Expectations and Establishing Ground Rules and Ways of Working: E in the A-Z of Group Coaching

Establishing Ground Rules and Ways of Working

 

Leaning on ICF's core competency category, "Co-Creating the Relationship," it's crucial for you, the coach, to consider how you will establish and maintain agreements and integrate this in the design of your group programs. 

One of the ways to do this is through ground rules or Ways of Working (WOW). Similar to individual coaching, in group programs, both the Coach and the participants create this agreement, so it is mutually honoring the needs of both the group members and the Coach. 

There are various names for agreements, including "Ground rules," Rules of Engagement, Rules of the road, or even Ways of Working. 

Co-Creating Agreements and Expectations for the group coaching process is a critical step for success. As we illustrated in one of our recent Group Coaching DEMOS, you might use a whiteboard, chat or even verbally go round to hear from everyone about "what is going to make the conversation zone a positive space".

It is important to allocate time fair time in your first session to allow all group members (and you, the Coach) to establish what each person needs and, in turn, have a group consensus. Doing so will create:

• Group ownership, in turn, increases group engagement.
• A container of trust, safety, and connection, making participants open to exploring potentially sensitive topics and expressing their insights and challenges with the group over time. 
• Group cohesion, allowing participants to learn and grow from one another
• Less tricky issues to navigate with difficult personalities in the group. 
• Space for the group to get acquainted with individual needs for program success and fulfilling the forming stage of Tuckman's model of group dynamics.

 

Possible next steps:

1. Review the ICF core competency category "Co-creating the Relationship" and identify action steps you can take to ensure your group programs align with ICF.
2. Join an upcoming Group Coaching Essentials program to learn best practices for Establishing group agreements in design and delivery. Click here to see upcoming programs: https://www.groupcoachingessentials.ca/group-coaching-essentials.html
3. Take a deeper dive into learning and practicing group and team coaching this summer at the 2 Day In Person Group and Team Coaching Intensive running July 27 and 28 in beautiful Bracebridge, Ontario. Join Jennifer in person for this return on an annual summer favorite. Early Bird rate on until end of June. Space is limited to 10.

 Enjoy the conversations and we hope that you will join us this summer! 

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.

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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: 

The Group and Team Coaching Intensive - 2 days of in-person training around group and team coaching with Jennifer Britton in beautiful Bracebridge, Ontario, CANADA. Space limited - 7 spots open. Early Bird rate on until end of June 2023.

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 in July starting July 14th (Fridays 1015 - 1130 am ET) - 5 weeks:  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 - Tuesdays 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) - Two days in person August 8 and 9 in Barrie, Ontario

Coaching Supervision Group (Small group format) - NEW COHORT - Mondays 9 - 1030 am ET:  Next call 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

 

 

 

 

 

 

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: The Group is often it's greatest own complexity

In any group work - coaching, retreats, training - the biggest complexity is often the group itself. For

years I've been talking about the importance of keeping things simple as the multitude of variables involved in group work can be what makes the work that more complex. The last few weeks have been chock full of group and team work for me - with both corporate and public programs, in person and virtual events. I've seen the complexity and fluidness of groups and teams play out with:

Last minute date and start time changes (a couple of times now in the last 2 weeks!)
Key players not being available as needed or being pulled out for other strategic priorities
Logistical glitches leading to last minute adjustments needed or phone lines being severed
Critical issues being top of mind for groups/teams that led us in entirely new directions
and of course, life and work happening for group members, and myself

Amongst all the changes I have to say it's been a really fun few weeks and as always when working with groups and teams, rich with learning!

What's helped move through the fluidness is to remember something that one of my graduate school supervisors told me decades ago which was to "embrace the chaos". In chaos theory, now known as complexity theory, it's easier to embrace and flow than to fight it. My travels over the last few weeks actually reconnected me with a couple of professionals I worked with in the early part of my career more than 20 years ago. It was so interesting that for one person who I reconnected with one of the things that had stuck out for her was my adage of "embrace the chaos". She herself has been applying it in her work over the last  two decades. We never know what mark we will make - for the positive and negative. Don't underestimate it!

 I have to say it takes a certain level of trust and groundedness not to get thrown by some of the changes that come our way.  Pre-preparation is essential. As is our own self-management and presence.

What have you been learning this year about fluidness in our work? What's helped you remain flexible?

Have a great week,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton

Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, PCC
Group Coaching Essentials | Potentials Realized  
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013)

About Us: Jennifer Britton is author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010) andFrom One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013) . Since 2004 she and her company, Potentials Realized, have supported thousands of coaches, trainers, and leaders, design and create more impactful team and group programs (in-person and virtual). Jennifer offers customized programs for organizations, as well as virtual public training programs. Our areas of specialty are team development, leadership and coaching. Our 2017 programming starts during the week of January  9th and will include: The Group Coaching Essentials teleseminar (8.75 CCEs), The Advanced Group and Team Coaching Practicum (10 CCEs), and the Mentor Coaching Group for ACC/PCC portfolio routes. Our 2017 Learning Lab and Design Studio Group for Coaches who want to build their business and expand their group and team programs starts January as well (2 group calls on Fridays throughout 2017)