Teleclasses and Teleseminars - 5 Tips

A lot of coaches and trainers incorporate teleclasses and teleseminars into their delivery options. I consider group coaching a sibling to teleclasses, although a more intimate and interactive conversation. Many of my initial group coaching programs originally started out in a teleclass format including the 90 Day Your Balanced Life program back in 2004, when it was simply 6 one hour calls done on a weekly bass.

What are 5 things to remember when leading a teleclass (and notice the similarity to group coaching)

1. Consider what's important for your learners. Focus on them, their learning and in creating opportunities for them to connect their learning to real life.
2. Provide useful content, resource links and materials which members can sink their teeth into (Many of you may note how I consider teleclasses to be more content rich, and group coaching more conversation rich).
3. Provide an overview of the call - Provide an agenda or overview of the topic at the start of the call. Let people know where you are going. Recap regularly.
4. Provide visual anchors. I regularly speak with trainers, coches and facilitators on the importance of these anchor points in the virtual domain. What will keep a visual focus for group members during the program - will you create a handout? Have a slide deck? Integrate video?
5. Be familiar with the technology, and most importantly know how to mute callers. Test out your technology prior to the call, know how to overcome the invariable "echos", dogs barking and other distractions by knowing how to use mutes, "raised hands" for questions, and other bridgeline tools.

There are by no means comprehensive tips for teleclasses and teleseminars, but some of the ones you may not have considered yourself. What do you see as the key challenges for you in running a teleclass or telesemiar?

I'll invite you to look around at the many tips on virtual learning and best practices here at the Group Coaching Ins and Outs blog. Many of them are transferable to the teleclass/teleseminar environment.

Have a great week,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, PCC, CPCC
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010)
Host of the Group Coaching Essentials program - An ICF Accredited CCE program with starts on March 9 and 22
Join me in Toronto on April 2 and 3 for a 2 day in person Group Coaching Training program.

Group Coaching Essentials starts March 9 and 22, 2011

Looking to run your own group coaching programs this spring and looking for tips, tools and support as you design, market and implement your own group coaching program? If so, I hope that you will join me for the Group Coaching Essentials program, an ICF Accredited CCE (Continuing Coach Education program) - 6.75 hours. The entire program is held by phone, and has supported hundreds of coaches with their own group coaching programs since its' launch in early 2006.

The Group Coaching Essentials program covers:
· The Foundation of Group Coaching – What is Group Coaching, Best Practices of Group Coaching, and Adult Learning Principles
· The Nuts and Bolts of Developing Group Coaching – Making Your Program Development Fun and Effective: Technical issues, Techniques and Templates for Developing and Running Your Program
· Marketing Group Coaching – Knowing Your Audience, General Marketing Principles and Materials
· Filling Up Your Toolbox – Exercises and Other Resources for Group Coaching
- Essential Habits for Successful Group Coaching for In Person and Virtual Deliveries, with Corporate Groups and Public Groups

Each week our calls will be supplemented by written notes which form a program manual, and exercises designed to support you in creating your own program, and starting the marketing during the course.

Upcoming Program Dates:
Wednesdays 12:30 - 1:45 pm Eastern/New York: March 9, 16, 30, April 6 and 13, 2011
Tuesdays 7-8:15 pm Eastern/New York: March 22, 29, April 5, 12, 19, 2011
Thursdays 10:30 - 11:45 am Eastern/New York: April 7, 14, 21, 28, May 5, 2011


Cost of the program: $325 US (includes 5 x 75 minute calls, an 80 page manual sent out as weekly modules, pre and post 1-1s with course leader Jennifer Britton author of Effective Group Coaching, laser calls as requested with Jenn during the 5 weeks at no extra cost!).

Class size is limited to ensure interactivity and a tailored program.

For more information and to register, please visit http://bit.ly/9Q7oSc. You can also contact Jennifer directly by phone or email.

