Group Coaching : B - Coaching Happens In Between Sessions

Welcome back to the A-Z series of Group Coaching. This series is part of our 19th anniversary celebrations. We hope you enjoy it.

Every few weeks we'll bring you a different principle you will want to consider incorporating into your group coaching work. They are based off of the book, Effective Group Coaching by Jennifer Britton.

This week, we are at B - Coaching Happens in Between Sessions.

Do your group programs support coaching to happen between the sessions? This principle relates to ICF Core competency #8 - Facilitating Client Growth. The definition of this competency provided by ICF is "the coach partners with the client to transform learning and insight into action—the coach promotes client autonomy in the coaching process.

Your role as a group coach is to support your participants in fulfilling their program goals with the roadmap they have, ideally co-created with you. Doing this promotes client autonomy and ownership of the journey. Just like individual coaching, your sessions are the place to allow participants to come and explore a topic as it relates to their goals, which brings new awareness of who they are and possible action. However, more is needed. Awareness without change doesn't yield the outcomes people come to coaching or group coaching.

 Group Coaching is maximized when program design includes structures to ensure the learning goes beyond the session. For example, peer partners may meet in between calls OR an alarm may signal the prompt to put something into action or note a sensation. What are you doing to create structures in your group coaching process with clients? What do you notice about how structures look and sound different for different group members?

 In addition, always keep the meta-arc of the learning journey in mind, and consider how one session relates, or connects, to the next session's topic and what can be given to your participants to set up the following conversation, creating a natural bridge between sessions.

The following are things to consider to support you in integrating this principle of "Coaching Happens In Between Sessions" into your group programs:

- What content/new learning is available on the topics in your programs to share before the session?

-What powerful questions can I ask to support any new learning being integrated post-session?

-What is the relationship between the session topic and the meta-arc journey regarding participant goals concerning possible in-between session work?

-What structures can be added to reinforce ownership by the group?  -Review the ICF competencies (with particular attention and focus on Facilitates Client Growth).

 For further resources, here is the Amazon link to Jennifer's book (the first on Group Coaching), "Effective Group Coaching." In addition, consider joining us in an upcoming Group Coaching training program where we explore this topic more deeply. Here is the link to check out upcoming program dates for Group Coaching Essentials.

Enjoy the conversation -

Evana and Jennifer

 

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: 

 

MONDAY's 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 on Mondays this spring from April 17 - end of May on Mondays from 1 - 215 pm ET for this 6.75 CCE program - 2 spaces still open - https://www.groupcoachingessentials.ca/group-coaching-essentials.html. 

Coaching Diverse Teams and Groups using the Work Styles - Fridays 1015 - 1130 am ET - May 12 - end of June (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 - Check website for dates

Team Coaching Essentials (14 CCEs)  - Starts Monday May 1st. 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. 6 week program on Mondays 12 - 130 pm ET  starting May 1 with Kathy

ACTIVATE your Group and Team Coaching Superpowers (14 CCEs) - Tuesdays 645 - 8 am ET: starting May  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: April 24, May 15, June 12, July, Augut and September 11 OR book a call to explore individual coaching supervision.

Reconnecting Workspaces Certified Coach - Thursdays 630 - 8 pm ET: April 20 to end of June (24 CCEs)

 

 

 

Amazon link for Effective Group Coaching: https://amzn.to/3zoEGLF

Program dates: https://www.groupcoachingessentials.ca/group-coaching-essentials.html

10 Ways to Use Breakouts in Group Coaching - Day 7 Countdown to 2020

Welcome back to the Countdown to 2020. I took several days off for the holidays and hope that you

will be doing so too, this week and next!

Today's 10 Ways countdown post focuses on 10 different ways to use breakouts in group coaching. Whether you are meeting in a physical space OR using a zoom breakout, breakouts provide an opportunity for group members to connect, and articulate what is important to them. This is key in a group coaching process where it's not just about listening to others, but also having air time yourself.

Several things to keep in mind as you go to incorporate more breakout work into your own group programs:
1. Give enough time - it does take time for people to get out to their room, set up process and then move into the conversation. 8 - 15 minutes may be a good range for a more substantive process.
2. Assign roles such as time keeper, leader of the conversation, note taker etc.
3. Be very clear with what you want to do. Show, describe and share again, the question you want people to discuss.
4. Keep breakout room size small. The more people in a room, the more likely "Social loafing" is going to occur where no one, or fewer, people will speak. Breakouts of 2 or 3 are quite common, especially in the remote space.
5. Keep people updated re: instructions and/or timing using the broadcast function if there is one.
6. Consider how you will have people share key learning from each group. Is there a presenter verbally or does each group share their top 3-5 ideas in the chat. Consider this BEFORE people go to breakout.

To round out our top 10 today (with a couple of bonuses), here are several ways you may want to incorporate breakouts:
1. Have people share the most important thing they have heard in what you have been discussing or exploring.
2. Have people share the one step they will take to put things into action.
3. Have people share the one resource they use as it relates to that topic. OR
4. Provide group members with a powerful question as it relates to the topic.

