What's your vision for group and team programs in 2015?

As we start to wind down the year, what is your vision for group and team programs in 2015? What do

you want to create? Where do you want to put your attention?

I love this time of year! This week especially provides us with a quieter time to grab a few minutes to put energy and clarity behind a vision for the new year. I would encourage you to carve out 10-15 minutes in the next few days (if you haven't done so already) to capture your vision for 2015 and your group or team programs. Write it out, draw it out, capture it!

Some of the vision questions I like to ask my clients at this time of year are:

1. What have been your major achievements this year?
2. What are you most proud of?
3. What really gave you leverage?
4. What successes have your clients found because of your work together?
5. If you had to summarize the essence of 2014 in three words, what would they be?
6. What do you need to leave behind in 2014? What's important about this?
7. As you look to 2015, what do you want your driving force, or your WHY, to be?
8. Where do you want to place your focus in 2015?
9. The most amazing thing that I could create in 2015 is.....
10. What's going to be most important for me in 2015 is....
11. A habit or practice I am going to bring forward in 2015 is....
12. I want to do more of _____ in 2015, and less of ____ in 2015.
13. The strengths I really want to utilize in the new year are...
14. Three words that describe my annual theme for 2015 are ......

A few weeks ago, I launched an on-demand Virtual Retreat to support you in creating your vision and plan for the coming year, while also exploring your own leadership foundations. Entitled the Inner BizLeader(TM) Virtual Retreat this program takes you through six to seven hours of structured exercises and worksheets, plus three hours of audio and video from me. With this on-demand format, you can revisit and complete the retreat every three, to six, or twelve months if you would like, to see what's changed and where you are going. The course is hosted on Udemy and regularly costs $199 US. For the next two days (until December 31st) you can access it at a discounted rate of $127 US. Please use this link to access the special registration rate.

Listen into a ten minute audio I've made available to everyone on visioning from the Inner BizLeader(TM) program here (See the preview visioning audio file).

Enjoy your own vision session!

Best wishes,
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 us for a 2015 program including the Group Coaching Essentials teleseminar starting Thursday January 8th (6.75 CCEs),  the 10 week Virtual Facilitation Skills program starting Thursday January 15th at 11:45 am ET OR one of the Mentor Coaching Groups (for ACC Renewal and ACC/PCC portfolio routes) starting Monday January 12 or Friday January 30th.

Have you watched my 2014 Year End Annual Group Programs Screencast which covers some of the trends we've seen this past year in group and team programs? You can access it here.

11th Annual Year End Group Programs Call with Jennifer Britton

This week it was a pleasure to host two separate events in honor of the 11th Annual Year End Group Programs call. This call has been an annual tradition for me since my first year of business, where I highlight some of the trends in the world of group programs. Even as the world of business has changed, I know many of you look forward to this call, and listen to it over the holidays when you have more time.

This year I wanted to bring you the content in two different ways:

The first, as a 45 minute screen cast, which as you will see, will take you through some key highlights from 2014 for group and team coaching, some 2015 possibilities for our work, and a couple of activities to support you in reflecting on your year, and what lies ahead for you. The nice thing about the screen cast is you can watch it on demand as your time allows.

You can view the 45 minute screen cast here - so please grab a coffee, a note pad (for the two activities) and a comfy chair:

I also hosted a shorter 30 minute call for those who were interested in more of the traditional drop in call (no screensharing) which you can listen to here. The focus does not go as deep, nor does it include the exercises the screencast does. You can listen to that here (flash required which may make it difficult to listen to on mobile devices):

Loading the player ...

Next year, I will be continuing to offer either the screen cast or drop in call for the alumni community every quarter. Depending on your questions and interest, I may also be supplementing this with other screen casts and videos.

What are your biggest questions about group and team coaching for 2015? Feel free to send them to me and I can spotlight them in one these upcoming calls, videos or screencasts.

It's also that time of year for creating and developing a vision for 2015. While I continue to offer virtual business retreats a couple of times a year, I know it is hard for many of you to attend live. I am really pleased to announce that I now offer a virtual retreat you can access 24/7 at your own pace. For those interested in taking advantage of the special rate for my newest on-demand course - the Inner Biz Leader(TM) Virtual Business Planning Retreat - you can save $100 on this seven hour virtual business planning retreat by using this special link to register for the program on Udemy. there are 14 spots available at the special pricing of $97 US (instead of $197) for the first 14 who take advantage of it before the coupons run out or December 17th (at midnight PT). Again this is a video based virtual retreat program which includes seven hours of structured activities to support you in creating your vision and plan for 2015, along with exploring your own internal (inner) business foundations - strengths, values and opportunities. Enjoy!

Have a great holiday!
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 us for a 2015 program including the Group Coaching Essentials teleseminar starting Thursday January 8th (6.75 CCEs),  the 10 week Virtual Facilitation Skills program starting Thursday January 15th at 11:45 am ET OR one of the Mentor Coaching Groups (for ACC Renewal and ACC/PCC portfolio routes) starting Monday January 12 or Friday January 30th.
 
You can also access our NEW On-Demand Inner Biz Leader(TM) Virtual Business Planning Retreat for Leaders and Business Owners at Udemy 24/7, 365 days a year!

Top Ten Group and Team Coaching Posts of 2014

As we start to wind down the year it's an opportunity to take stock of the year, what's changed and what

may lay ahead.

I'll be hosting my Annual Year End call later this week. One of the continued changes this year is that coaches continue to enjoy the on-demand format of learning. If you would like to join me "live" for this annual year end tradition, please join me this Friday December 12th  at 2 pm Eastern/Toronto at 1-857-232-0155 access 503003. The call will run for 30 minutes. Your only cost is your own long distance charges, and of course, your time! I'll post the link next week to the recording, in case you are not able to make it.

