Dr Caroline J Walker
Group Coaching for Technical Experts

​Group Coaching is similar to any technical discussion with colleagues about potential ideas - the more brains and opinions the better! The group format harnesses the wisdom of the group around management topics and provides an excellent and cost effective way to  support  larger (6-10) numbers of technical leaders - and with the monthly meeting format, companies are finding that group coaching is far more likely create long term change and to ‘stick’, thus giving a good return on investment compared to one-off courses.

​What are the advantages of group coaching for Technical Experts?

Technical experts often report that traditional training courses try their patience and , while perhaps interesting at the time, the training often does not 'stick' or can be dismissed as not generally applicable to their own situation in the Technical sphere. So Group Coaching adopts a different approach and works well for groups that enjoy debate and challenge -  something that technical experts may find more to their liking. Also, since it is held in house and is entirely based around their own areas and experience, it hits the 'relevance' nail on the head.  Working with our own technical and business background, the sessions are designed to appeal to Technical Experts with plenty of analysis and discussion.  

What does it involve?
You will first meet with Caroline to scope out your goals for the coaching. Bespoke sessions would then be arranged and might be combined with some homework, such as reading. There is no formal instruction with slides in these sessions, instead the session is designed to maximise insight through discussion and some structured group work. For example, the group might debate a topic, share their experience and insights, brainstorm, and engage in some role play and practice. Group sizes are around 6-10, and meetings of typically 2 hours would usually be held at your premises. This can also be combined with 1:1 mentoring and coaching for participants between sessions in order to ensure that all team members are getting the most out of the development opportunity.

What are the benefits?
  • It is an approach that particularly suits Technical Experts, has real relevance, and gets excellent participation.
  • It offers good value, with returns on investment often being better than other options such as training courses.
  • Since it is bespoke, the programme can be integrated as a part of your over arching strategic initiatives, helping you to achieve your business goals and drive longer term change.
  • By providing support for the Technical Experts that 'fits', it can increase motivation and also help you to retain your top talent.
  • Meeting regularly as a group to work on skills together encourages cooperation and enhances communication between team members, which means that they work more effectively together on a daily basis.

​Please note that due to the on site format of group coaching, some geographical restrictions for this service will apply.


​caroline@carolinejwalker.co.uk

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