Group Coaching Core Essentials - 7 of 18 - Create Group Agreements

This week focuses on the value of creating active and living group coaching agreements to support

building trust and safety in your group programs.

 

Similar to individual coaching, establishing and maintaining agreements in group coaching programs are crucial in ensuring client and program success. 

 

Robust design that includes group-coaching agreements is key to supporting program and client success, minimizing disruptions, and eroding trust. Creating an environment of co-creation and shared ownership from the onset creates cohesiveness amongst members and lays the foundation for program success. 

 

 

Principle – Just as you do in individual coaching, create an active and living group coaching agreement to support trust and safety in the group.

 

 

Action: For example, everybody gets to be right. Each participant will come to the program with varying life experiences, perspectives, and insights. Continue to monitor group cohesiveness to ensure everyone moves towards both group objectives without compromising individual program goals. 

 

This week, consider revisiting your systems and processes around coaching agreements integrating the four core elements of coaching: Goal setting, Accountability, Action, and Awareness in your programming. Consider the following questions: 

 

 

*How are you ensuring everyone is involved in creating and adhering to agreements? 

 

*What exercises or activities can you include to satisfy both group and individual goals?

 

*What processes do you have to ensure participants receive value from the group process?

 

*How are you monitoring group cohesiveness to ensure participants receive value from the group process?

 

*How are you supporting participants to identify what success looks like at a session and program level? 

 

*What activities can you add to your program to build trust, safety, and connection in your group program?

 

*What strategies do you have to deal with tricky issues with technology and participant interactions, both for virtual and live programs? 

 

Enjoy the conversations!

 

Jennifer Britton and Evana Valle 

(This week's post was written by Evana Valle our Team Lead for Group Coaching - Thanks Evana!)

 

 

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 (with Jennifer)  Or Tuesdays 1015 - 1130 am ET: July 12, 19, 26, August 9 and 16, 2022  (with Evana)

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) - With Kathy Vaughan and Jennifer

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 - With Evana

Mentor Coaching Group - for ACC/PCC - 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.

 

 

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.

 

Group Coaching Core Essentials - 5 of 18 - Leverage Best Practices

 GCCE #5- Leverage Best Practices

This week focuses on integrating coaching industry standards and best practices in your

group programs and business. 

 

Depending on the organization you are a member of, they likely have best practices around group coaching? 

 

For example, ICF allows you to track your group coaching hours in your Client coaching log, providing your group size doesn’t exceed 15 people. In addition, as a professional coach, do you have protection through professional liability insurance to protect yourself against a possible liable suit?

 

Facilitation and training are both valuable and very different from group coaching. There are processes you can integrate into your programs that support participants to build trust, safety, and connection, allowing them to go deeper in understanding who they are to take action, receiving the full benefits of group coaching. 

 

Principle – Follow group coaching industry standards, including ICF group coaching best practices, to support your clients’ and programs’ success while achieving your own professional goals.

Check out the research-backed best practices which shape Jennifer's book, Effective Group Coaching ,the world's first book to be written on Group Coaching. These are timeless.

 

 

Action: For example, you can count your program hours towards credentialing hours—for example, group size limit; and in doing so, create an intimate space to allow participants to go deeper and flourish. 

 

This week, consider incorporating industry standards and best practices via Goal setting, Accountability, Action, and Awareness in your programming. Consider reviewing:

 

* What logging structure do you have to ensure you are following industry standards for tracking your group coaching hours correctly? (group size, required information by ICF details, etc.)

 

*What processes can you include in your program to ensure that group and individual goals are satisfied?

 

*How can you integrate various learning styles to allow participants to deepen awareness and take action? 

 

*How can you adjust your programming to be further developed into other programs and services (on-demand, e-book, book, etc.) to continue supporting even more participants and feed your passions?

 

*How do you allow participants to share feedback to continue improving and evolving your program?

 

*What’s your next step re. Training/growth to further develop your group coaching skillset?

 

 *What professional coverage do you have to protect you as a professional coach? For example, professional liability insurance or professional indemnity insurance. 

 

This week's blog post was written by Evana Valle, the Team Lead for Group Coaching, at Potentials Realized. Join Jennifer and Evana for the next Group Coaching Essentials series starting in July on Tuesday July 12th (8.75 CCEs), or for the Practicum beginning on Tuesday June 21st at 830 am ET(10 CCEs).

With best wishes,

Evana Valle (this week's blog post writer) and Jennifer Britton

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) - starts Tuesday June 7th, with an accelerated 4 session program in June. July dates are now set for Tuesdays 1015 - 1130 am ET: July 12, 19, 26, August 9 and 16, 2022

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): Tuesdays 830 - 10 am ET: June 14, 21, 28, July 12 and 19 2022 (Join us next week!)

Mentor Coaching Group - for ACC/PCC - Fridays 9 - 10 am ET running June 10 - September 9, 2022 with Evana Valle

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.

 

 

Group Coaching Core Essentials - 4 of 18 - What Coaching Is and What Coaching Isn't

Welcome back to our fourth of eighteen Group Coaching Core Essentials. This week’s focus is on the

principle of “Ensure that your (potential) clients clearly understand what group coaching is, and what group coaching isn’t”.

Practically, you will want to:

·       Discuss the program’s structure

·       What participants can expect (and not)

·       Co-design what the program’s overall objectives are

A key part of this conversation is helping clients understand that group (or team) coaching is not training, facilitation or other development modality. As I introduced back in Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2009), the group program continuum explores these nuances. Refer to chapter 2 and 3 of the book.

The more recent ICF Team Coaching Competencies has built upon this idea, presenting Team Coaching across the continuum of Team Building, Team Training and Team Mentoring.

Another part of this conversation is exploring the philosophies of coaching. Elements such as:

•  The role of the client and role of the coach – how does the client own the process?
  
• What partnering means
•  How client agendas are created and what the balance between individual and group focus is
• How clients are Creative, Resourceful and Whole in the coaching process and they have the answers themselves.

Exploration of this topic of what coaching is, and what coaching isn’t can take the shape of an email, a short video and/or a discussion as part of your kick off together. Recently I recorded a 7 minute video for a client team, bringing to life what was also reinforced in writing.

 

Activity this week:

Draft out your key messaging of how you want to describe the work  you do, and what “coaching is, and what coaching isn’t”.

What are the elements which participants can expect in your work? What can they not?

What are the key components of the work you are doing – consider group calls, individual touch points, the role of action, awareness and accountability

What format do you want this to take? Email, video etc?

 

With best wishes,

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

Build out your skills, toolkit and mastery in coaching in the remote and hybrid space with the Reconnecting Workspaces Certified Coach training (24 CCES). Or join us for one of our other ICF CCE approved programs:

Group Coaching Essentials (8.75 CCEs) - starts Tuesday June 7th, with an accelerated 4 session program in June. July dates are now set for Tuesdays 1015 - 1130 am ET: July 12, 19, 26, August 9 and 16, 2022

Team Coaching Essentials (14 CCEs) - next starts on Monday June 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): Tuesdays 830 - 10 am ET: June 14, 21, 28, July 12 and 19 2022

Also 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.