Group Coaching

Do you ever feel that your team is not "reading from the same page of music?" Having a hard time working together, cohesively and cooperatively? Lacking the energy, as a group, that is necessary to succeed, grow, and reach common goals? Struggling to develop common goals or sense of purpose?

Maybe it's your ownership team, management team or production staff. Or, heck, your whole organization.

Could group coaching be the answer?

Group coaching is a type of coaching where groups of three or more, facilitated by a trained professional, convene around a common concern with a common purpose.

Harvard Business Review (HBR) says the most valuable coaching is group coaching. "It provides a disciplined way for organizations to deepen relationships ... while increasing their effectiveness. The goal is "cultural change for the benefit of the entire organization."

Molly Gordon explains that group coaching allows attendees to learn from each other in addition to the coach. She says that assessments are often used to establish trust and build enthusiasm. A well-designed process brings together the right people and raises the broadest challenge, in an environment in which failure is not an option.

Executive coach Leta Beam says, "If done artfully, group coaching mobilizes the group and activates synergy. Roles become more clearly defined, all voices are heard equally, momentum is generated and the creative juices flow." She says that team coaching is often the catalyst for increasing profits and/or productivity, developing new services or products, punching up sales, setting new priorities, renovating a culture and/or improving organizational well-being."

In individual coaching, it is important to qualify the intended subject ... the coachee. With group coaching, you qualify the circumstances under which such a coaching program makes sense.  You want to have a compelling business reason. According to HBR, "that could be as simple as making sure leaders live the company's values or as subtle as planting the seeds of a company wide culture ..."

HBR urges, "It's best to launch any coaching program only after it has won enthusiastic endorsements from top management. Because coaching, by its nature, brings uncomfortable subjects to light. These programs need an active champion with the power to protect them. If it is organizational change that is desired, it is essential for the CEO to be involved."

So, it seems that group coaching can be an effective means for teams to share best practices, quickly gain in-depth understanding of new management initiatives, develop new goals or strategies, or simply to enhance the ability to work productively as a team.

As you search for answers, group coaching might be a solution to consider.

This is the fourth article in a series on Coaching.

May-June '05 issue: Executive Coach: Nonsense or Dollars and Cents?

July-Aug '05 issue: Selecting the Right Coach

Sept-Oct '05: Executive Coaching: Getting the Most for Your Coaching Dollar

> This issue: Group Coaching

Jan-Feb Ô06 issue: Business Owner as Coach

The following professionals also contributed their expertise to this article:

Dr. Jay Kent-Ferraro, Empowerment Technologies. Jay@DrJayFerraro.com

Leta Beam, Vantage International. Leta@Vantage-inter.com

Phil Glenn, Chairman of the CEO College. Philtpf@cox.net