effective Group Coaching tips will support you in your work right now?

Have a great weekend!

Best wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, PCC, CPCC
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010)
Phone: (416)996-TEAM
Join us for an upcoming program including the Group Coaching Essentials (6.75 CCEs) starting Thurs April 11 at 10 am ET, the Advanced Group Coaching Practicum (8 CCEs) starting Tues April 9 at 4:30 pm Eastern and the Mentor Coaching Group (for ACC Renewals and ACC/PCC portfolio routes) starting Friday April 12 at 12 noon ET.