Content Delivery in Group Coaching Programs

The distinction between presenting content and actively group coaching is crucial.

Often, coaches face the challenge of deciding how to integrate their wealth of knowledge and resources into sessions without overshadowing the coaching experience itself.

This blog post delves into the art of balancing content delivery with being in the moment, observing, and activating insights during group coaching sessions.

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Content vs. Coaching: What’s Your Why?

Consider the purpose for your group: Is it purely a coaching group, or are you offering training with important frameworks/concepts that your group members must learn? This will impact how you approach your sessions. We strongly suggest having at least some sessions focused solely on coaching wherever possible.

We also advise that if you must deliver content in the sessions, you spend at least half of the session focused on group coaching.

After all, the magic of group coaching is in the connections and perspectives that are created, not so much in the content that is shared. This happens through conversations, questioning, deep listening which means educating your group members AND creating clear expectations through contracting.

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Finding the Middle Ground

As group coaches, it's tempting to prepare and bring a plethora of content into sessions, believing that it adds value to our participants.

Remember: While teaching imparts knowledge, coaching unlocks potential and creates a transformative experience. This distinction is vital in group coaching, where the focus is on self-discovery and collective wisdom. The value is in connection, conversation and reflection, not in the content!

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The Power of Pre-Session Content

To integrate content effectively without detracting from the coaching process, you might deliver materials asynchronously before or after the sessions. This approach allows participants to absorb the information at their own pace and come prepared, paving the way for deeper insights, and more focused questions during the session.

Providing content beforehand also respects the adult learning principle of self-directed learning, as it empowers participants to take charge of their learning experience.

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Staying in Coaching Mode

In session, the coach's role is to be fully present, observing and listening deeply. This means resisting the urge to lecture or impart knowledge and instead, focusing on guiding the group to ask powerful, open-ended questions that provoke transformation.

As our Chief Learning Officer Maribel always says: You own the process, they own the content!

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Activating Insights

The true magic of group coaching lies in the moments of realization and insight that occur spontaneously from a question or story that was shared by a participant. As coaches, our job is to offer a space for these 'aha' moments to occur.

This requires a keen sense of observation to pick up on non-verbal cues, shared themes, and underlying emotions within the group. By giving the group the lead, we have great opportunity to take a step back, observe and sometimes be a mirror for the group.

And it also about asking them to connect the dots and to uncover deeper meanings and insights.

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Enabling vs. Derailing

A crucial aspect of staying in coaching mode is recognizing what enables and what derails the coaching process. Enablement comes from creating an environment of trust, where participants feel safe to explore and challenge their thoughts.

On the other hand, derailing happens when the coach takes over the session, steering it towards teaching rather than facilitating self-discovery.

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After-Session Reflections

Post-session, consider providing a space for reflection, where participants can consolidate their learning and plan their next steps. This could be through follow-up emails, shared digital platforms, or informal catch-up sessions. Encouraging participants to reflect on their insights ensures that learning continues beyond the confines of the session.

The essence of effective group coaching lies in trusting the coaching process. It's about knowing when to introduce content and when to step back and let the group's collective intelligence lead the way. By balancing content delivery with in-the-moment coaching, we not only respect the unique learning journey of each participant but also foster an environment where true growth and transformation can occur.

As group coaches, let's embrace the art of observation and questioning, and trust in the power of insights that emerge from the group's shared journey.