We are all looking for ways to be more efficient.  Both coaches and clients want to make the best use of our time and money. Efficiency requires more than economizing – it must be effective.  When coaches need to “work smarter, not harder”, we want to serve more clients in less time and generate more income.  When clients need to “do more with less”, they want powerful results in less time at lower cost.  Group coaching meets these requirements.

Group coaching has lagged behind as the field of coaching has grown.  A quick search for books revealed none – not one – that addressed coaching in the manner in which the ICF and professional coaches define the field.  A few titles sound promising but, upon inspection, reveal a model much more in keeping with mentoring or discipling – helpful, to be sure, but not the same as coaching.

In spite of the lack of written material, there is much we can transfer from our experience of private coaching to a group format, and there are training classes available in group coaching.  To add groups to your business, consider these “Top 10″ logistical recommendations:

1. Target specific populations and/or life issues
   Membership should be fairly cohesive.  The more diverse their make-up or issues, the more difficult the group dynamics.
2. Use potential members to aid in your marketing
   Don’t do all the recruiting yourself.  Offer cost incentives to those who bring in people they know to form a group.
3. Poll prospects to find out what times work best for them
   Flexibility on meeting times can make the difference between success and failure of a launch.
4. Develop a contract that requires commitment to the group for a period of time
   Drop-outs can kill motivation and cohesion.
5. Set fees at less than half of your standard monthly private fee
   Ensure that the cost is immediately viewed as a bargain.
6. Consider bundling group coaching with one-to-one service
   Charge a special rate for a set number of group calls and one or more private calls per month.
7. Use a recordable bridge line
   Members can listen to a call they missed or re-listen to one that was especially helpful.  And recordings make it easier to hold to a policy of not refunding missed calls.
8. Limit group size to not more than 6 people
   Any more results in too much limitation of time for each individual.
9. Schedule meetings for 60 to 90 minutes
   Less time doesn’t allow enough interaction.  More is too long to retain focus.
10. Establish a password-protected blog/forum board/website
    Prep forms and ongoing discussions can be posted by members in a secure setting. 

Call Facilitation
Once you have addressed the logistics of setting up a group, your focus can turn to facilitation.  Consider these Top 10 facilitation recommendations:

1. Require prep forms from all participants.  As in 1:1 coaching, prep forms ensure efficiency and focus on the call since everyone arrives aware of each member’s progress, struggles, and desired agendas.
2. Summarize and affirm accomplishments.  This establishes an immediately safe and inviting environment conducive to the vulnerability required for group work.
3. Get group buy-in for the day’s topics.  Note the desired areas of focus on everyone’s prep forms and suggest an order for addressing them.
4. Consider sharing quotes, research, or other comments of your own which seem pertinent to the day’s themes.  Although you are acting as a facilitator rather than an instructor, it is sometimes helpful to cite a few references to general insights and information on topics.  Use this with discretion.
5. Pose powerful questions to generate the discussion.  The general rules of good coaching apply in groups.  Challenge the group to “be in their questions” instead of trying to fix each other’s issues.
6. Prompt quiet members and curb the over-zealous.  Ensure that everyone is heard and respected.  You are the guardian of group dynamics.
7. Facilitate interaction primarily “through you”.  Stay gently in control of the process and open up direct interaction between members only to the degree that you can maintain that control.
8. Secure commitments to action with accountability to the group.  As in all coaching, group members need to set clear goals and evidence follow-through between meetings.
9. Encourage use of the password-protected blog or forum board between calls.  This strengthens the sense of community and personal investment among the members.
10. Post powerful questions to the blog or forum board.  This keeps members conscious of the group and the issues they’re addressing, and deepens their exploration.

Following these practical recommendations can set the stage for an efficient and effective means of expanding your coaching business, increasing your impact, and improving your bottom line. 

Christopher McCluskey, PCC, is President of Coaching for Christian Living (www.christian-living.com) and Director of the Professional Christian Coaching Program (www.professionalchristiancoaching.com), the first distinctly Christian coach training program accredited by the International Coach Federation (ICF).