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What Is Group Coaching And Facilitation? |
Group coaching and facilitation, at its heart, is about creating self-discovery, decision and action within a group.
But what does that mean in practice?
In traditional one-to-one coaching, there is a direct and powerful relationship between the coach and the client in which the coach creates a space for a direct conversation to take place and learning to take place.
In group coaching this is no longer the primary role of the coach. The power of the coaching does not reside in the questions the coach asks which create learning, discovery and curiosity. The power resides in the learning and exploratory space that the coach creates between the members of the group.
We can think of it this way:
Imagine that each person in the group carries with them a private well of knowledge and wisdom, of questions and concerns, and of capability and strength.
When first the group comes together, each person brings their well in to the room but it is initially walled off and watertight.
Group coaching aims to break down the walls of the wells so that they become a pool from which the group can access the combined wisdom, ideas, passion and knowledge in the room.
Yet it also respects that the wells are private and so only requires the individual to give as much or as little as they want to.
The wonderful thing is that group coaching can only ever replenish and fill the well and not drain it!
The coach’s role then is not about asking powerful questions or challenging an individual, but rather creating, maintaining and nurturing the space that allows the group to function as a self-coaching entity.
As we will explore in the next chapter, the coach is less concerned with the specific content of the session and more with the process by which he or she manages the group’s interaction.
It is a different skill set from coaching that requires a fine ear for incongruence, limiting beliefs, faulty thinking. Instead, it’s about holding the space, facilitating participation, managing dynamics, knowing where the line is between a group learning experience and someone feeling picked upon.
Probably one of the biggest challenges for coaches in undertaking group coaching and facilitation is their relative invisibility and seeming passivity in the process and outcomes.
Great trainers, teachers and workshop leaders create learning through their knowledge and skills. Great speakers inspire, entertain and engross their audience. Great group coaches are like the best sports referees – unseen but in control!
If you’re interested in training as a group coach, head along to our course page at: Group Coaching & Facilitation
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What’s a small business coach for? |
Blog post taken from Rapid Results Business Coaching by Nick Bolton
I just came back from three days cycling C2C from Whitehaven to Tynemouth and, as is often the case when I undertake these arduous cycle rides, I got to thinking about business.
And it struck me that riding C2C across windswept moorlands, up tortuous lakeland hills and through boggy paths is somewhat like running a business! It’s a challenging, long hard slog that makes you question why you started in the first place!
There are the stiff legs, the aching backside, the tense shoulders. There’s the soggy gear, muddy bike and dog-eared maps.
But then there are the sweeping downhills, the lingering lunches at pubs, the sun breaking through the clouds and, of course, that terrific sense of achievement when you hit another milestone.
It’s living and being and doing.
And I think the role of a small business coach is to be there on that ride. To help your clients through the tough stages whilst keeping an eye on the good stuff to come.
To pursue the cycling analogy, it’s helping the client find themselves on the map so they can measure their progress, it’s making sure they’re on the right bike and that it’s oiled and ready to go, it’s cycling alongside and encouraging them to make those last strenuous efforts to reach the top.
And it’s celebrating when the downhill comes and the client can fly with the wind in their hair and a feeling of elation. It’s being there when the client hits the end and say, “What next?” with a tired but joyful smile on their face!
That’s the joy of business coaching.
Coming soon! Rapid Results Business Coaching from the Smart School
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Small Business Coaching: A Tragedy & Triumph in 5 Acts |
This is the story of Pam, Tom and Lesley, three small-business coaches who start off with similar ambitions but different destinies. They’ve been qualified for a few months and are meeting to catch up. Let’s eavesdrop…
Act 1:
Enter our three protagonists to sit at a Starbucks table under the spring sunshine. Pam is smiling and buys coffee and sandwiches for all three. Tom and Lesley look a little downbeat.
Pam: Here you go guys. Really great to see you again. How’s it going?
Tom: Ah, you know how it is. Tough times. Coaching isn’t quite what I was expecting! Businesses have got zilcho money!
Pam: Really, sorry to hear that Tom. I’m sure it’ll get better. How about you Lesley?
Lesley: Not bad, Pam. Got a couple of clients although it’s mainly free work. One of them swaps services with me and massages me once a month. (she smiles ruefully) At least I can’t get stressed!
Tom: What about you Pam?
Pam: So far, really great. (she beams) In the last three months I’ve picked up four pretty big clients already…and I love it.
Tom: What! Really? How come? Read more
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How business coaching differs from traditional coaching |
Coaches never give advice, right?
Well that has long be the mantra of the coaching world.
But in fact, like most things, it’s never quite that simple.
And in coaching, nowhere is this more true than in small business coaching.
Coaching is fundamentally a person-centred approach to change – in other words, it seeks the answers in the client themselves rather than through advice from the coach. But that’s coaching in its purest form. And it’s perfect for self-discovery and uncovering the hidden depths which once revealed will lead to change, motivation and action.
But like sports coaching, business coaching is a blend of this uncovering process with a healthy dose of clear-sighted expert advice based on the knowledge and experience of the coach.
Business coaches will bring to bear their knowledge of marketing, sales, social media, systems, financial nous and more to offer their clients rapid results and long term sustainable growth.
The traditional approach will play a crucial role in the first instance of business coaching as the coach seeks to help the client understand what they really want to get from their business. And it may play a role again if the client gets stuck emotionally through fear, loss of motivation or lack of clarity.
But predominantly, the bulk of small business coaching will be focused on very specific pieces of work around understanding and improving the business model, the marketing, the services and products, the sales process and the way the business handles money.
All in all, the world of small business coaching is a big leap from the transformational place of person-centred coaching and requires a whole new set of skills.
If you’re interested in becoming a small business coach, discover more at: Rapid Results Business Coaching.
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Keep your eye on the road! |
Let me reflect for a moment on an amusing, if somewhat painful, event.
I am currently cycling around Belgium for a week, setting out from Dunkirk and cycling to Bruges, Brussels, Ghent and Veurne.
One of my new gadgets is a state of the art satnav for my bike which plans the best route for a cycle and allows me to see every twist and turn I can expect to encounter.
And that’s where my problem started. Read more
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Most Recent
- Cognitive Behavioural Coaching
- What Is Group Coaching And Facilitation?
- Confidence Coaching with Young People
- Introducing Person-Centred NLP
- What’s a small business coach for?
- Don’t Be Afraid to Think Beyond Life Coaching
- Group Coaching with Young People
- Small Business Coaching: A Tragedy & Triumph in 5 Acts
- case study #4 How the practitioner’s belief can influence the client’s results
- How business coaching differs from traditional coaching
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