For the next few weeks we'll take a look back at some of the key themes and favorites for the year and what lies ahead, starting with today's post on the Top most-read posts for 2014. Enjoy!

I started with the top five and then realized that there were way more than five posts this past year that were widely read. Here are some of the most widely read for the year (in random order):

Four Stretch Points for Group and Team Coaches: January 27, 2014: Read it here

Audio Post - Group and Team Coaching Process: June 14, 2014: Read it here

March Video - Virtual Programming: March 24, 2014:  Read it here.

Team Coaching and Team Building - March 3, 2014 and Feb Newsletter: Read it here

Creating Conversation Amongst Group Members - February 2014: Read it here

Four Facilitation Tehcniques to Benefit Any Team or Group Coach - September 15, 2014: Read it here

Key  Elements In Starting a Group or Team Coaching Engagement - August 18, 2014: Read it here

Five From One to Many Tips - August 9, 2014: Read Here

Four Neuroscience and Learning Considerations with Group Coaching (July 31, 2014) - Read here

Which posts have been your favorite? What would you like to see covered in 2015? As always, please feel free to comment below.

With best wishes
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 us for a 2015 program including the Group Coaching Essentials teleseminar starting Thursday January 8th (6.75 CCEs),  the 10 week Virtual Facilitation Skills program.
You can also access our NEW On-Demand Inner Biz Leader(TM) Virtual Business Planning Retreat for Leaders and Business Owners at Udemy

Group Coaching Essentials teleseminar for 2014 starts Tuesday Nov 25 at 12:45 pm ET: 6.75 CCEs

Are you looking to get your own group coaching work out into the world in 2015? Looking to not have to reinvent the wheel by building onto best practices, and also wanting to create something unique for your own client groups? The last Group Coaching Essentials teleseminar series for 2014 will start tomorrow, Tuesday November 25th and will run on Tuesdays and Thursdays (no class November 27th) until December 11th. The program is approved for 6.75 CCEs with the ICF.

Over this accelerated three week period, each call you'll be breathing life into the design, approaches, marketing and implementation of your program. Calls are 75 minutes each and will be held on Tuesdays from 12:45 - 2 pm ET/New York, and Thursdays from 1 - 2:15 pm ET/New York. Short assignments accompany each session so you can end the program with a draft in hand.

We'll be exploring topics including:
* What can group coaching look like?  How does it differ from 1-1 coaching?
* What best practices underpin this work?
* Exercises and Resources to incorporate into your work
* Structuring a program for your client needs (whether it is in person, virtual, corporate or public)
*  Tricky Issues
* Marketing your programming - promotion, finding your sweetspot, pricing

In addition to the five group calls you will have access to me for short 1-1 15 minute lazer calls, and will also benefit from session module notes, which include a number of resource links for you to follow-up with. Cost: $425 US. Calls are recorded if you can't make a session.

I hope that you'll jump in and join us to start bringing your group program ideas to life for 2014!

Best wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, PCC, CPCC
GroupCoachingEssentials
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2009) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013)

Three Practices for Gratitude

As we move into the year-end holiday season it’s an opportunity to stop and pause, as well as connect

with those we might not see regularly. It is an opportune time to be grateful. Gratitude as a practice has many physiological and psychological benefits, including higher levels of optimism, increased positivity, more pro-social relationships , happier relationships, and also lower levels of toxic thoughts.

This fall I returned to school as a student and participate in the first Positive Psychology MOOC (Massive Online Open Enrollment Course) hosted by University of Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center.  As we explored the research around gratitude I was not surprised about the impact of gratitude. As many of you know I spent several years working in youth leadership development in the late 1980s and early 1990s. One of the most popular books at the time was “10,000 things to be happy about”. My own lists of “things to be happy about” became a standard practice for my work throughout Algonquin Park  and throughout my decade plus of journaling while I worked globally with international NGOs and the UN.   Through some of the more stressful moments of my leadership experiences globally these lists remained a beacon of light and grounding for me.

As coaches, many of our clients are looking to create more space to pause and practice gratitude. Today’s blog post looks at three practices which focus on gratitude. 

Practice #1 - Gratitude Journal

The practice of keeping a gratitude journal has been shown to be very effective as a practice. Keeping a journal of things you are grateful for is a great way to also focus attention. As a practice, set aside time once a week to write down five things you are grateful for. Use this as an opportunity to connect with the experience, how it made you feel as well as other details. Interestingly enough researchers have found that journaling too frequently did not have the same impact of doing it once a week.

Practice #2 - Take It Online - A Digital Gratitude Journal

The Center for Greater Good has launched an online digital gratitude journal to study the impact of gratitude. Entited, Thnx4u.org, you can access it at: http://thnx4.org/. Similar to the paper based Gratitude Journal idea,  this digital approach may hold appeal for some of the clients you work with who prefer the online experience.

Practice #3 - Gratitude Letter

A third practice is to write a letter to someone you are grateful to. Describe what you are grateful for, and plan to share this with them, in person, by phone. The act of sharing it is as important as writing the letter. Who are you grateful for?

On the group and team realm, these are all practices people can undertake individually. It can also be useful to build in time during team and group coaching  sessions for sharing gratitude and acknowledgements across the team or group.

Positive psychology and neuroscience are two key areas coaches can benefit learning from, and sharing with their clients. What's on your learning list for 2015?

What other approaches and practices do you recommend around gratitude? As always, please feel free to comment below.

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 us for one of our year end 2014 programs which include:

The Group Coaching Essentials teleseminar - Tues/Thurs 1 - 2:15 pm ET November 25, December 2, 4, 9 and 11, 2014 (6.75 CCEs)

The two day in person Facilitation Skills Intensive (a two day train-the-trainer): December 15-16, 2014 (Downtown Toronto)

Virtual Business Planning Retreat for Coaches - Wednesdays 4:30 -7:30 pm ET by phone: December 3 and 10, 2014.

