Group Coaching – Part Two: Shifts in Perspective and Strategy

"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."

I realized the other day that, although some time has passed since I wrapped up the group coaching program, I never wrote about how the second part went. I was too excited talking with people and connecting with them, and I forgot to mark the moment.

So here I am again, back on the front lines, with new content about people and their professional and personal successes and challenges.

You can see here how the first 5 sessions went.

So, after the first 5 sessions, people started to act and to apply, in their own projects, what they were discovering in our Tuesday evening sessions. And that's really where the challenge begins. You often know in theory what you should do, but when you put what you imagined into practice, you realize it's hard, that you have to push past certain fears, blocks, and inner critics, and part of you just wants to hide, or give up entirely.

Well, we all have moments like these, and the good part is that this is exactly the key moment where you get to choose: either you go back to what you already knew and get, at best, the same results, or you step forward through the fog and the storm, relying on yourself, on what you know about yourself and, even more, on your support group. The series of weekly sessions continued with identifying the obstacles standing in the way of each goal, as well as the patterns that still serve us and the ones that no longer do — all of it, of course, aligned with each person's own personal truth. It's hard to put into words, because it's hard to see and acknowledge your own truth. Maybe because there are things you don't like, or things that are hard to own.

In any case, I can only tell you that, after this stage, you can truly DO something to fulfill your goal. Otherwise, staying in the unknown, in mere wishes, in the past or the future, you can't change anything. Change happens in the present, with every decision you make. We then moved on to shifts in perspective, looking from different angles at problems, solutions, ways to improve strategy, the stories we tell ourselves about who we are, and how to integrate everything covered over the 10 weeks. And finally, celebration, and each person's commitment to keep working on their most cherished goals, dreams, and wishes until our year-end meeting, when we'll gather again for a follow-up.

A Few Conclusions and Insights I Took Away From This Journey

The question that shows up: "what if I don't succeed?" — the one that sometimes stops us before we even begin. I know this question very well; it was my "friend" for part of my life, until the moment came for us to part ways 🙂

Well, if you don't achieve exactly what you set out to do, there are several possibilities/opportunities:

• along the way you might realize the problem lies elsewhere, that you actually want something else — and that gives you a clear direction to follow.
• you might also realize it's a rhetorical question, and that what actually matters is the journey itself and your own transformation — and by the end you'll know exactly what you can and can't do, which system works for you, and what you need in order to succeed. So you'll be in a place where you can see everything with clarity and build a feasible, realistic plan.
• also, think about what you stand to lose and gain from this pursuit. What's the price, and what are the benefits of challenging yourself, challenging your results so far, your way of acting and thinking? You probably already know that professional success goes hand in hand with working on the "engine" that drives that business or career — namely, YOU.
• on top of that, you can test what it means to set a clear goal and pursue it alongside a group of people who support you. Then look back and assess what you did well, what you didn't, what you can improve, and what you learned about yourself.

What I love most about groups is that you end up seeing yourself in others and recognizing parts of yourself, or important people from your life, in them. For a while now, the word "Ubuntu" keeps coming to mind, meaning "I am because we are" — in other words, I succeed because we succeed together. No words could better describe my intention in starting this process, bringing together people who want to work on themselves to succeed professionally, while also wanting to help their fellow group members succeed. In a world where we're increasingly isolated and disconnected from one another, I believe — and I've seen with my own eyes — what creative power emerges when people come together, find themselves, and, on top of all that, get tangible results in their personal and professional lives.

I've said it before and I'll keep saying it: the energy of groups is magical! If you're curious about what a group coaching process involves, how it could help you, and how you can sign up, I invite you to a 30-minute conversation. You can pick a time slot in the calendar below:

Until next time, I'll leave you with a quote to reflect on:

"The things you do for yourself are gone when you are gone, but the things you do for others remain as your legacy."-Kalu Ndukwe Kalu