Group [or Peer] coaching can be described as an intimate conversation space, focused on goal setting, deepening awareness around key issues, taking action, and accountability. Being part of a small group of people, who have no formal accountability to or interactions with each other, can create deep learning that wouldn’t be available otherwise. This largely happens because the process in a group coaching setting provides a range of benefits including:

• You have member perspectives to draw from, all offering you feedback, space to build your ideas and insights into potentially diverse ways to tackle and achieve your chosen outcomes/goals.
• A professional community is formed where highly motivated individuals spend time together and collectively share ideas whilst supporting each other. It’s for those who are open to feedback, who want to develop themselves personally and professionally along with influencing how they develop and improve their business/organisation. 

• People feel empowered and learn how to empower others. 

• Instead of simply being accountable to yourself and your coach, you have the scope to share and present your ideas, actions, achievements amongst your groups of peers. This can provide a stimulus and focus on committing to fully achieving desired outcomes.

• When people from an existing team or organisation receive coaching together it creates a model for building trust through vulnerability and curiosity. Each participant can then take these behaviours back to their individual teams and create a culture of trust.

• It’s also a model for the coaching style of leadership. When people participate in group coaching they learn, in real-time, how to ask better questions, stay curious and hold people accountable. They practice these skills in their coaching group and then can use them when they are back with their own teams. 

Group coaching can be a powerful tool, however, it does not suit everybody. In order for group coaching to be successful, key things need to be in place: 

• The challenge or opportunity is not a ‘quick fix’ that will be easy to achieve but will benefit from learning, reflection, adaption and implementation over a period of time 
• Group members will benefit if there is a common thread or theme among participants for example:
• • Creating opportunities for collaboration
  • How to expand into new markets
  • Uncertainty about the future
  • Recruiting the right people
  • Embracing change
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• All participants need to be prepared to be open, honest and actively engaged throughout the duration of the programme. The true benefits of coaching takes place when everyone contributes to the group