How can peer groups help coaches bring their best game?

One key element in this is a dedication to ongoing skills development through Continuous Professional Development (CPD) and what better way than by forming peer groups.  These groups benefit all participants by offering opportunities to:

• Practice existing skills
• Give and receive high quality feedback
• Hod each other accountable
• Share thoughts and ideas on new techniques and coaching strategies
• Master Minding challenges and obstacles

If you are considering forming a peer group, here are a few thoughts you may wish to bear in mind.

• Keep to a manageable size - three to six participants seems to be the most common
• No one person constantly 'runs' the group so that ideas flow and responsibility shifts
• Meet on a planned, regular basis and keep a record of each session
• Set and agree boundaries at the outset in order to maintain professionalism and ethical conduct
• Boundaries should include confidentiality, safe-space attitude, a solid feedback model
• Have a pre-agreed topic for practice/discussion

When meeting to practice a specific coaching technique or model, agree the structure of the session, ensure all members of the group have an opportunity to practice coaching, being coached and observe/give feedback.  This makes the impact of each session far more powerful.  Feedback should be given professionally and non-judgementally, accepted in the spirit of learning excellence and a record taken away by the recipient so that they may integrate that feedback into future coaching.

Following these few simple guidelines will help you, as a professional coach, to constantly raise your game and serve your clients at a higher standard.