Posted by Jennifer Britton at 9:31 AM

Virtual Facilitation Skills Intensive - November 25-26, 2014

Are you looking to add teleclasses, webinars or virtual group or team coaching to your mix for

2015? Looking for resources and practice to support you in acquiring and sharpening your skills as a virtual facilitator? Join Effective Group Coaching author Jennifer Britton for a two day online train-the-trainer. Since 2004 Jenn has led thousands of hours in the virtual classroom - from skype, to zoom, to bridgelines and webinars. She has packaged up her most critical tips, tools and resources in the two day Virtual Facilitation Intensive. It is a two day online train-the-trainer, where you not only learn, but get to practice facilitation in the virtual environment.

The program will be held on Tuesday November 25 and Wednesday November 26th online from 8:00 - 4:30 pm ET.

Topics we will cover:
Foundations of Adult Education andVirtual Learning
Core Virtual Faciltiation Skills
Designing Powerful Virtual Programs
Systems for Virtual Facilitation - Skype, Zoom, Bridgelines, Webinar
Tools and Resources for Facilitation (creating connection, consensus building, strategic planning, openers and closers etc)
Engagement issues
Tricky issues and Dificult Participants
plus you will have multiple opportunities to practice and get feedback on your skills.

What you will need:
Access to a computer and long distance phone throughout the two days
Skype account

We will be taking breaks throughout the two days, just as in a face-to-face environment. Further details will be sent out about other preparation to make the most of the two days.

Your registration includes:
The two-day program
A program e-manual
A dozen templates to support you in  your own virtual programming work
A pre-call with me
A follow-up group call in mid-December (to be set by group)

Cost: $950 US (payable in one or two installments)

Click here to learn more and register. Space is limited to 5-6 participants.

Questions? Please email me or phone (416)996-8326

With best wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, PCC
Author of Effective Group Coaching and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching
(416)996-8326

Prefer to learn in person? There are still spots in the two day Facilitation Skills Intensive program which will be held in Downtown Toronto on Monday December 15 and Tuesday December 16. More information at FacilitationSkillsIntensive.com.

Virtual Facilitation Tips 13 and 14

Today's post covers virtual facilitation tips 13 and 14. In a couple of weeks on November 25 and 26th I will be hosting a two day Virtual Facilitation Skills Intensive, a two-day online train-the-trainer for coaches and other professionals who want to sharpen their virtual facilitation skills. We'll be covering the A-Z of virtual facilitation, including giving you practice on many different platforms. You can read more about the program here and reserve your spot here.

Today we're going to look at virtual facilitation tips 13 and 14:

 Virtual Facilitation Tip 13 encourages us to leave space and time for silence. Many facilitators may initially feel uncomfortable with silence on the line, and it is important to leave time for reflection, capturing thoughts and getting grounded. What is the pace of the program you are running? Is it too fast? Too slow? When you do have multiple touch-points with a group, and trust and connection is formed, you will likely find that there is less "itchyness" around pauses and silence. Having a timer or clock with a second hand at your desk is useful to really see how long it takes. If you are using a shared whiteboard, you may also want to specify how much time people have for reflection (i.e. over the next two minutes I am going to invite you to...) and share the countdown timer with them.

Virtual Faciltiation tip 14 encourges us to have a back-up for recording. Many of your group members may want to go back at a future date and listen back/watch the recording of the call. Most bridgeline services offer this option. As a facilitator you will want to know how to record, share and download the recordings. Always have a back up as sometimes the original recording does not work. My back up is usually the voice recorder on my computer system, and I file away my recordings using One Note.
For your original bridgeline recording services you may be using free ones (which still do incur a long-distance charge to dial into) such as FreeConferenceCalling.com or FreeConferencing.com, or a paid service such as Maestro Conferencing. Part of your own development as a virtual facilitator will be to explore these different options, to explore the pros and cons of each and see which ones you like. We'll be covering this in a few weeks at the Virtual Facilitation Intensive.

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

Group and Team Coaching : Four Key Areas

This past weekend I hosted the Group and Team Coaching  Intensive here in Toronto and had the

chance to work with an exceptional group of coaches. Over the weekend we took a deep dive into the best practices, skills and approaches to working with groups and teams as a coach. We looked at the benefits of group coaching, as well as expanding our toolbox with resources.

I thought that you might be interested in some of the key themes we touched on throughout the weekend including:

1. Having a variety of tools to draw on makes your work with groups and teams even richer and more powerful. AS you move through the coming weeks take stock of everything you already have in your toolbox. Placing these on a MindMap can be really useful as a one page resource, as well as seeing these laid out with possible interconnections.

2. Group coaching is  a small group intimate conversation which takes place over multiple touch points. While we can being group coaching approaches into workshops, teleclasses, the real coaching conversations which take place in groups require trust and connection. This means that the smaller the group, the better. In fact, most coaching groups may only be 4-8 group members. Here's a link to one of my 2011 articles which appeared in Choice Magazine, exploring what else is important in group coaching.

3. Group and Team Coaching is an extension of the core coaching competencies. Here's a link to the International Coach Federation competency model which should underpin every group and team coaching conversation. Team and group coaching approaches are grounded in goals (as set by the clients - individual and collective (especially with teams) and provides accountability for movement and insights. Group and Team coaching is a sustained series of conversations, supporting groups and teams through the process of change.

4. Where we place attention: In a team coaching conversation we want to place emphasis on the collective focus of the team, and sometimes the individual development of each member. In group coaching it is more likely to be focusing on the individual development of each member especially if there is no bond that draws them together on a regular basis outside of the coaching.

