134: Why Group Programs Are Better Than 1-1 Programs
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Welcome back! Today we are addressing a very controversial topic, and one that I’ve struggled with myself, and I’ve worked through with a coach before. It’s a deep seated belief that 1:1 programs are more powerful and effective than group coaching programs.
Do you believe that 1:1 programs are more powerful than group coaching programs?
If you’ve been in an effective group program, you might disagree. But as we’ve discussed many times, group isn’t always as effective. In a 1:1 coaching relationship, a client and coach can find their own cadence and rhythm. Because of this, it can quickly become what the client needs.
However, there are some downfalls (as there are to everything) and I want to shift your perspective on this idea that private coaching is better than group coaching every time!
Group coaching has more to offer than 1:1 coaching
I’m going to be taking some so-called benefits to private coaching and giving you a different way to look at them.
First, we’ll tackle individualized attention in 1:1 vs. adults need different perspectives to grow in group coaching programs.
One benefit to 1:1 coaching is the idea that you’ll get laser focused attention on you, your problems, your strategies to fix them, your beliefs, etc. Sounds a lot like therapy to me but that’s okay, that’s a story for another day!
Coaches believe that if they work with clients in an intense, private program for a certain length of time, then they will be well on their way. There are for sure benefits to 1:1 coaching - esp if you have an expertise but you don’t want to make a program out of it, you just want to help a few people.
But if this is your bread and butter, it’s actually way more beneficial to the client that as they grow, they get more perspectives. Adults learn in a different way from children in that everything you teach them, they are trying to find that foundation from which to understand it. And that foundation is what’s happened in their lives so far.
Whether it’s their work background, or their family life, or childhood trauma, they are constantly seeing what you’re teaching through a lens that is a very unique color. What is beautiful about a group coaching program, is that everyone has a different lens.
If your clients (and you as their coach) are hell bent on change, then they need to be able to see other perspectives so that they can live in the world. They become a part of the world they want to be in because they are going through your program to help them change something about their health, wealth or relationships.
This is an incredibly intangible value, and it’s manifested itself every time you’ve ever said “oh, I never thought of it that way!” That’s you becoming more of a citizen of the world you want to be in.
Confidentiality and trust can’t happen in group coaching programs?
Next, let’s talk about confidentiality & trust in 1:1 programs, vs. a group of people you don’t know in group coaching programs.
One of the biggest things about private coaching is just that - it’s private. Coaches like to offer 1:1 coaching so that there doesn’t have to be a lot of trust built up with other people.
The client knows that the coach is not going to say anything about their sessions, and that’s because of a contract they have together, but it’s also because the coach is contracting in the session. They are asking for permission, they are agreeing to do certain things or talk about certain subjects together.
The disappointing fact here is that confidentiality and contracting are actually two really important pieces of good group coaching. It just doesn’t always happen like that, so you might not realize it.
Every group program should have a set of guidelines decided on by the group and facilitated by the coach. Every group that has done this, puts confidentiality at the top of the list even though it’s a requirement by the coach. It’s now a requirement of everyone.
Coaches do this in group coaching programs to promote psychological safety, so this feels like an extra step, but it absolutely is not.
When it comes to contracting, it’s actually MORE important to ask for feedback, or permission to go somewhere in a session, in group coaching - because it’s the whole group going there. Whereas with private coaching, it can go off the rails quickly.
Just because you’re in a private coaching relationship, does not mean you feel psychologically safe right away. Actually, since you are spending more money in a 1:1 program, you likely have a couple extra fears going on.
Story time: I had a 1:1 client once for a 4-month program with me. Every single time we met, she brought up the fact that she couldn’t afford the program, and how she was going to make the money back. It always came up - I realized pretty early on that she was not feeling psychologically safe and because of that, we had to pause our work together to get through that first. That was an extra hurdle she really didn’t need as the client.
So think about what segment of your audience really needs in order to feel psychologically safe!
Is group coaching only for surface level topics and only gets surface level results?
Let’s talk about the deeper exploration of client goals in 1:1 coaching vs. a surface level experience in group coaching programs.
A lot of coaches will tell me that they can get clients results best when they really go all in and deeply explore what’s happening and facilitate a breakthrough. This may be the case sometimes, and I have certainly had that happen to me on both the client and the coach ends.
My question is: how sustainable is this, and also - what are you promising the client?
My first point about sustainability is for the coach. Are you going to be able to sustain a deep exploration with every single client of yours, every single week or month? It can be very taxing on your resources as a coach, and we didn’t get into this so we could burn out and then never want to do it again, or become a lesser coach.
I would also be curious about what we’re promising as far as results go, because does every single client need you to deeply explore with them every session? Does every client need a deep connection with just you, and how much are we exhausting this process, all in the name of making the program seem more valuable?
Clients get burned out in 1:1 coaching. Here’s the solution.
My last 1:1 business coach, I remember every single week in our sessions, that I cried. I felt like we had to discuss deeper themes every single week together and I would cry pretty much every week.
And at some point, I just decided: I don’t want to always have to cry or speak deeply about something to move forward in my business. So when our contract ended and she was like, “we have more work to do” I couldn’t deal with it. I actually stayed out of any kind of coaching relationship for almost a year - I was burnt out as the client.
When you see coaches adding a group element to their 1:1 program, you know it’s because they are burnt out too and they just aren’t saying anything.
Private coaching is not more effective than group coaching
I hope this episode has given you some different perspectives to think about, and just as we close out, I’d like you to ask yourself a couple of questions as you’re looking to build your group program, but you have that voice in your head saying it won’t be as effective as 1:1.
What is the goal of the people you most want to help?
What kind of resources, besides a coach, might they need to get to their goal?
I would love to hear what your biggest takeaway from this episode was! DM me on IG @theallisonnelson so we can chat about it - I am so open to hearing your thoughts on whether group coaching is effective for your clients or not!
To get this all down for your group program in a done-with-you 60 minutes, you can message me about booking a Money Maker session by messaging me on IG @theallisonnelson, or email me at allison@allison-nelson.com.
>> I want a results-driven group program that increases my profits by getting better results for my clients and doesn’t burn me out as the coach!
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