Group coaching, when done correctly, is an organizational tool that can be used to bring leaders together so they can analyze their relationships with one another, critique leadership styles, and brainstorm about how to achieve organizational goals. Peter Northouse (2016) contends that there are advantages to using group coaching and that it causes complex psychological processes to work together which oftentimes act as a catalyst for change. Advantages of group coaching include its effectiveness at preparing leaders for change, providing a better understanding of issues for the different teams, and the opportunity to provide and receive peer coaching. This topic struck a chord in me because it quickly became apparent that there is an opportunity for group coaching at my organization. My objectives for this blog are to provide the details around my office situation and why I believe group coaching would be beneficial. It will also provide several concerns with group coaching as well as ideas around how a successful coaching session should be performed.
I work for a large financial organization as a process improvement consultant. About two years ago, I was tapped on the shoulder regarding a new team that was being stood up for process mapping. The thing that motivated me to apply for the position was that it was something completely new to the organization and seemed like it had great potential. The goal of the team was to build and utilize a new system to create process maps for all of retail lending. These maps would provide a visual step-by-step overview of each process and highlight risks, controls, policies, systems, and procedures. We had executive sponsorship and were greenlighted to begin mapping. The key thing to note is that we designed our system to mitigate risk and improve controls.
Fast forward one year. The executive that was sponsoring the team retired and caused a major hierarchy change within the organization. A new executive was brought on board and teams that had never worked together are all now reporting to him under the ‘change management’ umbrella. The system we spent millions of dollars building is now much less relevant since we no longer roll up to risk management. Please keep in mind that while I am no longer in a management role, I still deal w/ many of the directs who roll up to the new executive. The common theme is that no one seems to know what direction we are heading in and it has been that way for more than six months at this point. After our assignment, it quickly became apparent to me that group coaching would benefit my department by providing an environment where the leaders could get to know what the other groups do. Since the teams are spread across the country, and the leaders are often kept busy running their own lines of business, this is often hard. It would also provide a safe environment to bring up some of the concerns (e.g. lack of culture or direction).
So far, I have only highlighted what can be accomplished by utilizing group coaching, but as you know, there are two sides to every coin. As one researcher put it; “Working in groups can be like navigating a way through a field of icebergs…” (Kets de Vries, 2017, p. 88). This is because the leadership coach is faced with conundrums and has to deal with diverse and constantly changing situations. Group members will project their experiences and opinions with one another which can become rough waters depending on the interactions between the teams (e.g. problems caused by your team are resolved by mine). This is why “The coach has to construct a safe, transitional space for the participants, where they have permission to talk about issues they never had the opportunity to confront before” (p. 88). In addition, it is often hard to get leaders to see the potential in handling things different ways. Oftentimes a leader has been in a role for a long period of time and feels they know what works and what doesn’t. For some, it may be hard to consider different options with an open mind. It is because of these potential concerns, and others like them, that group coaching needs to done correctly to succeed.
While researching group coaching, I came across a study performed by O’Conner, Studholme, & Grant (2017, pp. 8-9) who outline five key points to have effective group coaching:
- Need for a clear and explicit goal focus – Let the participants themselves define the goals together
- Need for solid upfront preparation and communication – Ensure the proper stakeholders are made aware of the program and are attending as needed
- Need for group coaching process structure – This will help maintain progress and prevent participants from feeling ‘lost’ within the process
- Need for explicit program sponsorship and follow up – Results and suggestions from the coaching sessions should be bubbled up to senior leaders who should then provide direction
- Ensure the right people, genuinely engaged participants – Participants should be motivated and willing to work towards a common goal
Hopefully, this blog provides insight around group coaching and ways that it can be beneficial to organizational leadership. The example I provided around my company may not be unique. I would be curious to learn about how you feel other, non-financial, organizations could use group coaching. I would also be interested in hearing about additional pitfalls and success strategies for group coaching as well.
References
Kets de Vries, Manfred F. R. (2014). The group coaching conundrum. International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring, 12(1), 79-91. Retrieved from https://radar.brookes.ac.uk/radar/file/af84da1f-37d4-49b9-a032-9c6a371597b6/1/vol12issue1-paper-06.pdf
Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and Practice. 7th Edition. Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications.
O’Connor, S. A., Studholme, I., & Grant, A. M. (2017). Group coaching in a large complex organization: Lessons learnt from experience. International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring, 15(2), 1. Retrieved from https://researchportal.coachfederation.org/Document/Pdf/3237.pdf
Spencer Ritchey says
Group coaching in a large organization with the group spread across the country sounds like a daunting exercise. I have experience in leadership and management including sales coaching and I usually find more success having one on one sessions with each manager or division leader. I have coached larger groups but the structure and scope are more focused on the broad company directives and less on individual input and ideas. While I do think it’s important to meet in some capacity as a group throughout the year to maintain direction, I find that coaching is more successful one on one. I think that your point about making the environment safe will open up discussion and help make the sessions more beneficial.
I have found that individuals may view coaching as a punitive measure and can become defensive. It is important to explain upfront how coaching will be conducted and the goal of the coaching sessions. I have worked for several companies that have conducted coaching sessions in a variety of ways and I have had managers who coached only when performance was below standard. Past negative experiences could be brought into the equation which can create fear and defensiveness. I usually like to over explain the purpose of coaching and why it is important for organizational success and career development to alleviate those concerns before they occur.