Here's what coaches have said about the program:

"I have been leading group coaching programs for more than three years now. Jennifer Britton’s Group Coaching Essentials program provided me with the knowledge, insights and tools to take my programs to an even higher level! I highly recommend this program to every coach has or wants to add group coaching as part of their offerings. -Ann Farrell, CPCC, PCC, Quantum Endeavors®, Inc, www.quantumendeavors.com; www.yourcorporatesuccess.com”

"As a result of the Group Coaching Essentials program, I have created a 5 session group teleclass that will launch in a couple of months. I had been nervous about conducting any group coaching calls because I felt like I didn't know what to do. Jennifer completely changed that for me. I feel confident in my capabilities and will be relying on what I learned throughout the course to make my program phenomenal. I highly recommend this course (and please know that I've spent too much money on other courses and none of them compared to the value I received in this course!) - Ann Thomas, Ann Thomas Coaching & Consulting, LLC, http://www.CoachAnnThomas.com

“Completing this Program gave me the confidence and knowledge to create and deliver my own Group Coaching Program. In fact I started delivering my Program before the training ended! The 1:1 sessions with Jennifer and the feedback she gave me on my program content were invaluable. Knowing I was working with ‘the’ expert in the field of Group Coaching was extremely valuable.

Julie Marah, CPCC,Personal and Business Coach, How’s Your Life Professional Coaching

www.howsyourlifecoaching.com

“Being a true novice in the area of group coaching, I took this course to gain information. The information provided far surpassed my expectations. Of special significance was Jennifer’s skill at assisting me in pinpointing areas of concern, passion, challenges, opportunities and possibilities in a short amount of time. This is a great course for beginners and seasoned group coaches” – Latifu Munirah

Reserve your spot for one of our upcoming programs now.

I look forward to having you join us!

Warm regards
Jennifer Britton, PCC, CPCC
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2011)
Looking for in person training? Consider joining us on April 2-3 2011 in Toronto, Canada for the two day Group Coaching Intensive Training.

Coaching Business Builder - Planning and Tracking

In project management we have an old adeage that 1o minutes of planning can save up to 60 minutes of unfocused work. How much time do you spend on a daily or weekly basis, planning short, medium and long-term tasks? Do you have a clear list of what's really important for you to tackle today?

As a coach building their business, planning is only one part of the equation. Ensure that you track your results - new clients acquired, speaking sessions booked, new registrations received. Tracking can be done on paper or on your larger business plans. When new business comes your way, make a practice of asking where they have heard about you/the service. This can provide you with valuable inforrmation of knowing what marketing strategies are having an impact.

Questions to Consider:
What are the most important and urgent tasks for me to undertake today? This week? This month?
What tasks am I avoiding? What do I need/want to do about this?
What tasks do I need to let go of?
Have I done enough planning, and really need to get into action?
What action do I need to take today? This week?
What activities do I want to track?
What am I noticing about where my recent business has come from? What are the sources? What can I do to amplify these?
What activities may need tweaking because I'm not getting the impact I want?
What do I need to let go of?

Have a great week,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, PCC, CPCC, CPT
Host of the Group Coaching Essentials program: Accredited for 6.75 ICF CCEs. New programs start March 9 and 22.
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010)
Join me in Toronto, CANADA on April 2 and 3, 2011 for the 2 day in person Group Coaching Intensive Training: http://bit.ly/hccays
Phone: (416)996-TEAM(8326)

Group Coaching: 5 Personalities

Throughout the Group Coaching Essentials program I am often asked by coaches new to group coaching "What are the pitfalls to this work? What should I watch out for?". Often times I hear that coaches are concerned about handling some of the "personas" or "personalities" which may show up in a group.

Having worked with literally thousands of group members over the past 20 plus years, here are a few that you may see:

1. "The talker" - In any group program (group coaching, workshop, retreat) it is quite common too have one participant who is a little more verbose/talkative, to the point of taking over the conversation.

