Page 9 - KZN BUSINESS SENSE Vol.2 NO.6

thE Pros anD cons of grouP-basED businEss coaching

Trevor Clark, evolves (or as new challenges/ would i enjoy group coaching? various tests your coach can no charge) that will help you
Business and realities arise). arrange for you) will help you answer the above questions
executive coach; Regular access to a get a handle on how reserved and many more, with a view to
speaker and While one-to-one coaching professional coach with world-
global trainer is where clients see the greatest class experience, plus a group or outgoing you may be, how determining fit (between you
results, many business people of other successful business you relate to others, and how and the coach), as well as the
ngaging struggle to justify the investment people can be instrumental in to find an approach that will coaching approach that will suit
the when deciding whether or not your future success. suit you best. Free-flowing, you best. 
Esupport to be coached. It is always a ‘Mastermind’-type groups focus
of an tragedy to see a business decline Be sure you are comfortable on accountability, while a more Get in touch to see if you qualify for a
executive the opportunity of coaching working in a team – peer-to- structured / syllabus-based free business assessment with one of
coach has for budgetary reasons, and as a peer mentorship means an approach will place the focus our coaches:
historically result not reach its full potential. environment in which business more on education/skills. Tel: 031 266 2258
E-mail: durban@actioncoach.com
been a owners support one another to Website: www.mastery.co.za
privilege Enter group coaching learn new ways of doing business, If the above has piqued your
reserved and holding one another interest, do your research and
for only the corporate elite and Peer-to-Peer mentorship has accountable to implement any approach a couple of coaches
managers on a fast-track growth increasingly become a must- necessary improvements to their that have a background that
have for the business that
path. The increased adoption individual operations. looks right to you. Most
rate of business coaching over cannot yet afford (or motivate) Learning your personal professional coaches have a
a higher-level, one-to-one
the past twenty five years has behavioural style (there are take-on process (usually at
made mentorship – whether coaching engagement. While
group coaching is charged on
for business education or for an
accountability partner, now far a per person/delegate rate, it
more accessible to the owners of is substantially cheaper than
SMME-sized operations. individual coaching and we
regularly see smaller businesses
Many progressive starting off in a one-year,
corporations have coaching and group mentorship programme,
mentorship as a key component and then scaling up to more
within their human resource intensive programmes as their
budgets. For most small and businesses and profits grow.
medium-sized businesses,
coaching is seen as an expensive Pros of group coaching:
luxury – initially at least. ■ Affordability – rates vary, but
Once team and individual typically a third of the cost of
performance improvements are one-to-one coaching
observed, and most definitely ■ Networking – members
when bottom-line profit and regularly do business together,
cash flow improvements are and share sales leads/
tracked as a direct consequence opportunities
of the coaching intervention,
mentorship fast becomes ■ Energy – so important to
recognised an absolute necessity surround yourself with a group
for long-term success. of positive, like-minded
business people to motivate one
Having said that, budget is another when needed
still a key area to be addressed ■ Variety of backgrounds and
as sophisticated businesses skill sets – making the
have to account for every Rand mentorship groups a ‘brains
spent. For smaller businesses, trust’ on which members can
the coaching investment has to draw
be cash-flowed until such time ■ Structure and Expertise
as the coaching starts yielding – most follow a set agenda,
bottom-line results. or curriculum, designed by a

The first question we are asked professional coaching team.
when entrepreneurs reach out cons of group coaching:
to us is typically, “What does
coaching cost?” ■ Per member rates – usually the
owner only, but more partners
One-to-one or private and team members are being
coaching retainers can range enrolled to the groups of late
into the tens of thousands of ■ Pace – can be too slow (or fast)
Rands per month, depending for your liking, depending on
on the number of people being the group
coached, style of interventions ■ Fixed schedule / calendar –
and desired outcomes. The tough to shift sessions
advantage of one-to-one
coaching is that your entire ■ Results typically slower (than
team can be included in the one-to-one coaching)
process, results are faster, and – although we have witnessed
the process is tailored to your several businesses double, and
current needs and adapted triple, revenues. We no longer
at any stage as your business refer to this as an entry-level
approach.

9