Building Your Group and Team Coaching Toolkit - Perspectives (17)

Creating more awareness around the issues of importance for the client is a central  part of the

coaching process. Part of this many involve work around perspectives and options that the client has around the goals that they are working towards.

As we return to some of the original models of coaching, like John Whitmore’s GROW model, we can see how centralized discussion and exploration around perspectives can be. Throughout the options stage of the GROW model, we may be working with our clients to explore different ways they can move from where they are towards the goal they have set.

This holds true for both the group and team coaching context as well. IF I am working with a group of business owners, I may be asking the question “What options do you have to grow your revenue this quarter?”. 

For one business owner they may be focusing on enhancing referrals, another may be doing a direct mail campaign and a third may be participating in a series of webinars. 

Each pathway may be different AND the perspective they hold around it may be different.

For the person enhancing their referrals, they might be in the perspective that business growth that quarter is going to be a lot of fun, as it will allow them to reconnect with their past clients and hear about the impact of their work.

For the person doing the webinars, their perspective may be that it’s going to be a quarter full of challenge and growth. They may really benefit from connecting wih others in the group who can share ideas and resources around HOW they successfully launched webinars or expanded business using that route.

In a group coaching context, it’s important to make sure we are leaving the space for each individual to explore the range of perspectives which exist for them.

At the team coaching level, perspectives work with usually be more collective. While there may be some element of coaching and conversations around individual perspectives around things, most likely the conversations will focus in on the collective perspective around issues. So if the team is tasked with launching a new program for their stakeholders, it will be important that there is alignment for the entire team around the perspectives that exist. There can be great learning as well in terms of how different team members approach different things.

Questions around perspectives:

1.       What is the perspective you are holding around the issue?

2.       What assumptions form the foundation of this perspective?

3.       What’s another way of looking at that?

4.       What else?

5.       What’s the value of looking at the complete opposite of that?

6.       If you were to flip things to 180, what would that look like?

Enjoy your conversations,

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)

Join us for an upcoming ICF CCE approved program - Group Coaching Essentials (8.75 CCEs), Advanced Group and Team Coaching Practicum ( 10 CCEs) or the Certified Facilitator Program for PlanDoTrack and the Coaching Business Builder starting this coming week.

Building Your Group and Team Coaching Toolkit: Agreements (16)

Agreements are at the heart of any coaching process. It’s what shapes HOW we operate, WHAT we do, the roles and responsibilities we undertake. Agreements also play a key role in shaping the safety in a group or team coaching process. Without clear agreements it is unlikely that people may drop into the coaching conversation.

In a group coaching context, agreements may include:

A group coaching agreement between the coach and each client. This may include items including what you are including, roles and responsibilities of the coach and client, What coaching (especially group coaching) IS and IS NOT.

Pre-calls with each client to learn more about them and their coaching goals, as well as share more about the program and process of coaching. This is an important part of co-creating agreements. Pre-calls may run for 15 to 30 minutes depending on the coach.

The Ways of Working/Group agreements created in the first coaching conversation. This may include items such as Confidentiality, Work between sessions, preparation for each coaching conversation etc.

Agreements happen on two levels for teams – how the team and coach operate together and more importantly, how the team agrees to work with themselves (both during the session and after the session). Research continues to show that the establishment of team norms via a team charter, or team agreements also is a critical success factor.

The establishment of team norms asks teams to talk about what important to them, and acceptable to them, behaviorally. For teams who have done work around their values, it may be useful to have them think about how the values translate into action. For example, what does the value of respect look like in action? What behaviors are visible that demonstrate respect? What behaviors DON’T demonstrate respect.

On the team coaching level, agreements will also be co-created around HOW the team wants to be, communicate and act during the coaching process. Some examples of common items which are on team agreements are  Start and End on Time, Prepare, Put Technology Away, Confidentiality (What is said in the room stays in the room and is not spoken about around the water cooler)

Agreements also have a touch point with goals in that the agreements will likely impact and shape the goals of the process. For example, if there is an agreement that the team will be prepared for the conversations, they will realize that they need to undertake conversations in between the team coaching touchpoints and start building conversations into those moments.