To avoid challenges with a more verbose, talkative participant, you may want to: Introduce the Skill of "bottom lining" or getting to the core of an issue, at the start of a program (even when setting ground rules).

Spend time up front before the start of the program, getting to know participants and discussing with them what they can expect from the group process. These pre-program 1-1 calls are invaluable in developing a positive relationship with group members, and clarifying expectations.

2. The Challenger - In any group process you may have one, or more, people who really want to be at the front of the room, and act out by challenging - challenging the process, the timelines, the topics etc.

When you have a challenger it may be because they want to be mroe involved. Have them write on flipcharts, post flipcharts etc. Oftentimes being in the spotlight for a short while is enough for them to have their "need to be seen met"

3. The Quiet One - It can also be common to have group members who are not at all talkative and want to remain very quiet or even silent. This may be due to a number of reasons - they are processors and take more time to formulate responses, they are uncomfortable, they may be more intraverted.

Remember to include exercises or use tools which enable people to write out their ideas, as well as speak them. Also quieter participants may be more comfortable speaking in smaller groups. Again, the pre-program 1-1 calls can help alert you to participants who may indicate that they are quieter by nature.

4. The Joker - You may also find the Joker in your midst. The person who cracks jokes incessently which may not always be appropriate. As the coach and facilitator remember that it is important to take charge and set the tone in your "room" (virtual or real). As a coach you may also want to get curious about what the "Joker" is all about.

5. The SuperAchiever - Many groups often have a "super achiever" - the person who leaves the room and gets done even more than they said they would (consistently). This can be a great motivational force for other group members - seeing another group member "walking the talk". It may also raise the bar for the entire group.
As a coach, notice the impact this is having on the group - is it positive/negative/other? Observe, reflect back what you notice.

What other personas have shown up in your "room" lately? What impact did it have on the group? As always, please feel free to comment below.

Warm regards
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, PCC, CPCC
Group Coaching Essentials - An ICF Accredited CCE program. Next session starts Wednesday March 2nd (Wed 12:30 - 1:45 pm Eastern - March 2, 9, 16, 30 and April 6)
Group Coaching Intensive - A 2 Day In Person Group Coaching Training program - Toronto, April 2-3, 2011 (Discounted rate on to 2/28/11 for coaches who register together)
Author of Effective Group Coaching: Available at Amazon and Wiley. Autographed copies also avaialble directly from us - http://bit.ly/dAlgf3
Phone: 416-996-TEAM

Co-Facilitation - Who Has Your Back

This month, my newsletter focused on co-facilitation in the spirit of love and relationships. Co-Facilitation is a really important relationship to foster whether you are a coach, trainer or professinal leading programs with another. We often spend more time focusing on our program development, rather than focusing on the relationship amongst ourselves.

Here's what I wrote in this month's Group Coaching Newsletter:

"I continue to see more and more coaches incorporate co-facilitation into their work. Whether it is with a another coach, or another professional, what do you do to make it really work?

Here are a couple of thoughts:
1. Number one rule - make sure you have each others back. Through the good and the bad make sure your trust each other to have each others' back at all times. If the trust isn't there, you need to ask why not, and act on it.

2. Know where your strengths lay - individually and collectively. What are your strengths as a partnership? What are your blind spots or gaps?

3. Spend time up front focusing on your relationship, not just getting the work done. See where your values are aligned. How do you define "quality"?Know what each others buttons are.

4. Practically, map out the program together. Know where you can accordion - where you can expand, where you can contract. Share a common understanding of what's a need to have, and what's a nice to have.

5. Check your ego at the door - remember that it is about the group or team you are working with, not you!"

Which of these five activities have you invested time and energy on so far? If you are planning an upcoming partnership, what do you want to have some discussion around?

Read other posts I've written on Co-Facilitation in the past here.

Have a wonderful Valentine's Day!