As you consider the work you have been undertaking, or the work you are creating, what do you notice about key themes and areas which are important.

Have a great week,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, PCC, CPCC, CPT
GroupCoachingEssentials.com | Potentials Realized
(416)996-8326

Join us for an upcoming program including:
Group Coaching Essentials teleseminar (6.75 CCEs with ICF): Fridays 10:15 - 11:30 am ET November 7, 14, 21, December 5 and 12. A resource rich look at best practices and techniques around design, implementation and marketing your programs.
Mentor Coaching Group - For ICF Credentialing - Mondays 9-10 am ET/New York: November 10 - February 10, 2015. 10 hours including 7 hrs of group calls.
Virtual Facilitation Skills Intensive - A two day online train the trainer geared for those who want to run virtual programs (webinars, teleclasses, virtual retreats  etc) Tuesday November 25-Wednesday November 26.

November 1-2 Group and Team Coaching Intensive (15 CCEs) - Now join us virtually or In person

I'm so excited to be welcoming many of you to Toronto next weekend - November 1 and 2 (Saturday and Sunday) for the two day Group and Team Coaching Intensive program. We have just opened 5 spots for virtual attendees to attend the two day program. For those of you have always wanted to attend but don't have a passport, are too busy to travel, this is the time!

Virtual attendees will be ACTIVE Participants and will be joining us around the table via Group Video Skype as well as conference call and other technology programs. We're going to be innovating ourselves

with this blended live and virtual learning environments.

I'm so excited about this that I've recorded a short 6 minute audio about what we are doing and what you can expect with the program.

Listen to it here:

Loading the player ...

Some of the things we'll be covering include:
What is group and team coaching exactly?
How do you structure your sessions?
Core skills for group and team coaching?
Growing Your Toolbox - Exercises, resources and tools for group and team coaching
How do you do this work virtually - We're going to be modelling it.
Positioning this work
Tricky issues and group development

Whether you are in the room or on group skype you will be an ACTIVE participant. No dialing in and sleeping, you will be facilitating some of the sessions and gaining feedback and confidence. It's a small group learning experience of 10. Past participants have found the connections, and conversation invaluable in their work!

In addition to the two days of training you'll receive

• A binder full of resources, exercises and a place to put all your learning
• A copy of one of my books - Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010) or From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013)
• A pre-call with me (15 min one-on-one)
• A follow-up group call
• 15 CCEs upon successful completion of the program (including 13 hours of core competencies)

Cost: $1095 CDN plus HST for in person (register with a colleague and each save $200 plus tax) OR $850 US for the virtual option

Register at GroupCoachingIntensive.com (and also download more about the virtual option there.

Questions? Please call me at (416)996-8326 or email me at info@potentialsrealized.com

Jennifer Britton, PCC, CPCC
GroupCoachingEssentials.com

Virtual Facilitation Tips 9 and 10

We're continuing in the vein of virtual facilitation. Increasingly learning and other events are going online. Just today I added a virtual attendee option for those who want to join me for the Two day Group and Team Coaching Intensive training program but can't travel to Toronto for it next weekend on November 1-2 (approved for 15 CCEs with the ICF).  I'll be bringing to live many of these tips, especially around engagement as the in person and virtual participants connect to create learning over the two days. Click here to read more about it.

Virtual Facilitation Tip #9 is to always have a back up. Make sure you know, and your group members know, what to do in the event of technology failure. Bridgelines can go down, skype can freeze, people can have challenges accessing the online environment. What are the issues you are concerned with? What are your back up plans? Don't just consider back up plan one, but consider contingency two and three.

Virtual Facilitation Tip #10 is one that I pay particular attention to, especially since details are not always my strong suit. Virtual Facilitation tip 10 gets you to think about double (and triple) checking bridgeline access codes, dates, times, links and other details you send out.

From a quality perspective, run it by a co-worker, or if you work alone, draft it in the morning and review it later in the day. Check the links and make sure they work!

Nothing is more frustrating at the start of a call then sitting on a bridgeline where no one else is, and realizing that you don't actually have the right access code. If you plan on sending out a reminder email just before the call (or in the hour leading up to it), make sure it's right!

What do you need to do to build in a quality review to your work?

Have a great week!

Jennifer

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

Join us for an upcoming program including:
Group and Team Coaching Intensive (15 CCEs) - Saturday/Sunday November 1-2 (8:30 - 4:30 pm GroupCoachingIntensive.com for more info and registration.
Eastern/Toronto) either in-person or now participate live via group video skype. Visit

Virtual Facilitation Skills Intensive - November 25-26 - online (8-4 pm ET both days)

Two Guest Articles on Group Coaching

I am always pleased to write articles for other bloggers and newsletters. I thought that you, and your clients, might benefit from two recent articles I wrote:

The most recent appears over at The Coaching Tools Company entitled Add Group and Team Coaching to Expand Your Practice! Some quick ideas for those who are thinking about adding group and team coaching to their mix during 2015. You can read the article here.

The second article appears at OnPoint Leadership's blog and is more geared to the corporate audience who want to learn more about how group coaching can benefit their organization.  The article is entitled "Group Coaching: Expanding the Coaching Conversation". You can read the article here

Enjoy!

