8 Things you MUST know about group coaching

INTRODUCTION

Coaching a group is often much more effective than coaching an individual. Many who teach their students often find themselves in a situation where they are expected to transfer their skills to an appropriate form for learning groups. Just the thought of this can be daunting. But with a little effort, this transition can be very useful and interesting for the participants in your program. To make your search easier, we will give you a brief introduction to group coaching that will help you make a smooth transition.

1. Being a coach – what are the day-to-day challenges of coaching others?

Coaches often encounter a lot of prejudice, especially in this day and age when almost everyone has easy access to information. However, many forget that access to information is not enough to gain expertise in a field. This is why people often seek a coach to help them solve an existing problem or reach a higher level of knowledge. A coach is a master at imparting knowledge, skills, and motivation. He has a group of people in front of him or just one particular person. At the same time, he must keep in mind the overall purpose, i.e., what is to be accomplished by all the training and the short-term goals, i.e., how to break a large morsel into smaller, more easily digestible pieces. He keeps in mind the desires of the individual and the needs of the group they form together. He adjusts the context and content of his training. He can do this because he is well trained and learns every day. The coach usually has many more responsibilities and tasks than the traditional teachers and lecturers who receive most of the material from the institutions. For this reason, coaches have a greater responsibility, but also more complicated tasks, such as:

• They define the problems and their causes independently.
• They express your expectations and wishes regarding the development of the team.
• They identify the growing needs in the field, compare them to your expectations, and determine what needs to be developed so that the problem does not reoccur.
• They create a development plan consisting of group training and accompanying individual/group coaching, other monitoring, and measurement.
• They provide feedback during the coaching session to treat the session as something alive and adapt it to the participants.
• After the agreed time frame, measure progress together and take stock.

Coaches are professional leaders, experts in their field, fully competent, without residue. Moreover, coaching is a valuable path of personal development for those who want to change. Working on oneself and making progress cannot be compared to counseling or therapy regarding intensity and benefits. Many counselors shy away from expressing a personal opinion or leading a group to a particular view. Therefore, a coach teaches you and offers solutions to existing problems based on their expertise.

2. 1:1 transition to group coaching – how to know if you are ready for a group offer

When developing new learning programs many insist on 1:1 learning with mentors and coaches. Although 1:1 training has advantages, it can lead to major problems when the mentor has multiple supervisees. This is why introducing group coaching is a great solution. Not only does it make us feel like we are going back to school, but it takes group motivation to a whole new level. 1:1 lessons are great for reviewing material or certain exercises that need to be repeated, but group lessons are where new material should be learned. But benefits aside, how do you know you are ready to transition from 1:1 coaching to group? Some clear indicators are:

• A great demand for your coaching services.
• You feel more comfortable in groups of people.
• You cope better when you have to deal with several students at once.
• You feel pressured to talk about the same topic with different people all day, all week, or even all month.

The coach has the role of organizer, observer, and advisor during the group work and evaluator after the appointment. The tasks for the group work are usually given to the students in the form of worksheets so that they refer to the study more often to solve them properly. The number of members that should make up a group varies and depends solely on your preferences.

2.1. Top 5 mindset struggles when starting a group program

When we begin our work as coaches, trainers and lecturers, we often find ourselves in situations that can be stressful. It is human to wonder if we can do something, but this anxiety leads to procrastination, and concrete plans are never executed. But it’s not just this fear that holds us back; it can also be the following mindsets:

1. I am not good enough to coach groups.
2. I underestimate my abilities.
3. I get anxious in front of a group of people.
4. I do not know how to prepare the materials for my sessions by myself.
5. I am afraid that my presentation will be a disaster.

The coach must know that he is committed to solving existing problems and teaching his group new things. While it is human to doubt and feel bad, one should remain brave in a dilemma and try to push the negativity away without prejudice. Every effort, even the smallest, will pay off in the end.

