We all need a little help sometimes — and the workplace is no different. Hiring a business coach is a great way to align your team and find new avenues of growth, and it can offer some serious benefits. Generally speaking, there are two types of business coaching:
- Individual business coaching, where the business coach works one-on-one with you or a member of your team.
- Group business coaching, where the coach leads a larger conversation with a group of people (typically a department, leadership team or even a whole company).
Business coaches often use both methods to help you achieve your goals, but certain businesses function better with one type of coaching versus another. More specifically, group business coaching sessions offer a host of pros and cons, making the path forward a little hazy.
But don’t sweat it — we’ve put together a pros and cons list for group business coaching to help you decide if it’s right for your business.
The great stuff
It encourages dialogue
In business, communication is key. Group business coaching gives your team the opportunity to directly address each other, and a good business coach will meet that dialogue with guidance and direction. This can lead to insanely meaningful revelations, and ultimately, impactful changes.
It grows trust
Sometimes, it’s easy to forget that your team is just that — a team. Internal disagreements, unclear processes and tension (resulting from any number of challenges, such as working from home) can distract from your shared goal: to grow, succeed and keep being awesome. Group business coaching sessions allow your team to realign on your values, reaffirm commitments and empathize with other teammates’ points of view (who would-a thought?).
It’s a completely unique opportunity
Having your whole team in the same room (or virtual workspace, as it were) to share in a structured conversation about your business is rare — but it’s also insanely useful. Group business coachings give you the opportunity to address issues, celebrate successes and recognize work that might otherwise get lost in the hustle.
The not-so-great stuff
It can be intimidating
Not everyone likes crowds, and the idea of sharing thoughts or experiences within a group business coaching might put some people off. It might take some encouragement (or non-awkward icebreakers — we promise they exist!) from your business coach to really get the conversation going, and to keep it useful.
Resistance is real
If someone came into your kitchen and told you how to cook dinner, how would you feel? Unfortunately, a lot of people feel the same way about business coaches at first. Don’t be surprised if your team is shy, hesitant or skeptical of what the coach has to say.
You lose out on productivity (but don’t worry—it’s only temporary)
This one’s an unavoidable bummer: Any time a big group enters a business coaching, that group isn’t working on completing deliverables. But that doesn’t mean they’re not working; while productivity might go on hold, they’ll be fostering a stronger team, which will have a positive impact on long-term productivity and success.
So, should I go for it?
There’s no cookie-cutter “right” way to grow a business. For some, group coaching will work wonders — for others, it might not. When in doubt, ask your business coach about it! They’ll be able to provide unbiased, professional feedback on whether or not your team might benefit from group coaching services.
It also doesn’t hurt to try one group business coaching session, and then touch base with the rest of your leadership team on how they felt it went. Remember, the most important part is that your team has the proper resources, opportunities and dialogue to keep the positive momentum flowing.