Differences Between Group and Team Coaching : D in the A-Z of Group Coaching

D-Differences between Group and Team Coaching     

Copyright 2023 - Potentials Realized

Although there are many similarities between group and team coaching, many coaches and organizations, for that matter, often have some questions about what makes them different. This post intends to address these questions. 

Let’s start with definitions of both:

Jennifer Britton defines team coaching as “A sustained series of conversations, supported by core coaching skills. The focus is on goal setting, deepening awareness, supporting action, and creating accountability. The focus of the coaching may be on the team as a system and/or strengthening individuals within the team. Team coaching links back to business goals, focusing on results and relationships.” (Britton, 2013 - From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching)

Furthermore, Jennifer shares that Group coaching is the “application of coaching principles to a small group for the purpose of personal or professional development, the achievement of goals, or greater awareness, along thematic or non-thematic lines.” (Britton, 2009 - Effective Group Coaching)

Although they are a common foundational skillset in design, marketing, and implementation, the main differences are the role of relationships, the role of leadership, the lifecycle of the group, and what may be at stake.

 Context

In a team coaching context, coaches will connect the conversation and focus to three levels of impact: self/individual, team, and organization. Team coaches need to be able to support teams as a whole system and a team of individual group members. 

Whereas team coaches may be working with the team as a system or supporting individual member development towards the team goals, vision, and values, in group coaching, by its nature, coaches often focus on individual development in the group context. An exception to this is in the organizational context, where you may be working with groups of new managers who don’t report to each other. In this context of offering group coaching within an organization, the group coach needs to support individual group members to reflect on the learning and insights related to themselves, in addition to the teams they are part of and the overall organization they belong to. 

Role of relationships

Relationships in many group coaching processes start and end when the group process finishes. Teams usually have relationships that exist before and will continue after the coaching relationship. The team coach (or team coaches) will be the ones "fading in" and "fading out" of the team system".

With groups, members of the group MAY know one another but hold disparate positions and levels of relationships. The group is likely to disband in form after the conversations are complete.

Role of leadership

Due to the nature of team coaching, the team leader plays a crucial role in supporting the team coaching to be successful. Their early engagement and including them in designing the type of coaching before coaching commences support a team coaching process to be effective. 

Leadership plays a minor role in group coaching. Consider having your participants share learnings with their leaders without leaders being directly involved. This could also be the case of working with teens/young adults. Similarly, you can encourage them to share learnings with their parents/loved ones.

Lifecycle of grouping

With groups, typically, the coaching lifecycle is short (3 months, six months, etc.), disbanding at the end of the coaching agreement. Nothing is ongoing, as it’s a group of individuals who return to their life or teams within the organization once the group dismantles.

Teams, on the other hand, exist before and after the coaching engagement. Knowing this, an effective team coach can support the team to integrate models/frameworks back on the job for continued success beyond the coaching conversation and engagement. For example, they can encourage the team to incorporate the “ways of working” to support “acceptable behaviors” on the job. 

 What’s at Stake?

Team coaching - there is a perception that there is more at stake. Team members opening up to their peers and leaders require a certain level of vulnerability and trust. As such, team members may take time to open up with their peers if they don’t feel that the coaching space is nonjudgemental and safe concerning the coach and all the team members.

Possible next steps:

 

1. Invest in a copy of Jennifer Britton's book, “From One To Many”- Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching” for further conversation on team and group coaching. https://amzn.to/3KFp8tN
2. Schedule an exploration call to discuss compatibility and upcoming opportunities for possible learning and growth as a Group or Team Coach. : https://calendly.com/potentials-realized/group-coaching-essentials

 

 Enjoy your conversations,

Evana Valle (thanks Evana for penning this week's blog post) and Jennifer Britton

Our award-winning ICF-CCE approved training programs have been taken by thousands of coaches since 2006. Join us for coursework leading you to the new ACTC (Advanced Credential in Team Coaching) or complete our 70 or 125 hour Certificates in Team or Group Coaching.

*********************************************

What is your unique style as a coach? Take 2-minutes to complete the  Group and Team Coaching Superpower Quiz. You can find it at https://bit.ly/gtcoachingsuperpower. Share your style using the comments below and/or follow along on Instagram at our CoachingBizBuilder site.

Join us for an upcoming program including: 

Neuroscience, Learning and Experiential Processes for Group and Team Coaching - NEW - Join us Mondays at 130 pm ET starting June 6th - With Jennifer (6 weeks)

Group Coaching Essentials - Our flagship program which started this all. Looking to boost your understanding around what group coaching is and how to structure, market and lead conversations? Join us for an accelerated program in June on Tuesdays and Thursdays on June 1, 6, 8, 13 and 15 for this 8.75 CCE program - 5 spaces still open - https://www.groupcoachingessentials.ca/group-coaching-essentials.html. 

Coaching Diverse Teams and Groups using the Work Styles - Tuesdays 645 - 8 am ET: June 20, 27, July 11, 18, 25, August 2 (14 CCEs) - Widen your toolkit for working with diverse styles in teams and groups in this 6 week program based on the Hybrid Work Styles. WE also explore Coaching for Creativity and Innovation. This is course 5 in the 70 hour Certificate in Team Coaching Program.

Advanced Group and Team Coaching Practicum - 10 CCEs - Starting June 20th (6 weeks)

Team Coaching Essentials (14 CCEs)  - Starts Monday July 10th (Mondays 12 - 130pm ET). Being asked to coach teams OR Want to work towards your ACTC (Advanced Credential in Team Coaching)? Equip yourself with the foundations of this quickly evolving field. This program is grounded in our From One to Many methodology PLUS what works right now in today's evolving workspace.

ACTIVATE your Group and Team Coaching Superpowers (14 CCEs) - Fridays 10 - 1130 am ET: June 2, 9, 16, 23, 30  with Jennifer- Course 4 in the pathway (catch up on call #1 with the recording)

Coaching Supervision Group (Small group format) - NEW COHORT - Mondays 9 - 1030 am ET:  May 15, June 12, July, August and September 11 OR Thursdays 1st week of the month - 12 - 130pm ET.  book a call to explore individual coaching supervision.

Amazon link for Effective Group Coaching: https://amzn.to/3zoEGLF Program dates: https://www.groupcoachingessentials.ca/group-coaching-essentials.html