2.2. How to create effective group coaching sessions that will not take ages for you to plan?

Planning, organizing, and creating materials for group training and sessions are usually a very big problem that keeps many from switching from 1:1 coaching to groups. Yet, the solution is quite simple. The answer lies in good planning and research. First, think carefully about how you want to structure your sessions. And then start with concrete plans of how you want everything to look. You can find countless templates for different syllabi on the Internet to help you with this, and it doesn’t have to take years to write your own. You can start with these simple steps:

1. Plan your program and create a scheme.
2. Determine the core topics of the plan and program.
3. Define the concept of the group – who, why, how?
4. Get to know your group before you start your session.
5. Create presentations and materials.
6. Tailor the materials to your target audience according to their “problems”.
7. Start your coaching journey and be prepared for possible changes.

With good planning and organization, each of your group sessions will be effective. And participants will have a good time and master the topic of the lesson.

2.3. How to work less and earn more as a coach?

Working as little as possible and earning as much as possible is the dream of many people these days. Usually, the jobs we pursue, take more than 8 hours a day, leaving us very little time for ourselves and our families. When you are not tied to a company, your working hours are flexible. And that automatically means that – if you are organized – you have more free time. Good organization is the key to a balanced life. The following points can also help you on your way to a work-life balance:

1. Develop better work habits and get organized.
2. Create a good plan with real and doable goals.
3. Break your big tasks into smaller chunks.
4. Respect your work hours and do not work overtime.
5. Know what you are doing before you start and prepare well.
6. Only work within your working hours.
7. Know how long it takes you to complete tasks.

If you manage to organize your habits very well and get along, you will succeed in setting up your business to work as little as possible and earn as much. Of course, you should adjust the prices of your services to the market, but do not forget how much your time is worth too. Lastly, when you switch from 1:1 to group coaching, you expand your reach and income while working less.

3. Group coaching – the key benefits of teaching in a group that you will enjoy

Coaching groups of people can sometimes be challenging. But it comes with many benefits, especially for the coach himself. The coach has to create the necessary materials for each group member to work on individually and then devote some of their time to each member. But the time saved by teaching a group is certainly a very big benefit, especially in terms of income. If a member needs extra help, the coach can arrange different lessons to cover the subject 1:1 or even in pairs if circumstances allow. It is important that the group members are motivated to work as much as possible and that the coach himself is resourceful in creating new materials. Therefore, it is important to define precisely the role of the coach, his tasks, and the overall purpose of the coaching program:

• First, coaching is not only a teaching program but also a belief system. Coaches start from the belief that people can identify and solve their problems if they approach them with the right mindset;
• Second, coaching is a leadership style that aims to leave the responsibility for problems with the group that is responsible for solving them;
• Third, coaching is supported by a range of tools and models, and it is good to share knowledge of these with the group;
• Fourth, group coaching is more effective than 1:1 sessions because it allows group members to be more independent, courageous, and productive. After all, they are in a familiar environment.

When the social form of group work is well-conceived, planned, and organized, it can far outperform other forms of work, given the group’s potential. Like pair work, group work compensates for the shortcomings of frontal work. It gives students more freedom to communicate with each other, teaches them to respect individual differences and the opinions of others, and encourages them to work together to develop their social behavior.

3.1. The reason why & why not to transition to group coaching

We often wonder if it’s better to stick with 1:1 coaching sessions or switch to group sessions. Both forms have their pros and cons, but group coaching is still far better than individual sessions. If you are wondering whether you should switch from individual sessions to group sessions as a coach, consider this:

REASON FOR: Group sessions allows you to teach multiple people in the same time frame who will ultimately get the same results as you would in individual sessions. This saves time that you can use for another group. Or for self-promotion. In addition, group sessions give participants a sense of belonging, inclusion, and a more relaxed atmosphere to better absorb the material.

REASON AGAINST: If the material in your coaching program is sensitive and may contain confidential information, it is better to stick with individual sessions.

