Three Core Elements of Any Group Coaching Process

Group coaching processes continue to be very diverse - ranging from one month programs, to one year programs, with support to business owners, mid-level managers to stay-at-home moms. What is similar

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across these are common elements, making them coaching and not training, facilitation or something else.

Fist, goals. Every coaching process is grounded in goals. Part of what you will want to do at the start, or before the start of the program/process, is have individual group members identify their key goals for your work together. This will help the group identify common theme areas, as well as create the iniital baseline and traction for individual group members to participate. What are you doing to create opportunities for your group members to articulate and share their goals?

Group coaching is also a sustained conversation space. As I have written many times, "it's an intimate conversation space" (From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching). our focus on support for accountability, action and awareness is key. For a group to be considered a coaching gorup as part of an ICF coaching log there can be no more than 15 members. As we add more members to the group it becomes more a facilitated discussion, than coaching space. What are you doing to maximize the impact of these regular touch points? What numbers are optimal for your work?

Peer involvement is another essential condition for any group coaching process. Group members tend get as much out of the process from their interactions with each other, as they do with the coach. Consider how you can maximize peer interaction in a way that works well for your group, whether it's through breakouts in virtual calls, learning partners throughout a program, or linkages through journalling or other tech platforms. What approaches do you want to use in fostering peer connection?

As you move into your own programming and/or planning this fall with groups, what other elements do you see as foundational?

Have a great week,
Jennifer

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)

Prefer in person learning? Join us in Toronto the weekend of November 7-8 for the Group and Team Coaching Intensive (19 CCEs). Six spots still open. Register with a colleague and each receive a discount on your registration.

Group Coaching Tool - Journaling

Photo: The Sun Journal by SynergyCoaching (Jeanne Bullock) as seen at CoachingToys.com
Article Copyright 2007 - Jennifer Britton


One of my favorite tools to bring into a group coaching program is journaling. It's a great tool for individual clients too, as well as workshops or retreats.

Almost a year ago I wrote a post called "The Power of a Takeaway" (March 2006), which highlights my own philosophy about creating materials for my clients to takeaway with them from a group coaching program, workshop or retreat.

You too may be interested in doing some journal work with your clients. You can usually buy inexpensive ones that are nice, but at the same token there are some really great journals that are put out by coaches. One journal that I know of is the Sun Journal, created by Coach Jeanne Bullock of Synergy Coaching. You can view the Sun Journal here, and learn more about it, as well as order your own copy.

You can set up your own journaling exercise for group coaching clients in many different ways. I will often provide journalling time during a program in conjunction with a nature walk (when the weather is good). You may want to create a journalling exercise for your group coaching clients by having them focus on:
* Their dreams
* Their Vision
* What's Possible
* What's Present
* An inquiry
* Where they are stuck

Journaling is a great tool to build in between sessions. I will often encourage group coaching clients to keep a journal several times a week, related to the topics we are covering throughout the program.

There are lots of great web resources out there -- here are some links you may find interesting:

Journaling Pages
JournalingLife.com
Inspired to Journal
Journaling Tools

There are many, many more out there. Are there any others you'd recommend? What's your favorite journaling exercise?

Have a creative week,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized.com GroupCoachingEssentials.com
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