In the resource space, a lot has been written on team agreements. Reaching out to your colleagues and/or local ICF chapter is a possible step to see what they use and ascribe as best practice. 

Practically, take some time this week to review what you have in place in terms of agreements for group coaching  clients and/or think about how you will co-design this with team coaching client.

Enjoy your conversations!
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)

Join us for an upcoming ICF CCE approved program - Group Coaching Essentials , Advanced Group and Team Coaching Practicum (starts Friday September 13: 10 CCEs) or the Certified Facilitator Program for PlanDoTrack and the Coaching Business Builder starting this coming week. Mentor Coaching Group for ACC/PCC also starts September 13 and runs to December 2019

September Programming: Group Coaching Training, Virtual Facilitation and Early Bird for PDT Facilitator Training

With Labor Day just behind us, it's the second new year for many of us, as we get back to work and

school routines. It's also a great time to start new work with clients. If you are looking for more tools and resources to support you in expanding the coaching conversation to many, or virtually, I hope that you'll consider joining me and other amazing coaches for one of these upcoming programs:

Group Coaching Essentials - Looking for key tips, tools, ideas and processes to support your work with groups (and teams) as a coach? This five week interactive vitual learning session covers the best practices of DESIGN, MARKETING and IMPLEMENTING group coaching. This program is approved for 8.75 CCEs with the ICF.Weekly assignments support you in putting your ideas together, and sketching out your marketing plan. The next September group starts on Fridays from 1015 - 11:30 am ET on September 6th running to the first week of October. Learn more and register at https://www.groupcoachingessentials.ca/group-coaching-essentials.html

Advanced Group and Team Coaching Practicum (10CCEs).: Geared for those who want to gain practice, feedback and confidence about their skills, this program brings group and team coaching into action. Coaches lead a group or team coaching conversation of their choice, and we also take a deeper dive into the nuances of group and team coaching. We'll be meeting for 6 weeks starting Friday September 13th with a new time of 11:45 - 1pm ET. Click here to learn more and register.

Mentor Coaching Groups - For ACC/PCC - 10hours - Looking to complete your mentor coaching hours for your ACC/PCC? Join me and a small group of coaches for a highly interactive journey as we explore the core competencies and give you each a chance to coach and receive feedback. 7 Group calls held on Fridays from 9-10 am ET during the 2nd and 4th weeks of the month starting September 13th, running to December 13th. Note the first call will be held on Friday September 13th from 8-9 am ET. More info at https://www.groupcoachingessentials.ca/mentor-coaching-groups.html. $1100 for 10 hour package.

Virtual Facilitation Essentials - 8.5 CCEs: Looking to boost your skills in navigating zoom and other virtual platforms? Want to create virtual events (webinars, group coaching, retreats) that are memorable and engaging? Join me as we explore the realm of Effective Virtual Conversations (the focus of my 2017 book), in 5 sessions. Each week we explore a different area related to designing interactive, engaging virtual events, platforms and support you in building your toolkit of impactful things you can incorporate (more than 3 dozen covered!). Group will kick off on Monday September 16th from 1:30 - 2:45 pm Eastern - calls held on September 16, 23, 30, October 7 and 21. $450 US for the course. Learn more at https://www.groupcoachingessentials.ca/vfe.html.

Finally, there is an early bird rate on the first of two fall cohorts of Facilitator Training for PlanDoTrack. Do you work with virtual teams, leaders or virtual entrepreneurs? Looking to add a set of programming to your mix? Consider becoming a PlanDoTrack Facilitator. This training will run virtually (on zoom) on Tuesdays from 1230 - 3:30 pm Eastern/Toronto from October 8 - November 12, 2019. The training is approved for 24 hours of CCEs with the ICF (including 19 hours of core competencies) Early Bird Savings on to Friday September 6th. Learn more about the program here.

Hope that you will consider joining us for one of these fall programs!

Questions? Email me to set up a short call to discuss your needs and see what program works best.

I look forward to hearing from you!
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, PCC, CPCC
 GroupCoachingEssentials | Potentials Realized
(416)996-8326
Author of Effective Group Coaching (2010), Coaching Business Builder (2018), Effective Virtual Conversations (2017)