If you've been coaching for a while, you will have heard this a few times: “Trust the Process”. In group coaching this means trusting the group members to be curious explorers that will carve a path to where they need or want to go, without the coach leading the way.

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And, it is hard to do. Very hard.

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At Group Coaching HQ, we explore this challenge when we talk about “Weaving the Thread” and regardless of who is in the cohort, we tend to hear the same things:

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• “Don’t I need to deliver?”

• “I want to show my value.”

• “How will they get what they need?”

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Yet, that thinking tends to serve our own personal needs for relevance and affirmation. If we are to serve our clients and help them achieve the mindset shifts that lead to true transformation, we must embrace the group coaching process and trust the journey.

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5 Techniques to Build Trust in the Group Coaching Process

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1. Visualize Your Role in the Group Coaching Process

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Before starting your group coaching session, take a few minutes to visualize how you want to be experienced by your group. Ask yourself:

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- Will you be a lecturer, a consultant, or a coach?

- How do you want to show up for your group?

- What role will best support the group’s development?

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Being intentional about your role in the group coaching process sets the tone for an effective and transformative experience.

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2. Slow Down and Let the Group Set the Pace

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Slow down and slow the group down. Whenever you think the group has picked a new direction or theme to pursue, check in with them. It’s their journey. Although they may have found something to explore, it does not mean they will want to explore it right there and then.

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Give them the space to move at their own pace and let the group coaching process unfold naturally.

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3. Resist the Urge to Take Control

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When you feel the urge to take the reins that is your signal NOT to. Before any group coalesces around a theme, there is going to be divergent thinking. As group coaches we can support the group by allowing for this divergence and then helping the group observe what surfaced.

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If we take over, that seed of an idea or clue to a discovery gets trampled and lost.

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4. Encourage Shared Learning and Powerful Questions

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Share. As coaches we create and ask powerful questions, but we don’t corner the market on this. Modeling powerful questioning and challenging group members to do the same for each other allows for discovery and transformation.

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This fosters deeper conversations and transformation within the group coaching process.

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5. Embrace Silence as a Coaching Tool

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Let silence be your friend. It will feel painful at first, but let silence help you bring out the group members. If you fill it in, group members become spectators to you driving the moment.

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“Trust the group coaching process” and let the magic happen!

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