With best wishes,
Jennifer


Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, PCC
Potentials Realized | Group Coaching Essentials
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2009) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (,ossey-Bass, 2013)
Conversation Sparker Cards(TM) - a visual deck to bring into your coaching, team meetings, workshops and retreats
(416)996-8326

Join us for an upcoming program -
Virtual Facilitation Skills Intensive - a 15 hour program geared to equip you with virtual facilitation skills and practice. Two days Tuesday November 25 and Wednesday November 26: 8:30 - 4 pm plus 1 hour group follow-up call.
 Mentor Coaching Group - For ACC Renewals and ACC/PCC portfolio - 10 hours (meets  ICF requirement for mentor coaching - 7 hrs group calls, 3 hours individuals). Fridays 9-10 am ET running October 10 - January 9, 2015.
Year End Virtual BizPlanning Retreat for Coaches - Wednesdays 6-8pm ET: November 19, December 3, and 10, 2014
The Group and Team Coaching Intensive - November 1-2: Toronto (15 CCEs) - Register with a colleague and each save $200 off your registration.

Online/Virtual Facilitation Tips 7 and 8

Today we are going to look at Virtual Facilitation Tips 7 and 8. Whether you are running a webinar, a virtual group coaching program or a teleclass, some tweaks to your usual facilitation style is critical in the virtual environment.

Virtual Tip #7 is an encouragement to simulate the smaller group experience, typical in an in-person environment, through using virtual breakout groups. Paid services such as MaestroConferencing have breakout capability, as does free bridgeline service FreeConferencing.com.

Once group members become comfortable moving from "room" to "room" you may find multiple requests for the smaller group process. This also provides participants with the opportunity to experience and practice peer coaching skills, for those who are running group coaching programs.

Clarifying expectiations which learners have, and where possible, co-creating expectations for the virtual learning process can serve to reduce tricky issues and increase engagement. What are your group members expectations? What are your expectations of them and their engagement. Created shared ways of working (or group agreements or ground rules) will support all group members in focusing, really being present, and engaging. This also helps us to mitigate against one of the most common challenges of virutal learning today - the Death By Conference Call Syndrome.

Activity:
Clarify what your expectations are and discover what group member's expectations are for the entire learning process. This may cover topics such as pre-work, post-work, participation, engagement, starting and ending on time, confidentiality etc.

Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, PCC
Potentials Realized | Group Coaching Essentials
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2009) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (,ossey-Bass, 2013)
Conversation Sparker Cards(TM) - a visual deck to bring into your coaching, team meetings, workshops and retreats
(416)996-8326

Join us for an upcoming program -
Virtual Facilitation Skills Intensive - a 15 hour program geared to equip you with virtual facilitation skills and practice. Two days Tuesday November 25 and Wednesday November 26: 8:30 - 4 pm plus 1 hour group follow-up call.
 Mentor Coaching Group - For ACC Renewals and ACC/PCC portfolio - 10 hours (meets  ICF requirement for mentor coaching - 7 hrs group calls, 3 hours individuals). Fridays 9-10 am ET running October 10 - January 9, 2015.
The Group and Team Coaching Intensive - November 1-2: Toronto (15 CCEs) - Register with a colleague and each save $200 off your registration.

Quick Reminder: Mentor Coaching Group (ACC/PCC) starts Friday at 9 am Eastern

Are you wanting to apply for an ICF credential (ACC or PCC) or are an ACC renewal and need to complete your mentor coaching hours? Consider joining me for the Mentor Coaching Group, a ten hour

mentor coaching program which consists of seven hours of small group mentoring (usually between 3-6 coaches) and three hours of individual mentor coaching with me. This is all done by phone.

The focus of the program is to take a deeper dive into the 11 core coaching competencies AND support you in sharpening your skills. The small group learning environment also provides you with the advantage of seeing and learning from other coaching approaches, recommended resources and colleagues.

I will be starting another group this friday, October 10th which will run for the next 3 months to early January. Seven group calls will be held on Fridays from 9-10 am Eastern/Toronto on October 10, 24, 31, Nov 14, 21, December 5 and January 9th. The three one on one calls are scheduled at a time mutually convenient. Cost for the 10 hour program is $1000 US (or $1000 CDN plus HST).

The timing is ideal for ACCs who need to renew now, or those who want to get their application in early in the new year!

Each group call is also supported by weekly module notes which many coaches have indicated are useful in helping them prepare for the new ICF Coach Knowledge Assessment.

The program has been running since 2011 and has supported dozens through the renewal and credentialing process.

"Jenn is a top-notch mentor and facilitator. She has designed a comprehensive yet time-efficient program to help coaches assess their skills and focus on how to improve. Her direct manner and no-nonsense approach affirm and encourage each participant to learn as much as they can from her, from each other, and from the program." - Lee Weisser, ACC

Two spots are still open in Friday's group - more info and registration here.

Hope that you will join us!

Best wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, PCC
Potentials Realized | Group Coaching Essentials
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2009) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (,ossey-Bass, 2013)
Conversation Sparker Cards(TM) - a visual deck to bring into your coaching, team meetings, workshops and retreats
(416)996-8326

Virtual Facilitation Tips 5 - 6

Today we bring in the Virtual Facilitation Tips 5 and 6. As you consider these, which could you incorporate into your own upcoming programs:

A downfall for new facilitators is in the assumption that  things will take the same amount of time in the virtual environment as it does in the in person realm. I would be interested in knowing if anyone has references towards what the exact difference is. As a practitioner I will often double the time for set up and instructions and checking in. As a group evolves and gets more comfortable with the technology and our processes this often becomes shorter.

 Engagement is a critical isssue in the virtual environment. In working with adults we often talk about the importance of changing the pace and engaging every 7-10 minutes. In the virtual environment this timeframe gets condensed to every few minutes at maximum.

What are the different approaches you can use to engage your groups virtually?
Consider - a poll
 - a question to answer on chat
- something for people to look at (video/photo/cartoon)
- a white board activity where people use pens/symbols etc
- other?


