5 Reasons Group Coaching is Better Than One on One Work for Transformation

I'm thrilled to dive into a topic I'm deeply passionate about: group transformation! ?? When executed well, I believe that group work can go deeper and have a more lasting effect. It takes a high level of skill to do group work really well, however I also recommend that if you are pulled to doing work in groups, the best way to develop that skill is to get started! (And of course also to take my Sourced Leader program where we train for this ???)

As a client, I will choose an expertly led high level group over private coaching nine times out of ten for the reasons outlined below. If you're drawn to the magic of group work, this article is for you.

When Not to Host Groups

That said, please don’t host groups just to scale your business and reach more people, thinking it will make your life easier. There is an art to hosting a group and there is a whole new dynamic of understanding and reading and managing energy that is required.?

Most leaders at some point miss the mark and have the experience of a group either losing energy or going off the rails in a particular way that triggers their blind spot as a leader. This is part of the growth process, and it is well worth it for all the benefits of group work. But if you’re only in it for the scaling and not for the transformation it provides, it could be a painful journey!?

That said, here are five reasons why group work often surpasses one-on-one sessions in effectiveness:

1. Collective Energy

The energy of a well-orchestrated group is palpable. From the moment a retreat or group session is scheduled, the transformational energy begins to percolate. This energy attracts exactly the right people who are seeking a specific transformation. The collective intention amplifies the transformational potential, making the experience more potent than individual sessions.

In other words, when a group gathers with a shared intention the pull for that outcome is strong. Or if we want to get ‘woo’ about it, all of the guides and angels of all of the people involved are there working together to source the outcome.?

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve hosted retreats, sometimes with the exact same curriculum, but the experience is completely distinct because there happen to be quite a few people in the room with a surprisingly similar background or issue they are working with.?

It never fails to delight me to watch the theme in the collective emerge in the room in an undeniable way! I’ve even had retreats where someone couldn’t make it at the last minute, and as the retreat unfolded I could suddenly see that they were not a fit for the invisible theme. Or someone registers last minute and they were the perfect addition to the theme.

2. Questions in The Blindspot

When we are seeking transformation, it is always because there is something hidden from our view that is getting in our way – a blindspot if you will. When something is in our blindspot, we don’t know to ask for support with it because we can’t see it!

While I generally design my retreats to help participants see what’s in their blindspot through experiential work, the other benefit of a group is this – inevitably someone else will ask what we don’t think to ask!?

In a group setting, participants benefit from the diverse insights and questions of others. Often, someone will ask a question that resonates with others or brings to light an issue they hadn't considered.?

3. Community and Connection

When shifting a pattern, clients will have a chance to experience themselves differently during the group program. But then they need to go home and make changes in their lives. One of the best ways to have the courage to actually do this is to have a community that sees and supports what they are moving toward.?

When you’re offering this work in a group setting, clients (who are open to it) will have access to a built in community of support. They can make friends with people on retreat, or know they will see the same people next week in a group program, which will help them have the courage to make changes. This is not just about accountability (though that helps), but it is also about ENERGY.?

When they have people seeing them as the new, expanded version of themselves it makes all the difference! Your ability to curate this kind of community has tremendous value.

4. Environmental Shift

Connected to the above, group retreats, and even group programs on zoom, involve stepping out of one's usual environment. A key step to transformation is to interrupt the pattern. Making the space for a different conversation starts to change something already.?

We need to remove ourselves from the water we swim in to see our situation clearly. As Einstein said, “I don’t know who discovered water, but it sure wasn’t a fish.”?

Perhaps someone’s real issue is a habit or a person that represents and energy pattern in their life. Stepping into your energy as a leader may be just the thing to help them get a clear view.

5. Group Validation

Perhaps the most profound aspect of group work is the validation that comes from sharing parts of ourselves and being seen by peers without judgment.

One of my favorite quotes is by Kurt Wright, "As a human being, we cannot accept a part of ourselves that we haven't shared with another human being and had validated rather than violated."?

Often in 1-on-1 coaching, as a coach we help clients to see the patterns that have been in their blindspot – maybe they are limits, and maybe they are beautiful qualities that they have shut down or not appreciated due to past violation. And while this is super powerful (I do LOVE 1-on-1 coaching, both providing it and receiving it), it is possible for a client to dismiss your validation because they are paying you for it.

In a group setting, looking in our blindspot and seeing new things about ourselves can be very vulnerable. However the vulnerability tends to always pay off because when the shadow we thought was shameful is seen by a group, and they don’t run away, it heals us at an even deeper level.?

We can’t un-know the acceptance of a group.?

Group validation is more powerful than individual.?

Of course this requires a strongly held container of safety, and an ability to create a cohesive group with a shared vision (even when people have differing perspectives).?

I love helping clients develop and practice these skills!?

Curious about how you can do that with my support? Visit the Sourced Leader page on my website! https://sourcedexperience.com/sourced-leader-certification/

What’s your experience leading groups? I’d love to hear! Do you agree with the statements above? Let me know why or why not!