Group Coaching Helps Thinkers and Tinkerers Think

It supports those in roles focused on data and logic to consider other ways of thinking, before setting out on a direct path to a goal.

Coaching supports new graduates, and mid to end of career engineers, creators, and developers.

New grads and mid-career creators - Focus on different aspects of life, including career, relationships, and leadership skills that support their personal growth, make them more present, and efficient in the workplace.

End of career - Supports the transition to retirement, becoming a mentor, selling a company or starting a consulting company or other type of business.

What is Group Coaching?

Jennifer J. Britton, a well-known executive, team, and group coach and author of From One to Many; defines group coaching as a *“sustained conversation among members of a small group which focuses on goal setting, conversation to deepen awareness around issues, or to support action around key themes, goals, and issues.”

The emphasis on individual accountability is a key difference between group coaching and other related disciplines such as training and facilitation. Group coaching provides a peer learning space for goal setting, conversation, dialogue, and reflection for small groups of leaders with similar roles.

How is group coaching different from training, mentoring, or other services?

A key component of group coaching is the agenda is set by the group and it is supported by a coach to be goal focused and action oriented.

Goal focused and action-oriented means that group coaching is more than

• a good conversation
• generating insights and new ideas
• acquiring new knowledge, skills, and abilities through a lesson plan
• an opportunity to connect and get strength and support from a group of smart and capable people who work in similar contexts and challenges

Training
Through a lesson plan, an expert provides new knowledge, skills, or abilities through predetermined learning objectives.

Counseling
Professional guidance in resolving personal problems.

Mentoring
Provides advise based on one’s own lived experience.

Consulting
Provides expert advice to other professionals.

Coaching Method to achieve one’s own solution using what they already have and have access to.

How does it work?

• Before the group coaching begins, each group member will meet one-on-one with the coach to discuss process and learning expectations. The group will then come together to set the norms for creating a safe, confidential, and productive space to work.
• Through a process of identifying a vision for the group, members will identify the goals and topics that are of shared interest.

• They may set a frame for the structure of their sessions and determine the logistics for getting together.

• Individual one-on-one coaching sessions are 60 minutes.

• Group sessions are 90 minutes and work best with a span of control of six to eight participants to provide space for everyone to participate fully and gain individual and shared benefit.

A sample group coaching session might look like:

Beginning

• Welcome, Check in, Grounding
• Sharing of learning ... (often it is something applied from the last session)
• Setting an intention for what they want to achieve today.

Middle

• The business of the session—the topic
• Presentation/Discussion of topic— (one person may bring and lead the discussion, guests may be invited to present information on a subject of mutual interest, there are many creative options for how the group would like to bring topics forward.)
• End of the middle—the group confirms the topic for the next time.

End

• Reflection –the group captures the value of the learning through reflection. What are they taking away? Or Pre-flection- What are they going to do to move forward?
• Evaluation – Briefly the group assesses the session and notes what would make it even better the next time.

How Group Coaching Programs Work

• help with those who are seeking additional learning and development opportunities,
• support those who are looking to make lateral career moves or who are seeking a promotion,
• innovate within the development community, and
• ensure coaching becomes part of the culture, to reduce the loss of knowledge, reduce organizational attrition, and develop confident leaders.

Goals

To accelerate the professional development of creators and developers as they make critical shifts in their roles such as supporting staff who are moving from being an individual contributor to being a people leader and to assist with growth from leading a team of people to leading leaders.

To support leaders as they transition into the use of new competencies, principals, frameworks, and roles by helping them focus on what they need to do, or learn, for them to be successful in their environment.

A hybrid model of group and individual coaching offers a reach across the profession within a structure that provides for a manageable intake while offering both individual and group support and learning. Supporting individuals in the development community to more quickly adapt to the complex challenges that lie ahead will positively impact the productivity and engagement of the teams they lead.