Have a great week,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, PCC
Potentials Realized | Group Coaching Essentials
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2009) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (,ossey-Bass, 2013)
Conversation Sparker Cards(TM) - a visual deck to bring into your coaching, team meetings, workshops and retreats
(416)996-8326

Join us for an upcoming program -
The Group Coaching Essentials teleseminar (6.75 CCEs) - road-tested tips and ideas for designing, marketing and running your own group coaching work - by phone: Tuesdays 7-8:15 pm Eastern/NY starting October 7th (Calls October 7, 14, 21, November 4 and 11)
Virtual Facilitation Skills Intensive - a 15 hour program geared to equip you with facilitation skills and practice.Groups starting Wednesday evenings 6:30 - 8 pm Eastern/New York starting October 8 (10 weeks runs to December 10)
Mentor Coaching Group - For ACC Renewals and ACC/PCC portfolio - 10 hours (meets  ICF requirement for mentor coaching - 7 hrs group calls, 3 hours individuals). Fridays 9-10 am ET running October 10 - January 9, 2015.
The Group and Team Coaching Intensive - November 1-2: Toronto (15 CCEs) - Register with a colleague and each save $200 off your registration.
 

Group and Team Coaching Intensive Toronto: Nov 1-2: Early Bird ends Sept 30

I am looking forward to working with a small group of coaches and other professionals at the Group and
Team Coaching Intensive which will be held in Toronto on the weekend of November 1st and 2nd. Our Early Bird rate (with savings of more than $240 plus taxes) will be on until September 30th.

This is a two day in-person training program on group and team coaching issues. We cover skills and best practices around group and team coaching in the areas of design, marketing and implementation. Participants also have numerous opportunities to practice their skills and receive feedback. You will leave the program with a clearer sense of what team and group coaching are and how it can fit in your work

Registration includes:
* 15 hours of instruction approved for 15 hours of CCEs with the ICF (including 13 hours core competencies)
* a 15 minute pre-call with me
* a group follow-up call one month after the event
* a copy of either one of my books, Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2009) or From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013)
* A robust manual to take back to the office (more than 90 pages of content!)

Hours: 8:30 - 5 pm Saturday, 8:30 - 4 pm Sunday

Here a list of fifteen things you will learn during our two days together (This will take you to the Group Coaching Intensive website).

Here's a short video with comments from participant's from this past summer's Intensive in Muskoka.

I hope that you will join us!

Please contact me for more information on venue etc - by phone at (416)996-8326 or email.

Five spots are still open - hope that you will join us!

Click here to learn more and register, including a two option installment payment.

Early Bird cost: $850 plus HST. Pricing increases to $1095 plus HST on October 1st.

More information at GroupCoachingIntensive.com.

Best wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Jennifer Britton, MES, CPCC, PCC
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2009) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013)
Conversation Sparker Cards(TM) - a visual deck to bring into your coaching, team meetings, workshops and retreats
(416)996-8326

Virtual Facilitation Tips - Tips 1-4

As coaches a number of us never meet our clients face-to-face, connecting via skype or even phone. Looking at the last eleven years of my work with my clients a bulk of our connections and work has been across distance. I would put these conversations as impactful as those I have when I am able to sit down face-to-face with clients.

When moving to the group coaching realm, a lot of coaches have questions about key best practices for virtual work. Again, my experience in hosting virtual group coaching for more than a decade now, is that this work can be just as powerful, and sometimes more so in the virtual environment. As long as group size is conducive to connection and trust, the anonymity of the phone can in fact create more safety for some group members.

Inspired by the conversations I've had in training coaches though the Group Coaching Essentials and Practicum programs, as well as during the Virtual Facilitation Skills Intensive programs, I was inspired to start a new series this fall of tips. These are posted at our Effective Group Coaching Facebook page, and I know that not everyone does Facebook. So, here are the first of the series.

As you read them, consider what approaches and tips you will want to incorporate into your virtual work - whether it is a webinar, teleclass, teleseminar or virtual group coaching program:

Have a great start to the week!

With best wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Jennifer Britton, MES, CPCC, PCC
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2009) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (,ossey-Bass, 2013)
Conversation Sparker Cards(TM) - a visual deck to bring into your coaching, team meetings, workshops and retreats
(416)996-8326

Join us for an upcoming program -
The Group Coaching Essentials teleseminar (6.75 CCEs) - road-tested tips and ideas for designing, marketing and running your own group coaching work - by phone: Tuesdays 7-8:15 pm Eastern/NY starting October 7th
Virtual Facilitation Skills Intensive - a 15 hour program geared to equip you with facilitation skills and practice.Groups starting Wednesday evenings 6:30 - 8 pm Eastern/New York starting October 8 (10 weeks runs to December 10)
Mentor Coaching Group - For ACC Renewals and ACC/PCC portfolio - 10 hours (meets  ICF requirement for mentor coaching - 7 hrs group calls, 3 hours individuals). Mondays 10:30 - 11:30 am Eastern with group calls on September 29, October 6, October 20, November 3, 10, 17 and December 8^th, plus a short call on December 29th.

Four Facilitation Techiques to Benefit any Group or Team Coach

Four Facilitation Techniques to Benefit Any Group or Team Coaching
by Jennifer Britton, CPCC, PCC. Copyright 2014 - All Rights Reserved

Group coaching is a fusion of our core coaching competencies, supported by additional skills from the facilitation realm.

Masterful group coaches have a variety of facilitation skills at their fingertips to support groups in prioritizing, conversing and moving through the rough patches teams and groups can go through.
Today's blog post explores four facilitation areas caoches can benefit from.

Number one, prioritization techniques. From using post-its to colored dots, helping group and team members prioritize the focus is key in the coaching conversation. With groups, lack of focus can feel like a scattered process for group members. Goals form the anchor points of any coaching process, and coaches will want to consider spending time having group members identify key goals they want to work on throughout the coaching process. Session by session/conversation by conversation you wil want to leave space for group members checking in around their process. Actual sessions may focus on exploring these goals and related issues such as enablers, beliefs, strengths, vision etc.

