A: Approaches in Group Coaching - The A-Z of Group Coaching

As we approach our 19^th anniversary business celebrations what better time to start our 26-blog post

series, “The A-Z of Group Coaching Essentials.” 

Having written the first book on Group Coaching, “Effective Group Coaching” in 2009, this series highlights the best practices Jennifer Britton (Founder and CEO of Potentials Realized) has both written and taught in Group CoachingEssentials (5-week course with 8.75 CCEs with ICF) for the last 19 years. 

Let’s jump in.

Regardless if you are a new or seasoned group coach, reviewing various approaches when working with groups brings fresh, new ways of engaging your groups to support participants in realizing their goals; and you fulfilling the program goals and promises. It’s finally spring (YAY!!!!), and what better time for you (regardless if you are a new or seasoned group coach) to revisit approaches and bring fresh, new ways of engaging your groups in support of participants realizing their goals; and you fulfilling on the program goals and promises.

In her book “From One to Many: Best Practices for Team andGroup Coaching” (celebrating ten years of publication this year), Jennifer shares that regardless of the type of group/team coaching you offer: teleclass, group coaching, webinar, or retreat- there are different approaches to facilitating a group conversation. 

Understanding that different groups will have different needs, it’s essential and valuable to be ready and adaptable to use various approaches to fulfill program and participant goals.

Some of the common approaches used in group coaching include:

1. Laser coaching
2. Fieldwork: pre-work/post-work
3. Individual reflection
4. Peer coaching
5. Body-centered coaching, somatic coaching, or using geography

 The following are questions for you to consider based on the group you are working with and trying to decide on the approach to incorporate: 

• What are the fundamental needs and focus areas of this group?
• What supports the group in setting better goals?
• What supports the group in deepening awareness around issues of importance to them (individually or collectively)
• What supports the group to take action towards their identified goals?
• What is the role of accountability and commitment within this group?
• What does the group value in terms of approaches? Is it individual reflection, Small group conversation? Laser coaching? Conversation with a partner? Other? 

For further resources on this topic, check out the books referenced in this blog post. In addition, consider joining us in an upcoming ICF-CCE approved Group Coaching training program where we explore this topic more deeply.

Enjoy!

Jennifer and Evana

 

Group Coaching Essentials

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: 

Coaching Diverse Teams and Groups using the Work Styles - Tuesdays 645 - 8 am ET starting March 21 (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.

Group Coaching Essentials - Fridays 1015 - 1130 am ET starting March 31 running to late April- 8.75 CCEs

Advanced Group and Team Coaching Practicum - 10 CCEs - Fridays 1230 - 145 pm ET: March 24 (6 weeks) with Jennifer or later in January Mondays 12 - 130pm ET with Evana starting January 30th

Team Coaching Essentials (14 CCEs)  - Being asked to coach teams? 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. 6 week program on Mondays 12 - 130 pm ET  starting early May with Kathy

ACTIVATE your Group and Team Coaching Superpowers (14 CCEs) - Fridays 1015 - 1130 am ET starting March 24 with Jennifer (6 weeks)  - January 13, 20, 27, February 3, 10, 17  - Course 4 in the pathway (catch up on call #1 with the recording)

Coaching Supervision Group (Small group format) - Thursdays 12 - 130 pm ET  first week of the month each month (to June 2023) OR book a call to explore individual coaching supervision.

 

 

Group Coaching Core Essentials 10 of 18 - Creating an Active Experience for our Clients

 

Welcome back to our tenth of our eighteen Group Coaching Core Essentials. This week’s focus is on the principle of “ Maximum learning requires individuals to participate actively in an experience.”

Coaching is an active learning experience SHAPED by the clients we work with.

Co-Creation is at the heart of a group or peer coaching process and coaches will practically want to build in time and space for debriefing or discussion.

In group coaching, you will want to spend time early on in the process to identify and shape your roadmap as a group.

Unlike training which is content-rich and all about the passage of information, group coaching is primarily about discovery and dialogue. Any training/content elements are best kept separate, either as pre-work or post work to enable the time together to be focused on dialogue. It is in this space of dialogue that we want to FORWARD ACTION and DEEPEN AWARENESS.

Understanding and integrating experiential education principles allows participants to discover knowledge for themselves.

As I have shared before, experiential processes are based on the models of David Kolb and his four-stage process often referred to as the ERGA. ERGA stands for Experience, Reflection, Generalization and Application. Experiential processes are also defined as “learning by reflecting on doing”.

In experiential processes (which could find us coaching, facilitating or training) we support learning, and conversations around:

Experience – What the person/group member is experiencing int heir world. In other words: WHAT?

Reflection – Creating a pause for reflection on what is going on? What really happened? This is known as the SO What?

Generalization – Based on what you have learned or experienced, what can you apply to other contexts?

Application – What might you be able to apply?

Check out this great video from the Experiential Learning Institute (4 min) on Experiential Education:

https://vimeo.com/415465791

 

As you consider this best practice, practically you will want to:

• Consider what "ACTIVE EXPERIENCES" mean? Does this mean creating things in the moment (i.e. like a hands-on design weekend where people build out a business plan? Does ACTIVE mean incorporating kinesthetic, somatic or body-centered approaches?  
•  Consider what pauses you provide for people to look at, and reflect on their everyday experiences.
•   Consider what pauses you provide for people to explore WHAT ELSE is possible as you move forward.
• Experiential processes can take a number of forms in a coaching conversations including:
• Paired work, or triad work, around what experiences people are having
• Create the space for reflective pauses like Journaling Prompts like our Square Journaling Cards which are available as a digital product you can incorporate into your own work

What are you doing to create the space for group coaching members to bring in their own experiences, reflect on them and consider what they want to apply going forward?

Enjoy the conversation,

Jennifer

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

Upcoming Programming this fall includes:

Group Coaching Essentials (8.75 CCEs) - Join us in September on Fridays from 1015 - 1130 am ET starting September 9th for 5 weeks

Team Coaching Essentials (14 CCEs) - next starts on Monday September 12th for 6 weeks - With Kathy Vaughan and Jennifer

Advanced Group and Team Coaching Practicum (10 CCEs): Starting Fridays at 1230 pm ET on September 9th for 6 weeks (With Jennifer)

Mentor Coaching Group - for ACC/PCC - Fridays 9-10 am ET running from September 9 - December 9th (with Jennifer)

Supervision Group for Team Coaches - 10 hours - Thursdays starting September 15th and running to March (with Jennifer and Kathy - meets ICF and EMCC supervision requirements for team coaches)

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.