Group Coaching Topic Inspiration

Many coaches struggle with identifying a topic or theme for their group coaching programs. Think about your own practice -- what is your niche? How could you develop a group coaching program for your clients? What are the topics of interest to them?

If you don't have a niche, or haven't identified one, reflect on your own passions and purpose. What are you passionate about? Knowledgeable about? What areas would you like to create a forum for others to explore or discover? Make a list of your responses to these questions. What jumps out at you? Could this be one possible topic area? Now make a list of the possible topics you could offer group coaching programs on.

Creating a group coaching program around a topic or theme can assist you with the development of the program, its marketing, while narrowing in on the impact of the program for your clients.

Here is a list of some of the areas coaches are offering group coaching programs in: life-work balance, parenting, financial issues, team building, leadership, business success, career transitions, single parents, grief, entrepreneurship, retirement, teenagers, and college student success.

What inspires you?

Group Coaching Delivery Options

A common question I receive is what does group coaching look like? How do you do it? What a great place to start and get the ball rolling.

How you design a group coaching program will be the topic of a number of different posts, but when you are considering putting together your own group coaching program think about these different delivery options. Do you want your program to be:

• In person?
• By phone?

Will it be:

• an intensive program (an evening, one day, a weekend)
• delivered once a week as a one hour to one-and-a-half hour program
• delivered every other week
• delivered once a month

There are also lots of other combinations and options.

Ask yourself, who do I want to attend the program? What are their needs? Where are they located? When are they available? What is more convenient and effective for them - in person or phone sessions?

As you are looking to develop your group coaching program, think about these questions and make notes. More information about identifying your clients needs will follow at a later date, as will more information on the nuts and bolts of designing your own program.

Group Coaching Essentials Program - January 2006

I'm pleased to announce the January course dates for the Group Coaching Essentials program from Potentials Realized. This program is for coaches who are interested in expanding their one-on-one work to group coaching programs, as well as for coaches who are already doing group coaching are a looking to add some new tools and structures to their tool box.

The course will meet on Tuesdays from 7-8:15 pm (EST) on January 10, 17, 24, and 30th, by phone. We will cover the following topics:

• The Essentials of Group Coaching - how it differs from one-on-one coaching, workshops and retreats
• The Nuts and Bolts - logistics, group size, length, delivery methods
• Creating/Designing Your Own program - tools to create your own program
• Marketing your Group Coaching Program
• Exercises for Group Coaching Programs

There will also be a one-hour group follow-up call one month in late February/early March. I will also meet with each course participant individually before and after the course to discuss your own projects.

The course is packed with tools, structures and activities for your own group coaching programs. By the end of the program, your own group coaching program will be ready to roll!

I will be offering an Early Bird Discount until this Friday, December 9th, making course pricing $200 USD. The regular registration rate of $225 will go into effect as of December 10th. Visa payments are accepted.

The course size is limited to only eight coaches, to facilitate individualized attention and learning. Spaces are filling quickly, so email me (jennifer@potentialsrealized.com) if you'd like to join the Group Coaching Essentials program in January. I hope that you will!

What Lies Ahead

This past weekend I was speaking and exhibiting at the Whole Life Expo here in Toronto. It was a wonderful experience to connect with individuals and practionners here in the Toronto area and to showcase some of the work I am doing with individual and group clients. Now that this event is complete, I'm looking forward to dedicating more regular time to this blog.

So...you may be asking "What lies ahead?". My vision for this blog is to support coaches with information and tips about group coaching. Postings will include discussion on :

• What is, or is there, a connection between group coaching and workshops?
• The Nuts and Bolts- how do you go about it? Logistics? Length? Number of participants?
• Developing your Content
• Marketing -- getting your message out, where group coaching may fit into your overall product mix

For the last fifteen months I have been running a very succesful teleseminar program entitled Training Essentials For Coaches, designed to support coaches to develop their own workshops, retreats and group coaching programs. This program has now been taken by close to a 100 coaches from across North America and as far away as New Zealand. I continue to be amazed at the powerful work coaches who have participated in the program are undertaking around the world!

Given the increasing interest on the part of coaches for more information and support in this area, in January one of the two Training Essentials for Coaches programs will be totally dedicated to supporting coaches who want to develop their own Group Coaching programs. Stay tuned for the launch of this Group Coaching Essentials program. Dates will be announced later this week.

With continued best wishes for your success in group work,

Jennifer

Welcome to the Ins and Outs of Group Coaching

Welcome to the Ins and Outs of Group Coaching! As a Certified Coach (CPCC) who has been facilitating group coaching for several years now, I was very excited to hear about how group coaching is now catching onto the mainstream. As a coach who has been supporting many other coaches in North America over the last year to develop their own group coaching programs, I am hoping to bring this to a wider audience.

My intention with this blog is to provide coaches with tips, tools and information on group coaching, so you can be more successful with your work with group clients and in your business.

The interest is definitely there on the part of coaches, as well as the need for more infomation. After posting an offer to host a free-one hour session on Group Coaching on the Co-Active Network earlier this week, I had 30 coaches sign up in the first twenty-four hours to attend, from across North America, and as far away as New Zealand. Incredible.

Stay tuned for many upcoming posts filled with information and insights!

To your continued success in working with groups,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, CPCC