Six Hats: DeBono's Six Hats model provides teams and individual group members with a  structured process to unpackage and unlayer issues facing themselves. You can read about the six hats here.

Each of the six hats represents a different way to "think" about the issue. For example, you might be working with a team who is struggling to get results. Over the course of one or more conversations you may be exploring different perspectives around the issues. The yellow hat (like the sun) encourages the team to explore the issue from the optimists perspective. The black hat takes the opposite - the pessimists view. What do these perspectives infuse into the commitments for the team/group?


SWOT - The SWOT is an age-old strategic planning tool. Many coaches will find that this tool provides

teams and groups the opportunity to identify and explore their individual terrain (strengths and weaknesses), along with opportunities and threats (their external terrain).

Whether it is a 20 minute conversation or something more extended, the SWOT often provides a safe space for some teams to raise issues which have been under the surface. Of course, it is also a useful foundation for teams to continue to build upon as they move forward.

Force Field Analysis -Coaching is a process of change, and gap analysis is critical in helping clients (team, group and individual) articulate where they are now, where they want to go, and what's in the way. Force Field Analysis encourages groups to explore what are those factors that are enabling change, and which are in the way. You can work with the group/team to use different colors and/or boldness to identify the strengths of these factors.

As you consider your next team or group coaching engagement, how might you be able to incorporate one of these tools? Which one would add a layer onto the work you are doing?

Have a great week!

Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, CPCC, PCC
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2009) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (,ossey-Bass, 2013)
Conversation Sparker Cards(TM) - a visual deck to bring into your coaching, team meetings, workshops and retreats
(416)996-8326

Join us for an upcoming program -
The Group Coaching Essentials teleseminar (6.75 CCEs) - road-tested tips and ideas for designing, marketing and running your own group coaching work - by phone: Tuesdays 7-8:15 pm Eastern/NY starting October 7th
Virtual Facilitation Skills Intensive - a 15 hour program geared to equip you with facilitation skills and practice. You can join us in Toronto for face-to-face training or take this 15 hr progam online. We cover virtual facilitation to a great depth with the online version. Groups starting Mondays 8-11 am Eastern/NY (5 weeks - September 22, 29, October 6, 20, November 3) OR Wednesday evenings 6:30 - 8 pm Eastern/New York starting October 8 (10 weeks runs to December 10)
Mentor Coaching Group - For ACC Renewals and ACC/PCC portfolio - 10 hours (meets  ICF requirement for mentor coaching - 7 hrs group calls, 3 hours individuals). Mondays 10:30 - 11:30 am Eastern -  September 29 to December 29

The lifecycle of a team or group - a reminder of Tuckman's model

The Lifecycle of a Team or Group: A Reminder of Tuckman's Model
Jennifer Britton, MES, PCC, CPCC. Copyright 2014

Groups and teams are breathing, living entities, constantly changing. Teams and groups have their own

lifecycle and distinct needs at each stage.

As coaches, facilitators or leaders it  is important to recognize where the team or group we are working with is at and adjust our support accordingly.

Bruce Tuckman's model of Team and Group Development emerged in the 1960s - initially with four stages a group goes through - Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing. He later added the fifth stage Adjourning, when groups or teams start to wind down.

Today's blog post explores some key support considerations at each stage. It is a topic I go into much greater depth around in both of my books, particularly in chapter 8 of From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching.

The forming stage occurs when groups or teams are coming together, and/or are being joined by new group/team members. Key needs at this stage include safety, connection and understanding what expectations aree. As coaches, it is important at this stage to encourage dialogue around expectations, group or team agreements  (or "how we want to operate/get along") and connect people with each other as well as with you.

By a second conversation groups are often into the Storming Stage where they are asking themselves "What? So who are we? What's this all about?". This is where conflict starts to emerge, and can be very overt (visible) or under wraps (i.e. people choosing not to engage and doublebooking themselves). Conflict is a normal and healthy part of group development when they have the tools and skills to learn to work across differences. We can support groups and teams as coaches sat this stage by supporting them with  a process and tools that help them gain clarity about who they are and what it's all about.

As groups and teams move through storming and start to create their own identify they move to the norming stage. We may start seeing the group really start coming together in the second or third group coaching conversation, or even in the morning of a multi-day program. As coaches we can support the process by encouraging dialogue around roles, key goals they are working towards collectively and the purpose of the group or team.

The next stage in Tuckman's model is performing. At this stage the group or team has everything they need and clarity around what they are doing so they can get the work done. As coaches we can support teams and groups at this stage for pausing to reflect on what's working, what's not, what needs a tweak and what's going to support their results.

Groups and teams will end - whether it is a team member leaving, a project team winding down, or a group disbanding. In the adjourning stage it is imrptant to create the space for people to acknolwedge their achievments, learning and start looking at next steps.

Questions to consider:
What stage is the group or team you are working with right now?
What can you do to support them? What do they need from you?

Have a great week,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, PCC, CPCC
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013)
Upcoming September programs include the Mentor Coaching Group for ACC Renewals and ACC/PCC portfolio routes starting September 12 (Fridays 9-10am ET) or September 29 (Mondays at 10 or 11 am ET) as well as the Group Coaching Essentials teleseminar (starting Friday Sept 12 at 10:15 am ET - 6.75 CCEs)

What Would You Do? Team and Group Coaching Scenarios

Earlier this week I was a guest expert on Coaching Impact Radio. They are doing a series on Coaching here.

http://coachingimpactradio.com/

Scenarios and I spoke on a couple of different situations we may face as group and team coaches.. I wanted to share with you the link to this podcast on Team and Group Coaching Scenarios which runs about 33 minutes. You can link to the podcast

New and experienced coaches will enjoy listening into these weekly podcasts - be sure to check them out!

