Benefits of Group Coaching (That You Won’t Get From 1:1)

Everyone is on a different journey in life and in business. The sooner you recognize that and embrace it, the more you’ll make the right decisions for yourself, where you are and, most importantly, where you’re going.

I started my business journey with a 1:1 coach who I knew and respected. I was able to do this because I was coming out of a good corporate gig and had the money to invest. I knew I needed some individual support to help me with the transition–someone who had gone before me and who I could be transparent and candid with.

I was lucky to have the financial means to be able to make that investment. Not everyone is.

That’s what makes group coaching a powerful choice for getting your business off the ground, or for moving forward past roadblocks. In fact, once I felt like I had my sea legs, I moved from 1:1 coaching to group coaching. I was about a year into business and I was ready to lower my investment amount so I could invest in other areas of my business.

In a group program, you don’t have the benefit of having a coach focus solely on you. But you get a lot of other value that you need at different stages of your business. Some of these benefits will continue to bless you far beyond that initial coaching experience.

Lower cost

In group coaching, you’re sharing the coach with a group of other people–helping to spread out the cost a bit. The downside is that you don’t have the consistent direct access to the coach, but some of the other benefits of a group program can deflect this.

A team feel

Outside a 9 to 5, it’s common to miss the interaction you have with others on the daily. There’s no one to bounce ideas off of and no shoulder to cry on. And when you come across a challenge, you’re kind of on your own.

Being part of a group coaching program allows you to step back into a team of sorts. Sure, you’re not all working to the same end goal but you’re still working and growing a business. If that’s not enough to build a team feeling, I don’t know what is!

Connections (Oh, the connections!)

Something magical happens when you allow yourself to be open and vulnerable with other business owners.

You start to form bonds that run deep. You develop friendships that span many miles. And you make connections that nourish your heart and soul. Now, you won’t find this in every coaching group member, or in every coaching program, but when you do it’s just magic.

Accountability

How many entrepreneurs does it take to grow a business? Honestly, a lot. If you’re busy working alone at your kitchen table or at your local coffee shop every day, you’re doing it wrong.

Those connections you make in a group coaching program turn in to great accountability buddies both during and after the program. Not only that, but your coach will follow up with you after your hot seat to make sure that you took action on your challenge. There’s nothing quite like getting called out in front of all your other coaching friends! (In the nicest, most no-nonsense way, of course!)

Others’ solutions

Group coaching is different from masterminding in that it’s the coach who will directly respond when you’re in a hot seat–rather than the others in the group. But with that, there’s a big benefit to listening to others’ challenges in their businesses and hearing the coach’s response. You’re learning from someone else’s experience, which is invaluable.

If you’re to the point in your business where you need additional connections to grow, or you are looking for a smaller investment to help you over some hurdles, group coaching might be exactly what you need. Like every investment you make, do your research and make sure that you’re investing in the group and the coach who will help you with the exact strategic objectives you need.