Thursday, October 29, 2020

Group Coaching - Back to Basics - Working with Goals

Welcome back to another Back to Basics - Group Coaching - blog post. This series has been inspired by the radical shifts we've seen in the world this year. Group coaching continues to be an important
space for people to come together to connect, share and grow. 

Having worked my entire career around disruption and crisis, I've always been struck at how important it is in finding the patterns around what remains similar (maybe not exactly the same, but similar). As much as the context in which we group coach changes, one thing doesn't, which is working with goals. 

Goals create an important part of the map which our group coaching clients navigate. When coaching many, it's paramount that group members are clear on their own unique path of what they are working on, and how that may differ, or be similar, than other group members. 

What are you doing to provide an opportunity for group members to map out their unique goal stream?

This might include:

  • A one-page plan which everyone completes and shares within the group, or with the coach;
  • A dashboard which the client can access to note their goals
  • A goal tracker shared and commented on in Dropbox or Google Drive

What does working with goals look like for you in your programming?

At what level are you working with goals? 

Another key area with goals is to ensure that you are working with both micro-goals as well as the meta-goal. 

Meta-goals, or the 30,000 foot view, is all about helping clients connect their most important goals to their purpose, mission or WHY.

Our micro-goals (those at the ground level) are often the more practical and tactical goals. While these can be alluring to get quick wins around, note that goals also need to be grounded in with our values, beliefs etc. While developing traction and momentum around quick wins is important coaching is also about creating new awareness or insights on the part of clients as they move through their actions.

Challenges and frictions can emerge as our coaching clients move towards their goals, particularly if belief systems start to change, as their results change. Be sure to spend time going "Below the Waterline" as I share in the Coaching Business Builder Workbook and Planner.

What pause points are you making for individuals to explore where they are with their goals?

What opportunities are you providing for group member to speak to and share their goals and progress with others, along with the coach.

There are many derivatives of what is being called group coaching these days. As a credentialed coach or one who aspires to doing the best work they can, it's important that we spend time thinking about how what we are doing maps into the Core Coaching Competencies, and does not deviate into training, consulting or mentoring. 

Also make sure you are meeting the requirements of the ICF for coaching logs, in that your coaching groups are no more than 15 people. Research and practice demonstrates how group size exponentially makes the conversation shift. Larger groups than 15 are not considered a coaching group for ICF coaching log purposes.

WE dive deeper into many different ways to work with goals, awareness and action as group coaches in the Group Coaching Essentials program (8.75 CCEs) I hope that you will join me for an upcoming cohort.

Enjoy your conversations,

Jennifer

Jennifer Britton - Group Coaching Essentials | Effective Virtual Conversations | Potentials Realized
Instagram @Remote Pathways (for remote workers) and @CoachingBizBuilder (for coaches)
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 my author page on Amazon for all publications.
Email: info@potentialsrealized.com

Phone: (416)996-8326

Join us for the one-day Virtual Facilitation Essentials program this fall. Take your virtual facilitation skills to the next level (and yes, even if you've been on zoom every day for the last 7 months there probably still are a trick or two to help you continue to create a WOW experience every time). Cost: $475 US.

 

 

Thursday, October 22, 2020

Group Coaching - Client Agreements

One of the areas I often get questions around is "What type of client agreements should I create for

Group Coaching Agreements

group coaching?".

This is a great question on multiple levels, signaling several things you will want to put into place:

#1 - Ensuring a fit for your program or offering. These conversations are likely to start before your program begins, and you will know my affinity and recommendation about the importance of a pre-call 1-1 to get to know each client AND to also ensure that there is a fit. When in doubt, share any concerns with a client, and always remember that while we can coach most, we many not be everyone's best coach. Have a network of professionals you can refer others onto.

Note that sometimes it takes a few weeks for a client to really know if the program is a right fit for them. As group coaches we need to be aware of the provisions in the ICF Code of Ethics.

Section 9 of ICF Code of Ethics and the client's right to terminate the coaching relationship at any time. The way you handle refunds and closure is a key part of building trust as well as reputation within your work. For more on this, check out Section 9 of the ICF Code of Ethics on Coaching.

#2 Group Agreements - What are the group agreements which will make for a positive learning experience?  Take time in your first session to co-create this together. While we would be more apt to specify group agreements in a mastermind or training process, given the high touch and high trust required with group coaching, it's recommended that the group spend time co-creating their agreements together.

We take a deeper dive into this topic during weeks 1 and 2 of the Group Coaching Essentials program, and also in the Advanced Group and Team Coaching Practicum, as it is a critical part of any coaching agreement.

#3 - Individual Coaching Plans - What is the individual coaching plans for each person? How is the client able to identify, map out and share his or her goals with you as the coach and/or with others in the group? Is there a dashboard for clients to work with, and share what they'd like? Is it done analog through a tool like the One Page Plan I share in Coaching Business Builder and PlanDoTrack? What is each person's individual coaching journey going to look like. Have them map it out.

Coaching Agreements are a critical part of the coaching process and it's important to note that in group coaching that individual group members are likely to be moving in different ways at different pace. Each group member is also going to need different levels of support to help them thrive. 

#4 - Clarifying what you are offering and what COACHING IS, and COACHING IS NOT.

AT this moment in time, there is continued diffusion around what coaching really is in the marketplace. A reminder that group coaching is not training. Group Coaching is not advising. It is about helping each of your group members create new awareness about what they already know themselves, through questions, reflective pause and dialogue. 

At this moment in time, it's useful to return back to your definition of what coaching is and how it aligns with the ICF definition of coaching. 

If you are coaching a group, note that as much learning will happen with the engagements BETWEEN the group members as the engagements with the coach. Be sure to be leaving time for group members to have conversation themselves. A group coach should not always be the one leading the show - if so, it's likely not coaching, but training!

What other layers of agreements are important to put into place with your work?

Enjoy the conversation,

Jennifer

Jennifer Britton - Group Coaching Essentials | Effective Virtual Conversations | Potentials Realized
Instagram @Remote Pathways (for remote workers) and @CoachingBizBuilder (for coaches)
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 my author page on Amazon for all publications.
Email: info@potentialsrealized.com

Join us for the one-day Virtual Facilitation Essentials program on Thursday October 29 (930 - 4 pm ET). Take your virtual facilitation skills to the next level (and yes, even if you've been on zoom every day for the last 7 months there probably still are a trick or two to help you continue to create a WOW experience every time). Cost: $475 US.

Last call - Advanced Group and Team Coaching Practicum (fall 2020) starts TOMORROW, FRIDAY October 23rd and will run for 5 weeks until November 20th - Fridays 12 - 130 pm Eastern. 10 CCEs with ICF. Get hands on practice and skill development.  Ideally suited for those who want feedback on their skills and to learn and connect with a small group of other coaches who are committed to refining their craft. The program is capped at 6 coaches. Cost: $525 US.