On a related note, for those looking for more extensive virtual training on group and team coaching, I will be leading a 30 hour group and team coaching training program online starting on Monday September 30th at 1:30 pm ET through Impact Coaching Academy. You may be interested in checking it out. More info here.

Have a great weekend,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013)
Upcoming September programs include the Mentor Coaching Group for ACC Renewals and ACC/PCC portfolio routes starting September 12 (Fridays 9-10am ET) or September 29 (Mondays at 10 or 11 am ET) as well as the Group Coaching Essentials teleseminar (starting Friday Sept 12 at 10:15 am ET - 6.75 CCEs)

Guest Article on Goal Setting

Today was back to work and school for many of us in the Northern Hemisphere.  As coaches a large

part of our work focuses on supporting our clients around goal setting. Here's a link to a recent article I wrote for the Coaching Tools Company Newsletter - Dive back into work and school with these five key goal setting elements - click here to read the article.

Enjoy!

What's your favorite moment from today as you got back to work or school? As comfortable routine rich with learning and community settled in here at our home and at the office, I could almost hear a sigh from everyone!

Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, PCC, CPCC
GroupCoachingEssentials.com | Potentials Realized
 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

September Group Coaching Training and Mentor Coaching Groups

Is it really time for summer to wind down? A quick overview of our September program line-up for coaches looking for some professional development this fall. This month the following programs will start:

By Phone:
Group Coaching Essentials teleseminar - this five week program is geared to provide coaches with foundational or essential tools and ideas to design, market and implement your own group coaching work. The program is applicable for those who are planning virtual or in-person training, as well as public

or corporate groups. Topics include core skills for group coaching, activities and resources to bring in, best practices, logistics, core elements with design. Each week you receive weekly module notes (approx 15-20 pages), and have 1-1 laser calls (15 min) with me. Class size is generally 4-8 coaches to model the typcial group coaching size by phone.  The program is approved for 6.75 CCEs with the ICF.

The September session will be held on Fridays from 10:15 - 11:30 am ET ET/New York on September 12, 19, 26, October 3 and 10 (4 spots open)

Another group will be held on Tuesdays 7-8:15 pm Eastern/New York: October 7, 14, 21, 28 and November 4

A separate August session will be held on Wednesdays from 10 - 11:15 am ET on August 6, 13, 20, 27 and September 3.

Cost: $425 US or CDN plus HST. Click here for more information and to register.

Advanced Group Coaching Practicum - for experienced group coaches or those with interest in gaining more experience, the practicum is a six session program. We take a deeper dive around topics such as

tricky issues, engagement, learning styles, design and co-facilitation. Each week a different coach will lead the practicum element, taking us through a 25 minute group coaching conversation and receiving feedback. This program is approved for 8 CCEs with the ICF. Two groups are scheduled to start this fall:
Thursdays 10:15 - 11:30 am ET: September 11, 18, 25, October 2, 9 and 16, 2014 OR
Fridays 1:45 -  3pm Eastern/New York: October 10, 17, 24, 31 and November 7
 Cost: $495 US or CDN plus HST . Click here for more information and register.

You can also bundle these two programs together and save $595 off your registration.

Mentor Coaching Group (for ACC Renewal and ACC/PCC Portfolio Routes):
This is a 10 hour mentor coaching group which fulfills the 10 hour mentor coaching requirement with the ICF for ACCs and PCCs. 7 hours are held in a small group setting (typically 3-6 coaches per group) by phone and three hours are held individually with you over the three month program. We take a look at the eleven competencies of the

ICF, and also provide you with the opportunity to coach and receive feedback on your skills.
The September program will be held on Fridays from 9-10 am Eastern/New York: with Group calls on September 12, 19, 26, October 3, 17, November 7, December 12

A second group is slated to start on Tuesday September 30 and run to the end of December. Contact us for more information on this later start date.



Cost: $1000 for the 10 hour program. Payable in one or three monthly installments

Click here for more information and to register. 

In person training - Fall 2014

 Group and Team Coaching Intensive - 15 CCEs (including 13 hours of core competencies)

This fall the Group and Team Coaching Intensive returns to Toronto, providing you with two days of learning and practice with group and team coaching approaches. We cover the foundations of team and group coaching, design, activities, approaches, stretch points, resources and activities, positioning and marketing, virtual programming along with many more topics. It will be of interest to coaches who want an intensive in-person learning experience. We will follow up with a group call one month after the event. An early bird rate is on the program until September 15th - $850 plus HST. Regular pricing $1095 plus HST.

Other Learning Opportunities:
Facilitation Skills Intensive - Virtual Offering (3hrs x 5 weeks)

Mondays 8-11 am Eastern/New York: September 22, 29, October 6, 20 and November 3, 2014

Looking to brush up your virtual facilitation skills? The Facilitation Skills Intensive is a two day train-the-trainer foundation covering foundational skills in group facilitation in the virtual environment. It is geared for trainers, coaches, leaders and facilitators who will be leading virtual learning events such as webinars, teleclasses, and also virtual retreats.  Click here for more information about this program. Cost: $950 US.

Fall 2014 Virtual BizPlanning Retreat - Saturday September 20th (Fall Equinox) - 10-4 pm Eastern
Looking to focus in on your business for a day of planning, goal setting and action? Join me for the one day Fall 2014 Virtual BizPlanning Retreat as we move through a structured series of group and individual coaching activities helping you gain clarity and focus around your business vision, goals, marketing, and major projects for the next year.  Visit BizPlanningRetreat.com for more information. Cost: $395 US.

Have a great start to September,
Jennifer


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

Have a great start to your fall!

Jennifer