GROUP & TEAM COACHING

There is now a growing demand for Group & Team Coaching in organizations and that demand will be increasing in the coming years. Given that, if you want to create this as your coaching focus or add it to your focus, how do you do that? How do you build up a “Group and Team Coaching” business? How do you sell it?

When it comes to any kind of selling of yourself as a Meta-Coach and/or your Coaching Practice, it is always best to develop a focused niche with an unique speciality. What’s much harder to sell and even to describe is the generalist approach.

“But what if I don’t know my niche? What if I have not enough experience to even know what to make my speciality?”

Then pick something that you would like to make a speciality or that could possibly become a speciality. Just pick something! By doing that, you at least have a place to start. From there, begin to format your “ideal client” and the unique contribution and value that you would add to that person’s life. It’s a beginning. That’s the important thing. Then study that speciality. Read books on it, interview people who have made that their speciality, search the internet for those who focus on that area. Collect ideas about what they offer, how they make their offer, how they frame their unique proposition of value, how they think about the needs, problems, and challenges of those people, their personality distinctions (meta-programs, perceptions, beliefs, etc.).

Starting there doesn’t mean that you will only be dealing with that area. You won’t. You probably will be a generalist and take on just about anyone who is a legitimate coaching client. The difference is that you have in mind where you are going in terms of your niche. Of course, as you study and interview and get experience, you may very well change your mind about your speciality. The reason for the decision is not that you will carve it in stone, but that you have a place to begin focusing.

Next, begin thinking about how you want to package your offerings and how you want to develop your “coaching package.” Depending on your other talents and skills— you will be a Trainer/Coach; Consult/Coach; Mentor/Coach; Coach/Trainer, etc. Some use training to get in, others use some consulting expertise to get in— what will you use to get in? At first, you will probably use connections. Who do you know that’s in business? In management? In H.R.? Begin there. Most business, and especially coaching and training business, operates from who you know and your skills in making connections.

Nor do you go in seeking to get in, go in seeking to add value with any and every conversation you have. Go in interviewing people. Ask for their help—their insights and advice. Now that doesn’t mean you don’t do your own homework. Do! Learn the terminology of the industry,

learn the vision and values of the business, learn as much as you can about the structure and who’s who in the organization.

Now when you meet with people in organizations, interview them about the quality of their groups and teams. As they how much the groups are learning teams, effective teams in terms of productivity, tapping human intelligence and creativity, generating a sense of belongingness, recognition, appreciation, etc. And, if you really want to sell this understanding to get into organizations, give out copies of Patrick Lencioni’s The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. It tells a story and so is an easy read for people who do not read self-help or non-fiction books.

[As an aside, not too long ago a former Meta-Coach used the following dysfunctions of a team and presented it as if it was his own discovery, doing that kind of thing is plagerism and unethical. You show yourself professional and scholarly when you give credit to your sources!]

Here is Lencioni’s description of The Five Dysfunctions in his own words and a good description of why businesses need Group and Team Coaching: Absence of trust: Members of great teams trust one another on a fundamental, emotional level, and they are comfortable being vulnerable with each other about their weaknesses, mistakes, fears, and behaviors. They get to a point where they can be completely open with one another. This is essential because ...

Fear of Conflict: Teams that trust one another are not afraid to engage in passionate dialogue around issues and decisions that are key to the organization’s success. They do not hesitate to disagree with, challenge, and question one another, all in the spirit of finding the best answers, discovering the truth, and making great decisions. This is important because...

Lack of Commitment: Teams that engage in unfiltered conflict are able to achieve genuine buy-in around important decisions, even when various members of the team initially disagree. That’s because they ensure that all opinions and ideas are put on the table and considered, giving confidence to team members that no stone has been left unturned. This is critical because ...

Avoidance of Accountability: Teams that commit to decisions and standards of performance to not hesitate to hold one another accountable for adhering to those decisions and standards. They don’t rely on the team leader as the primary source of accountability; they go directly to their peers. This matters because ...

Inattention to Results: Teams that trust one another engage in conflict, commit to decisions, and hold one another accountable are very likely to set aside their individual needs and agendas and focus almost exclusively on what is best for the team. They do not give in to the temptation to place their departments, career aspirations, or ego-drive status ahead of the collective results that define team success. (p. 7)