What can you do to incorporate more breakouts into your group coaching conversations?

For more on this topic, be sure to check out the call I did on Breakouts that Sizzle, part of the Effective Virtual Conversations book club calls.

Enjoy!
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton - GroupCoachingEssentials | Potentials Realized
Instagram @CoachingBizBuilder
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.
Email: info@potentialsrealized.com

If you are looking for  coaching skills development through CCE approved programs - I’ll be kicking off the first Group CoachingEssentials CCE approved program on Friday January 10^th at 1015 am ET. This 8.75 CCE program also includes weekly 1-1 time with me (15 min each week). Is 2020 your year to get your groups going or expand the number of groups you are doing? Whether you are new to group coaching or stepping into your next year, there’s always something to learn – I hope you’ll join us. Reserve your spot here.
Also starting in January are two groups of the Virtual Facilitation Essentials - a Friday group and a Monday group. If you want to see many of these tools in practice, and get experience in using them. Consider joining us for this virtual train-the-trainer.
January 1st - calling on coaches who want to focus on growing their coaching business. Reserve your spot for the 60Day Accelerator where you will be focusing on taking daily steps and consistent action around your coaching business. This program is based on my 2018 work, Coaching Business Builder.

10 Ways to Keep the Conversation Going - Countdown to 2020 - Day 4

Group coaching is all about an extended conversation. Today’s blog post gets you thinking

about how you can keep the conversation going in a group coaching conversation.


Before you think of the HOW, it can be important to think about these four areas

1.       Purpose – Why do you want to keep the conversation going? Is this group focused on goal achievement or more on awareness? Is keeping the conversation going to expand awareness, create focus, or accelerate growth? Note that for each coaching client they may have a slightly different emphasis around this.

2.       What do your clients prefer? From support via text to support via peer partnering, your client preferences should help to shape WHAT the ongoing conversation looks like and the platforms you will use.

3.       Outcome – As you think about your client’s goals, what are the outcomes they are looking for? What are they wanting? Adjust the frequency and vehicle to the outcome they are looking for.

4.       Time investment – how much time is this going to take? On your part, on their part. Communicate the time commitment throughout the initial marketing phase. The time involved will influence how the conversation ensues.

Consider these different ways to keep the conversation going:

1. Daily prompts put out to the network
2. A private (Secret) social conversation platform -From Mighty Networks, to Facebook, keeping the conversation real time is an important part of coaching. Be sure that the platform you are using is secure and that client's identities are kept confidential.
3. Peer partner work
4. Videos to watch – Is there a playlist you want to share?
5. Book list – are there recommended resources people can tap into?
6. One on one coaching with you or others – Nothing can replace the deep dive around content
7. A daily (or regular) check in call -  Would it be useful to incorporate a 15 minute live check in call to see how people are doing? This is one in some super accelerated programs – i.e. 28 day programs
8. A daily email  - a daily email can keep things top of mind for group member
9. Meeting with a peer partner
10. Field work the client identifies for themselves, or is shaped with the group, basd on the conversation you have had.

What do you want to incorporate in your upcoming programming? What's gong to be of value and preferred by the people you work with?

Enjoy the conversations,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton - GroupCoachingEssentials | Potentials Realized
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.
Email: info@potentialsrealized.com

If you are looking for  coaching skills development through CCE approved programs - I’ll be kicking off the first Group CoachingEssentials CCE approved program on Friday January 10^th at 1015 am ET. This 8.75 CCE program also includes weekly 1-1 time with me (15 min each week). Is 2020 your year to get your groups going or expand the number of groups you are doing? Whether you are new to group coaching or stepping into your next year, there’s always something to learn – I hope you’ll join us. Reserve your spot here.

January 1st marks the kick off of the 60 Day Accelerator Coaching Business Builder. What could 60 days of consistent focused action look like in your business? Click here to learn more and register. Early bird pricing wraps up on December 23rd. This in a one-off special program so I hope you will join us! Let's kick off the new decade together!

Expanding your Group and Team Coacing Toolkit - Peer Learning (12)

Coaching conversations are not only an individualized approach. They can also be a powerful vehicle

for peer learning. In group coaching, the conversation lens is usually wide and broad, providing coaching clients with an opportunity to get sparked by the stories and experiences of others, while still being able to focus in on their own areas.


Peer learning is a key part of many coaching processes and support processes. In this week’s post, I want to get you to start thinking about the role of peer learning in support of the varied coaching conversations you are having. Peer coaching skills also become important when you are hosting your group and team coaching conversations virtually, incorporating breakouts or peer partners where there is likely to be a lot more peer coaching conversations.

We often underestimate the power of peers in any process. Think about leadership or groups and teams you have been a part of. We often see that influence often happens more between peers, especially if trust levels are low.