The choice of a coaching method, i.e., focusing on the group or the individual, depends solely on the coach. Some feel more comfortable working with groups; others work better on a 1:1 basis. In any case, it is safe to say that it is best to choose the option that suits only the coach best because then the sessions will be successful.

3.2. Eight signs that you are ready for group coaching sessions

In most cases, coaches begin their work in the form of 1:1 sessions. This form of knowledge transfer is not bad, but it can take a lot of time and effort and ultimately prevent you from reaching your full potential. There are eight clear signs that your 1: 1 mode is saturated and that you need to switch to specific groups:

1. You are bored with 1:1 coaching sessions.
2. You no longer enjoy 1:1 coaching sessions.
3. You want to change and do something different.
4. You start to feel pressured and like you’re losing your ambition.
5. You want to innovate and work on new things.
6. You want to be surrounded by new people.
7. You want to use unique teaching methods that you can not otherwise use in 1:1 coaching.
8. You want more free time to create plans and materials instead of discussing the same topic hour after hour in consecutive sessions.

If you only make some of these points, it might be time for you to move from 1:1 coaching to groups. This way, you balance your business and daily life very well. Plus, group coaching bring in much higher revenue because you are serving 10x clients in one session.

4. How to get started with group coaching – create, structure & launch your own coaching program

As mentioned earlier, being a coach is not easy. You have to have some expertise, create a plan and a program, find and teach clients. You need to develop a coaching model, create a schedule and work plan, build a good network, and choose a popular and recognizable name. After that comes the marketing and sales part. A coaching plan and program is the most important thing in your entire business. It enhances your profession and shows your expertise and competence to others. Therefore, it is very important to design a good coaching plan and program so that your participants can take away as much knowledge as possible. For this, you should consider the following points:

• Choose what exactly you want to teach in your coaching plan.
• Organize the material in order of importance and scope.
• Obtain appropriate literature and include it in the plan.
• Divide the material into weeks. Each week a new topic with appropriate exercises and hands-on work.
• Prepare the materials needed for your program.
• Prepare additional topics if you have more time. It is better to be prepared than to wing it.
• Work out the plan and program in a table and make your notes on each topic.

It would be good to look for an existing plan and program templates to get a broader picture of the plan. Based on this, you can develop your ideas – and in the startup world, it is well known that improving existing ideas often leads to perfection.

5. Six tips on how to focus on developing a high-quality coaching program that delivers results

By definition, a coaching program consists of a series of events designed to improve and increase an individual or team’s overall personal and professional satisfaction. This main part needs to be structured in detail, as a core part of the whole project, which the coach himself leads. To make your program the best it can be, it is best to put it together based on your knowledge and skills. That way, the program will produce better results. If you plan to revise your existing program or create a completely new program, consider the following tips:

1. Enter into a coaching contract. Do not work without a warranty in the first place.
2. Identify the business, group, or individual issues that are relevant to your coaching sessions. This will help you understand where individuals are going wrong and where there is room for improvement.
3. Set specific goals or outcomes for the sessions. Talk to the client about their vision and goals and try to align your objectives with them. Although this can be difficult at times, do not grieve because even the least progress is progress.
4. Plan or work out well how and in what time frame these problems will be solved.
5. Encourage your groups to take action and responsibility. Be there to motivate them to achieve the goals you have set.
6. Be responsible in the first place and try to answer all the questions of your group.

6. You have found your niche and made your plans – now what?

Deciding on a niche or area of expertise is in itself a challenging task. And when it comes to knowing our callings, we often find ourselves in a “now what?” situation. This can lead to a feeling of blockage that prevents us from growing our business. The logical sequence of events would be to start marketing ourselves, but this block holds us back. There are three common issues we face:

• Unrealistic expectations: If you do not know your limits, you may be scheduling too little time or spending much more than expected. You may be working to exhaustion.
• Impostor syndrome: Sometimes, you can develop an irrational fear that another coach exposes you as a fraud. This leads to procrastination and wasting time on things that have no use to you or your coaching program.

