The C-ME Method: 3 Steps to Creating Deep Connection Before Your Group Coaching Program Begins

When creating a group coaching program, it is easy to jump right into the logistics: how long the program will be, what content needs to be created, the size of the group, location, etc. Yet, there is one nuanced concept that is easy to ignore, and it is what makes a group coaching journey much different than designing a course.

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When a client joins a group-coaching journey, the story they tell themselves about themselves should align with what other members in the group say, as well. In other words, they should say, “Oh, these people are like me.”

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Try out the C-Method when considering who you allow into your group coaching program to make sure you create a group-coaching journey that gets people to feel connected from day one.

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1. Create One Core Value: What is the core value that each person in this group shares?

2. Create a Constraint(s): Who will you NOT let into the group?  

3. Create Extreme Clarity: What shared destination will the journey take each person?

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Here is an example:

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Core Value = Work:Life Balance

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Constraint = Only working parents who are in a C-level position

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Clarity = By the time each person ends the group-coaching journey, they will have created a personalized system of habits that help each business leader achieve their definition of work:life balance.

To be clear, the goal isn’t sameness amongst the group, but, rather, a shared identity that aligns each person in the group.

A group should be diverse. Yet, there needs to be a shared core value that aligns each group member along with clarity on the direction each person is going. This creates the initial glue that bonds a group together and gets each member to feel authentically safe. It’s a shared exhale that gives permission to be real and increases shared accountability.

The C-ME Method is a simple approach to the often-overlooked nuance of group coaching. As much as people want diversity, they also want to feel connected to each person. Once you create a clear core value, a constraint(s), and clarity of direction, you can use this to shape the language used across marketing materials and the content created for the group-coaching journey. All of this reinforces the story each group member will want to tell themselves with a calming exhale, “Oh, these are people like me.”

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To ensure that each person who joins your group will add value, download our free pre-registration call conversation guide.

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This is a guest post by our wonderful Guest Coach, Mark Guay. Mark is a soulcentric executive coach who believes in the untethered ability to align personal values with professional goals. Yet, this natural skill is often stripped away through the layers of corporate red tape and the capital T Truth that change.is.hard. He serves courageous professionals who work to bring their greatest gifts to the world and are not afraid of the deep inner work needed to break through an old story. Previous executive clients include General Electric, Slack, Etsy, and JP Morgan. He can be reached at mark@markwguay.me.

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