If you are undertaking group or team coaching, it can be valuable to spend some time working with group members to develop and/or hone skills in the areas of:

Listening

Questioning

Becoming Curious

Coaching, not advising


What are the peer skills which will be useful to cultivate in your work?

Check out the other peer coaching posts I have written here over the years:
http://groupcoaching.blogspot.com/search/label/peer%20coaching


Peers can also be powerful accountability partners throughout the coaching process. How are you supporting clients in accessing these resources for themselves?


Six Questions to consider (this week these are questions you might seed for others)

What’s the on thing you’d love to explore today?

What’s possible?

What’s important about this?

What’s another way of exploring this?

What else?

What are you committed to doing, not matter what?


Resources for peer coaching:

Marshall Goldsmith - check out his feedforward process and other great resources

From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching

What other resources do you recommend?

Enjoy your week,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, CPCC, PCC – Potentials Realized 
Leadership | Teamwork | Business Success
Author of Effective Virtual Conversations (2017), Coaching Business Builder Workbook and Planner (2018) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (2013)
Follow along with the #90DaysPlanDoTrack series over at Instagram @CoachingBizBuilder 
Join the conversation at the Conversation Sparker Zone - our online community where you can explore virtual and team issues, coaching, productivity and business development)

Two reminders of special events this week:
Tuesday between 2:30 - 3 pm ET I will be hosting a special 30 minute call covering the ins and outs of the upcoming Facilitator Training program which is happening virtually this July for PlanDoTrack and Coaching Business Builder. Please join me in my zoom room (270-302-0415).

Friday the June through September Mentor Coaching Group starts - 10 CCEs and meets the ICF Requirements for Mentor Coaching. We meet on Fridays from 9 - 10 am ET. More details at https://www.groupcoachingessentials.ca/mentor-coaching-group.html (2 spots open)

Accountability and Group Coaching

Accountability is an integral part of the Group Coaching process, and many times you may find that

group members consistently go above and beyond what they say they may do, particularly if your groups have gelled. Peer accountability can be as powerful, if not even more so, than the bond between coach and client. A few weeks ago I posted a related article entitled "Peer Coaching: An Opportunity for Capacity Development" on LinkedIn. You can read it here.

Earlier this week I touched on the topic of accountability and group coaching during my Monday Facebook Live call. If you are on FB (and still there!) check it out at my Effective Group Coaching Facebook video page.

I regularly hear questions from coaches new to group coaching, how do we create accountability in groups? What if each group member is working on something different?
In fact, the assumption that everyone will be working on something different is a great starting point, as you go to consider different components of the group coaching process, which can support individual members going deeper and further in the areas that are important to them. As I discuss in this week's call on Accountability and Group Coaching that might entail:

• Making a One Page Plan part of your group coaching process. Read my 2015 post on the Power of a One Page Plan here.
• Creating Peer Partners or Buddies who meet between the group calls
• Using email as a way for people to connect between calls
• Creating a private group portal where group members can connect, share and comment between calls. Many readers may know that I have recommended for many years exploring different options of portals you can control and ensure security around. This was in advance of the privacy issues currently swirling online. Consider what LMS (Learning Management Systems) you want to use and can control. For almost 3 years now some (but not all) of my groups have space over on different Teachable portals where we can house resources and comments amongst group members. The revamped Coaching Biz Growth Lab will be using this when we kick off again in April (I've been floating dates for two different cohorts - Fridays 3 -4 pm ET or Fridays 730 - 830 am ET. We'll (generally) be meeting the first and third weeks of the month. Click here for more info. 
• Including some 1-1 time with group members. This will look different for each coach depending on how much time is available, cost of program. I always say, nothing can replace the deep dive of a 1-1 coaching conversation. Hybrid programs which incorporate group and individual coaching calls can be very powerful for our clients

What would you like to include to boost accountability opportunities for your group clients?

For more on this topic of accountability and group coaching, take a look at a 2016 meta-post where I include links to five separate posts on working with accountability in group coaching. Read that 2016 meta-post here.

Have a great week,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, PCC
GroupCoachingEssentials.com | Effective Virtual Conversations.com 
(416)996-8326

Accountability will be a key topic of both the April Group Coaching Essentials program (8.75 CCEs) and the Advanced Group and Team Coaching Practicum (10 CCEs). Our spring programs start in a few weeks:
April/May Group Coaching Essentials will run Fridays 10 - 11:15 am ET: April 20, 27, May 4, 11, 18, 2018  (8.75 CCEs). Click here to learn more
Advanced Group and Team Coaching Practicum (10 CCEs focusing on giving you practice in leading group and team coaching conversations and feedback on your skills): Fridays 11:30 - 12:45 pm ET: starting April 13th and running to the end of May. Learn more about the Advanced Practicum here.
Coaching Biz Growth Lab starts Friday April 6th at 7:30 am ET or Monday April 9th at 3 pm ET (choose the best time for you). Jump into this ongoing business development group coaching program.

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

Photo copyright of DollarPhotoClub

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.