Lack of tools and skills: There are many skills to develop and tools to master in coaching and business management, time management, marketing, and building a subscriber list. When you reach a certain point in your journey – it doesn’t mean you learned everything.

7. Promote your coaching skills – how do you show others your expertise?

When we discover our niche, write a great coaching program, and publish it on our website – we often get stuck asking, “Now what? Why are not my clients coming?” Of course, the first thing we will do is share our program with friends and family, but realistically, that can not bring us a specific clientele. The problem is a bit more complex and requires more effort, learning new skills, research, and such. To make it easier for you, we are going to present the four most important areas of digital marketing that you need to pay attention to:

• Organic traffic – This is the most natural way to promote your coaching program. It works on the principle that you put content online, in the form of a blog, social posts, a status – and then gather members based on curiosity, need, connection, and even likeability. Make sure your content appeals to the masses.
• Attract additional members – If organic traffic falters, it’s good to look into search engine optimization (SEO) and upgrade your content to a higher level. This applies to your websites and blogs and your social networks, and any content you put online. Algorithms are constantly evolving, and according to the latest research, it’s not the quantity of content that matters but the quality. One piece of advice is to write sentences of no more than 20 words at a time.
• Conversion – Make visitors to your groups and websites feel comfortable. Feeling like they belong is a big deal, and people love it. And this way, they will be interested in your coaching programs as well. While this can be time-consuming, make an effort to spend more time communicating with your members. Organize sweepstakes, provide free materials, tips, and free tools. You can also set up a newsletter subscription so that you can send your visitors the latest information. Many free tools will automate these processes for you.
• Real-life examples – Whenever we buy something, especially online, we like to read and hear what others think about the product. The same goes for educational programs. Try posting reviews from your customers on your website. Post good and not-so-good reviews because then potential buyers will see a real person behind the whole story. In addition, you can also organize group events for your members and give them a brief introduction to their programs to give a sense of professionalism.

While it is always hardest to start with new things, which is true in every area of life, it is worthwhile. Once you get into the learning cycle, the whole process will be so easy and motivating. As we have said many times before, every effort pays off, and almost one hundred percent of the time, it always pays off with a positive outcome.

8. Tips & tricks to increase the quality of your own coaching program

As mentioned earlier, coaching individuals or groups brings challenges. These challenges may come in the form of the coach himself or the structure of the group. But here, it is more important to look at the challenges that the coach may face. These can easily be technical issues, such as where sessions are held or the availability of materials. But these are all minor issues, as opposed to specific problems in the form of a coach’s ability to pass on their knowledge to others. Of course, we all have bad days and good days, so you do not have to worry about that. Everything can be learned, and you have to put in a little effort. And in the end, every effort pays off.

To improve your coaching sessions or workshops, you should first work on yourself. Constant progress in speaking, articulating thoughts, motivating others – can give you tremendous advantages when working, especially with groups. Read literature, attend various additional courses that do not have to be expensive, search the Internet and talk to as many people as possible. Interestingly, almost all the information we need is usually right in front of us – and we do not know how to look for it. Spend more time searching for information to improve your materials and create something new and innovative for your sessions. There are so many free tools (Canva, for example) that can take your entire presentation to the next level.

The most important thing is to overcome the possible fears and doubts you may have, or that may come up. But this is a very normal thing. You can be the best speaker in the world, and you can have a period of anxiety or fear. If you put in the effort, stay brave, and take even one step further, you will succeed in your endeavor.

CONCLUSION

Being a coach is not easy. Although in today’s society, we encounter many prejudices towards this term, especially in the sense that “anyone can be a coach,” – this is not the case. A coach is not only an expert in a particular field but also a person who independently runs his own business, alone creates materials, and independently coaches participants in his programs. He is not just there to impart knowledge and teach you something new – but he is there to encourage you to develop and become a better person.