Group Coaching VS 1 on 1 Coaching
Posted on March 25, 2021 by Cleveland Goolsby, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.
Deciding what type of coaching is best for you may be a bit difficult. Having a list of some of the pros and cons from someone's perspective may help.
When dealing with the idea of meeting with a coach it’s important to decide which is right for you; group coaching or 1 on 1 coaching. With one on one coaching, you get private attention to help with some of your own personal concerns and issues. On the other hand, group coaching allows you the opportunity to see other people that may be in a similar situation as you. They could be struggling with addressing behaviors or looking for motivation in certain areas just like you. Recently, I’ve had the opportunity to experience both types of coaching. Personally, I enjoyed both experiences and thought they both had good and bad points. At times individual coaching felt like it could be a little bit intimidating. Even though you should try and be as open as possible with your responses on what you are thinking during the session it can feel like you are being put on the spot. However, with individual coaching, you also have a sense that it is all about you. You feel that you are getting special attention to obtain the goals you desired that took you to coaching. During the one-on-one, you also feel like it is a bit easier to build a connection with the other person as well. When their attention is fully on you and clear of any other distractions it’s easier to feel comfortable and talk about how you might try to resolve your goals. While experiencing group coaching there are a few drawbacks here as well. One of those is that even when you should be entirely present it may sometimes be easier to let your mind wander when someone isn’t speaking directly to you. Try as I might I will occasionally drift off a bit when in a classroom-type meeting. However, being in a group setting is rather comforting. It lets you know that there are people available to support you in your endeavors. It also gives you the feeling you are not alone. No matter what type of coaching you are receiving you will need to be honest about what you are experiencing. So, knowing that someone else has similar issues or goals to you makes you feel part of a group. Additionally, other people in the group might have an idea or question you thought was relevant. It may be something that would have slipped your mind, or it may be a tool that ends up helping you reach your goals. Having the group available may mean you get less personal attention, but it also means you have more people who are going through similar experiences and have tried things differently than you. You’ll get to bounce ideas back and forth and find out what the best outcome may be for you. Amanda Abella wrote an article describing some of the differences between group coaching and 1 on 1 coaching. One point she mentions in her article that I had not considered is “Group coaching can prepare someone for private coaching” (Abella, 2018). Now, the question remains “how to decide which is best?”. I think it is more of a personal choice and at times you may even benefit from both options. If you are a timid person you may find one-on-one coaching a bit overwhelming but if you are used to being the center of attention group coaching may seem like too slow of a pace for you. For me, I enjoy having both options and will participate and practice both one on one coaching and group coaching. Despite all the information out there in the end you will have to choose based on your feelings. If it doesn’t feel like you are making a connection, or you aren’t feeling comfortable with the situation it’s probably not the best choice for you.Abella, P. (2018, February 21). 4 differences between a Group coaching program and private
coaching.