Warm regards
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Author of Effective Group Coaching: Copies ordered through my site include a bonus digital chapter on Co-Facilitation
Host of the Group Coaching Essentials program
Twitter: http://twitter.com/jennbritton
Contact us to learn more about our coaching services for co-facilitators

Want to reprint this for your own blog or newsletter? Please do so including a link to this post and the following:
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010), Jennifer Britton, PCC, CPCC supports coaches and other professionals eager to undertake their own group coaching work through the Group Coaching Essentials program, an ICF Accredited CCE program. She works with corporate groups and teams to accelerate their results, as well as with business owners who wish for greater impact and success. Jennifer has designed award winning mentoring training programs for the financial services sector, and brings more than 20 years experience in developing and delivering high impact group programs. For tips on group coaching visit the Group Coaching Ins and Outs blog at http://groupcoaching.blogspot.com. For tips and ideas around leadership and business please visit the BizToolkit blog at http://biztoolkit.blogspot.com.

5 Great Sites to Spark Your Group Exercise Ideas

Questions, exercises and activities often form the backbone of any group program - whether it is a group coaching session, a workshop or a retreat.

Here are five websites that I continue to get inspiration from:
Business Balls - Some terrific resources and ideas for exercises, particularly for corporate environments. Highly adaptable for retreats, workshops and group coaching. Look under teambuilding/games
Wilderdom.com -one of my favorite sites - Check out Link to Group Actitivities and Games
GroupGames.com - a good selection of some activities you can use with groups - adapt for your own icebreakers, energizers etc.
The Team Building Portal - Great resource site for team building - articles, ideas for exercises etc.
YouthWork's 2000 Game Collection - They may not be appropriate for each audience you work with, but what creative sparks do these ideas give you?

What are your favorite sources of inspiration? What resources would you recommend?

Also consider the following:
What tools do you already have at your disposal?
In addition to exercises/games how can questions or assessments add value to your group process?
What do you want to earmark for future program development?

Have a terrific week,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, PCC, CPCC
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley 2010)
Email: info{at}potentialsrealized{dot}com
Group Coaching Essentials - an ICF CCE program (6.75 hrs): Next group starts Feb 17th (Thursdays 10:30 - 11:45 am Eastern)

Coaching Business Builder - Do They Know, Like and Trust You?

This past week I spoke to a group of coaches in the Group Coaching Essentials program on the importance of relationships in any marketing of coaching services. Whether you are delivering individual coaching, group coaching, workshops, teleseminars or retreats, word of mouth or referral marketing is typically the best marketing strategy around. This means that it's important to undertake activities which allow your propsective clients/participants to get to KNOW, LIKE and TRUST you. This is a very old marketing adeage, and holds true for building your coaching business. People are more apt to buy a product or service from a person or company that they know, like and trust.

As you move through this week reflect on the following:

1. What am I doing to get others to KNOW Me?
- What activities are you undertaking so that others get to know you?
- How are you "getting out" of the office and "in front" (even virtually) with your target market?
- What's the image you are portraying? Is this what you really want?

2. What am I doing to have others LIKE Me?
- Ask: How is what I am offering answering the challenges and opportunities facing my ideal market?
- Ask: How is what I am doing in my marketing (writing, speaking, teaching) helping and adding value?
- Ask: How is what am I doing that is different, and even better, than what others are offering?

3. What am I doing to have others TRUST ME?
- Am I following through with what I have promised?
- Am I walking my talk?
- Am I being authentic and in integrity with my business practices?

As you move through this week and work on your business development, I hope that it will be useful to reflect on these questions.

For more business building tips for coaches, you may also want to visit past posts on business development and Business Booster Tips as well as what I have written over at my BizToolkit blog for business owners.

Have a terrific week!

Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, PCC, CPCC
Author of Effective Group Coaching
Host of Group Coaching Essentials (an ICF Accredited CCE Program - 6.75 hrs. New program starts Tuesday evening at 8 pm Eastern - Classes meet Feb 8, 15, 22, March 1 and 8)
Phone: 416.996.8326