Group coaching works in a similar way to regular coaching, except instead of offering private coaching calls, you can either offer group coaching calls, or eliminate live interaction in favor of online delivery.
To deliver group coaching using your dashboard, you just need to create a course and use the Course Management system. Whereas Client and Coaching Management facilitates interaction between you and one other client, Course Management allows you to interact with multiple clients, to facilitate a group coaching experience.
You can do everything with Course Management that you currently do with Client and Coaching Management, including assigning all the coaching tools. You can also create HTML rich content called E-Modules that are delivered automatically to your course members.
Create a course that you can offer as group coaching. Click Billing and Shop from the main menu. Then select Add new course.
Select "group coaching" under Settings as the course type, so people viewing your course in your Shop will see it's a group coaching course.
Choose Ongoing group coaching from the Course Schedule section.
If you include coaching calls in your group coaching sessions, enter a default title and short description in the area "Course Content: Coaching Calls." Then select a delivery frequency. You will be able to edit the title and description if you choose and assign coaching tools (such as journaling, homework, goals and assessments) in Course Management. If you don't include coaching calls in your group coaching, leave this section blank.
Let your clients know how to access your group coaching calls. There are a variety of services online that will allow you to make coaching calls or webinars available to a group of people. Convey the details your course members need to access these calls in one of two ways:
If you want course content delivered to your group coaching members, enter a default title and short description in the area "Course Content: E-Modules." Then select a delivery frequency. E-Modules are timed electronic delivery of coaching material (To find out more, read about Sessions and Creating Course Sessions.). You will be able to edit the title and description if you choose, assign coaching tools (such as journaling, homework, goals and assessments), and create the actual module content in Course Management. If you don't include content delivery in your group coaching, leave this section blank.)
You can use all the regular coaching tools in your group coaching, such as journaling, goal-tracking, homework, assessments,resources and feedback. You just need to assign the tools you want to your coaching call. Or alternatively, you can create E-modules and assign coaching tools this way.
To add coaching tools to your coaching calls, assign specific tools for each call using the Sessions page in Course management, after you have created your course. Click on Course Management, under Manage my Clients & Courses. Click on your course name and then select Sessions from the left hand menu.
Any of the coaching tools you have created, and any course goals specific to this course, will be available for you to assign to any coaching call. To create a new item, just follow the directions on coaching tools.
To add coaching tools to your E-Modules instead, assign specific tools for each E-Module using the Sessions page in Course management. Follow the instructions for assigning coaching tools to coaching calls above but click the link to drop down the details for each E-Module instead of each coaching call. After you press Edit, you will see a section where you can select and assign coaching tools.
Let your coaching clients know about your group coaching and invite them to join. Your group coaching will also be listed on your Profile and in the Shop.
Once your group coaching starts, you can coach your clients by communicating in a number of ways:
Your scheduled group coaching calls will act as a foundation for your group coaching, allowing your clients access to important personal interaction with you.
Assign coaching tools such as journaling, homework, goals and assessments, and comment on your clients’ responses. Your clients can also comment on each others’ responses, allowing for an interactive peer coaching experience.
Use the discussion tool to further coaching interaction amongst your clients. You can engage in follow-up discussions around the topics you are exploring in group coaching calls and assigned coaching tools. You can lead these discussion or let your clients take the lead.
If there are important matters you want to let all your clients become aware of, use the Notices tool to post a course notice.
You can also deliver coaching by preparing modular content for your clients to work through, know as E-Modules. This frees up more of your time. You might even choose to run purely virtual or online group coaching this way.
If you have assigned coaching tools to complement your group coaching calls or E-Modules, you can view your clients’ responses in the Course management page specific to that coaching tool. View journal entries on the Course Journal page, homework progress on the Homework and action items page, goal progress on the Goals page, asessment responses on the Assessments page, and survey responses on the Feedback page. Read more about each coaching tool in the chapters on Course tools.
For clients who miss your coaching calls, you can provide a recording for them to access. Just record your coaching call in audio or video format while you deliver it. After the call is over, an area will appear in the Coaching Call drop down on the Sessions page for the course, where you can upload an audio recording of the call or link to a video recording on YouTube. Read the instructions for linking to a YouTube video on the Course Sessions page.
Your group coaching clients will be able to access all their group coaching material with you from their Course Pad. They’ll be able to see when coaching calls take place, and access coaching tools you have assigned three days before each call.
If you have assigned any coaching tools, your course members can complete these by following the link listed next to each item. For instance, by following the link next to Journal topic, they will be taken to the Journal page of their Course Pad, where they can read the topic description, and write and submit their journal entry.
From their Course Pad, your course members will be able to view your session content. They’ll also be able to watch any videos and stream any audio you have included.
Now you have mastered group coaching, read more about offering courses as a way of expanding your coaching repertoire.
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