Written by: Julie Traxler and Corey Harris, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
We frequently talk to our clients and people in our network about coaches and the coaching “industry” in general, and questions about the pros and cons about coaching in general consistently come up. First, in full transparency, we want to state that we stand behind our home page headline “We hate coaches and consultants. That’s why we’re perfect to work with.” As counter-intuitive as it sounds, it’s true. We know how slimy or shady consultants can be and how coaches require little to no training or certifications to call themselves a “guru.” It’s an industry that’s full of impostors, and we have to somehow separate ourselves from all of the people posing as experts. It’s a tough time to be a true coach or consultant.
Despite all of that, there are many real experts out there who have the skills and knowledge to help you become a better version of yourself, but this article isn’t about how to find them or determine if they’re worth your hard-earned cash. There are plenty of articles online touting the benefits (or disadvantages) of working with a coach. We’re talking about the choice between working one-on-one with a coach versus group coaching. Which is a better fit for you?
If you’ve made it this far in the article, you likely already understand the benefits of hiring a (good) coach. It’s time to weigh your options. We’re probably all familiar with the 1x1 coaching model, but in case you’ve never worked with a coach before, you can expect in-person or virtual meetings on a regular basis with your coach. They’ll ask a lot of questions, identify progress blocks, offer guidance and advice, analyze what’s going on in your business, work with you to determine the best approach to achieve your goals, and then hold you accountable session over session. If you need a little more accountability, a different and professional perspective, or perhaps some motivation in your life, a good coach is a great way to keep you on track.
So why would you want to choose a group coaching program instead?
Group Accountability
As we said, coaching is about accountability. It’s having that person on your side keeping you on task and requiring you to own your actions. With personal coaching, you only have one person helping to keep you accountable. Group coaching not only has the coach involved, but every member of the group becomes your accountability partner, and it happens fast. You’ll make commitments to the group to complete certain tasks, to remain consistent, and to deliver. And you won’t want to miss those commitments because you don’t want to let the group down. As odd as it sounds, it’s 100% what happens.
The approach may make you nervous at first. Having to talk about your challenges to a group can be a little intimidating. But like most things in life, you aren’t the only one experiencing it. It’s a lot like that old adage of being in a classroom and not wanting to ask a question because you think the question is dumb. Eventually, you realize that 10 other people have the same question. Everyone else in the group is nervous. You’re admitting to challenges and problems in your business. You’re publicly saying “I don’t know how to do this” and that feels uncomfortable. But everyone in the group is supporting you and cheering for you to win, and they are going to help you across the finish line. Each group member can be leveraged when you need them, and you will definitely get more than one opinion on what works best whether it’s sticking to a workout routine or launching a business. And that’s possibly the best part of group coaching: A diverse audience.
Additional Viewpoints
While a coach may be an expert in their field, they can’t know or have experienced everything. It’s just not possible. The advantage of the group is that when you present a problem or ask a question, there is always an opportunity for multiple viewpoints. Any coach worth their money is going to ask others to weigh in. We’ve both been involved in group coaching programs where the coach defers to participants (“students”) on specific topics. It’s a wonderful way for everyone to learn, and for people to demonstrate their knowledge. Including the group in discussions helps bring in fresh opinions, and groupthink is extremely helpful when trying to brainstorm solutions to problems.
You also get the benefit of learning from others' questions and situations. If you’re lucky the program you’re in has people in all different stages of their business, coming from different industries. We tend to look at that last sentence and at first pass think “that’s not going to be relevant to me” but it is. If someone is further ahead than you in their business, you have the opportunity to prevent a problem from happening. You can build better earlier. If someone in the program is just starting their journey, you get to help them avoid some of the problems you had when you started. Win/Win. And with different industries, you never know when you’re going to learn something that will be able to use that none of your competitors are doing. Imagine stacking those wins!
Networking
Another benefit of the group: you get to meet people in a similar situation as you and genuinely learn from their experiences. When it comes to group coaching, there are plenty of offline conversations happening between group members. People love to share ideas, and the fact that they’re in the same group probably means they have the same desire to improve as you do. That means these group members will be people you can leverage well after the program ends, and their diverse backgrounds will open you up to new networks you may never have had access to before.
That networking comes with responsibility. We’ve all been in some group setting, online or in person, where someone is there just to sell. Sell. Sell. LinkedIn is a perfect example where most communications aren’t even trying to be genuine about the connection; they just want 30 minutes of your time to sell you something. It’s sleazy. Don’t be sleazy.
Cost
Group coaching is almost always more affordable than one-on-one coaching, as you’re essentially splitting the cost of the coaches time with a group of people. Sure, you’re getting the coaches full attention if you are in a one-on-one program, but sometimes less attention is better. Having the opportunity to listen, learn, teach, and to build relationships with everyone else in your group coaching program provides significant benefits that you’re missing out on in an individual setting.
Think of coaching like working out. You can pay for a personal trainer to keep you motivated, call you when you miss a workout, and pat you on the back when you hit your goals. Or, you can join a gym, go to group classes, and keep yourself accountable to show up and push yourself to do your best. Depending on your personality or your goals, it’s your decision to make.
Group coaching is an affordable, effective option for entrepreneurs on a budget. You get the benefits of networking, building relationships, additional viewpoints, group accountability, and learning from others who have already accomplished what you're trying to do. There's no better way to grow your business than by surrounding yourself with people who are just as passionate about your success as you are! If this sounds like something you might be interested in but don't know where to start or how much it would cost - let us give you some pointers! Our team has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs take their idea off the ground through our various programs, and we'd love nothing more than to help make yours a reality too. How do you feel about group coaching? We’d love to hear your thoughts.
Connect with Julie and Corey on their LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter or visit their website.
Julie Traxler and Corey Harris, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Julie and Corey started their company, SB PACE, due to the 2020 pandemic to assist small businesses. Since then, they have expanded into helping start-ups, companies looking to improve, and small business mergers and acquisitions. They wrote the book on small business disaster preparedness and continued to help small businesses by leveraging their knowledge and experience working for Fortune 500 companies and Big Four consulting firms. Julie and Corey are the experts small business owners turn to when looking for sustainable, long-term success.
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