Group Coaching in Organizations: Common Challenges and Practical Solutions

Internal coaching programs are evolving and group coaching is at the heart of that evolution. As organizations rely on AI coaching more and more, they are also focused on what is uniquely human. That is, connection, building relationships and trust as well as understanding influence.

Group coaching offers a powerful opportunity to scale development, strengthen cross-functional relationships, and support strategic goals like engagement, retention, and inclusive leadership.

Yet, implementing group coaching inside an organization is not without its challenges. Coaches often encounter roadblocks such as time constraints, inconsistent engagement, and uncertainty around how to design sessions that are both impactful and aligned with business outcomes.

In this article, we explore the most common challenges internal coaches have shared with us when launching group coaching programs and we offer practical solutions grounded in best practices and proven frameworks.

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Why Group Coaching Matters for Organizations

While 1:1 coaching is effective, it often remains exclusive and typically reserved for senior leaders due to cost and capacity. AI coaching is gaining a lot of traction and is immensely helpful in allowing employees at all levels of the organization to access coaching, especially the more transactional type of coaching.

The power of group coaching? It is scalable, and it is human. It creates access to coaching across all levels of the organization, fosters connection in hybrid workplaces, and builds a coaching culture from the inside out.

When facilitated well, group coaching helps organizations:

• Develop leadership capacity across all levels, from individual contributors to VPs
• Improve collaboration across functions and silos
• Strengthen emotional intelligence and feedback cultures
• Increase retention and engagement by creating space for reflection and growth
• Promote innovation through diversity of thinking and expansion of perspective

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According to the International Coaching Federation, organizations with a coaching culture see increases in innovation, emotional intelligence, and global inclusion mindset.

So, let’s explore how to overcome the challenges that can get in the way.

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Common Challenges in Group Coaching in Organizations and How to Solve Them

Challenge: Time Constraints and Scheduling Conflicts

Internal coaches often cite time as the biggest barrier. Participants have competing demands, especially in fast-paced, distributed organizations where aligning calendars can feel impossible.

Solutions:

1. Scheduled, focused sessions: Make your groups slightly smaller (6-7) and your sessions 60 minutes to lower the barrier to entry. The key is to ensure that sessions are scheduled in advance, at the same time, and to ensure that participants’ time is protected.
2. Offer multiple options, including before or after work: For global teams or varying schedules, survey availability and build the groups according to the majority of individuals’ preferred timing.

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Whichever way you go, ensure that from the start, you insist on the importance of commitment to the group and that you have a clear process for those who miss 2 or more sessions.

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Challenges: Engagement and Psychological Safety

Group coaching only works if people show up, both physically and emotionally. But in mixed-role groups or high-stakes environments, participants may hesitate to be vulnerable or fully engage.

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Solutions:

1. Co-create group agreements: In the first session, co-create norms around confidentiality, respect, listening, and participation. When participants help define the space, they’re more likely to invest in it.
2. Curate groups according to a common context: E.g. All directors in different departments, or employee well-being group instead of mixing them up.
3. Anchor in shared goals: Tie the group’s purpose to real organizational priorities, whether that’s supporting first-time managers, building inclusive leadership, or navigating change.
4. Help participants feel seen, heard, and part of something meaningful: Use interactive formats: Peer coaching, story sharing, and breakout groups to deepen trust quickly and powerfully.

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Challenge: Lack of Structure in Sessions

Without a clear process or framework, group coaching can feel like a venting session or a “nice” conversation rather than a developmental experience with real outcomes.

Solutions:

1. Start with a Framework: Models like GROW (Goal, Reality, Options, Will) or Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle give structure to conversations while leaving room for exploration. Of course, use our very own The DOLIX Model®!  
2. Bookend Sessions: Begin with a check-in and end with commitments or insights. This provides rhythm and accountability.
3. Blend Coaching with Context: While coaching isn’t training, many internal participants value structure. Briefly grounding sessions in organizational context or relevant individual challenges helps make the experience “real-world applicable.”

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When done well, structured sessions not only keep things on track, they help reinforce the value of coaching across the organization.

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Additional Strategies to Design High-Impact Group Coaching Programs in Organizations

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Set Clear Expectations From the Start

Beyond solving for logistics, internal coaches must ensure group coaching supports business outcomes and builds a coaching culture from within. Internal coaching is still unfamiliar to many. Participants may not know the difference between coaching, mentoring, or training and that ambiguity can reduce impact.

How to do it: Educate, educate, educate!

1. Have an orientation session to define what coaching is and isn’t and equip participants with basic coaching skills.
2. Send a welcome message with the goals, expectations, and structure of the group.
3. Provide a simple onboarding form to ask what participants hope to get out of the experience. This promotes commitment and helps you tailor the program.

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Clarity creates buy-in, and buy-in leads to deeper engagement.

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Align Group Coaching with Organizational Priorities

Group coaching shouldn’t live in a vacuum. The more it aligns with business strategy, whether that's developing high-potentials, legacy planning, or improving retention, the more value it delivers and the easier it is to gain executive support.

How to do it: Partner Up for Strategic Planning

1. Tie coaching objectives to KPIs like employee engagement, promotion rates, or collaboration scores.
2. Partner with stakeholders like HRBPs to identify key focus areas for group cohorts.
3. Use strategic themes (e.g., Leading Through Change, First-Time Manager Mindset, or Building Influence) that align with business needs.

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When group coaching drives measurable outcomes, it shifts from “nice to have” to essential.

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Measure and Communicate Impact of Group Coaching in Your Organization

To secure ongoing support and investment, internal coaches must demonstrate how group coaching affects the bottom line, and the culture.

How to do it: Collect Data

1. Use simple pre- and post-program assessments tied to specific behaviors or mindsets (e.g., “confidence in leadership conversations”).
2. Collect qualitative data through session feedback, coaching reflections, and peer observations.
3. Share results with stakeholders in a brief end-of-program report that highlights outcomes, themes, and anonymous participant feedback.

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Tracking and sharing success stories is one of the most powerful ways to grow your coaching culture.

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Final Thought: The Strategic Value of Group Coaching in Organizations

Group coaching is more than a development tool. It’s a culture-building strategy to create space for dialogue, build trust across boundaries, and support your organization’s ability to thrive through change.

As an internal coach or coaching leader, scaling coaching through group programs directly supports your organization's business outcomes from employee engagement to innovation to leadership effectiveness.

When done well, group coaching:

• Builds a stronger, more connected workforce
• Extends the reach of coaching beyond the executive level
• Develops leaders who can, and do, coach others
• Aligns personal development with strategic growth

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It’s time to think of group coaching not just as a tool, but as a strategic lever for building a resilient, future-ready organization. Are you ready to amplify your coaching impact through group coaching? What challenges or wins have you experienced? Share your thoughts, we’re listening.