Create a Pause for Clients via Quarterly Reviews or Retreats | by Jennifer Britton MES, CHRP, CPT, PCC

Coach with Clients Having Quarterly Review

With 17 Questions to Consider

Many years ago, during my research writing From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching I asked the question, "What is the benefit of team and group coaching?"

One of the more popular responses was, "The pause that group and team coaching creates."

In today's busy and ever-changing world, having a pause point to stop and reflect on what is working - and what is not - is rare. So as coaches, creating this pause for our clients to stop, reflect and take stock is a valuable coaching benefit.

How to help our clients pause, reflect and take stock?

One of the ways coaches can create support is to offer regular review points and/or retreats for their clients. I like to have these "Pause Points" quarterly, but they could also be monthly or every 6 months - the key is that they are regular. They can be virtual or in-person, formal or informal, and can range from simple homework or session pre-work to a dedicated coaching session or even a full-day session.

For many years I have offered quarterly check points through my own work, more recently through the PlanDoTrack™ series.

Clients are continually surprised at how much they can achieve and learn in these dedicated "Pause Point" time windows. Jennifer Britton

Here are 17 questions you might consider incorporating in your next quarterly retreat

If you are considering creating your own quarterly retreat or review processes for your clients, here are some questions to get you started.

Start by reviewing the past quarter:

  • What were your major achievements this quarter?
  • What do you want to celebrate?
  • As you consider the goals (and resolutions) you made at the start of the quarter, how are you doing with these on a scale of 1-10?
  • Which goals are becoming new habits, or something you can check off?
  • Which goals need to be adjusted or let go of?
  • As a leader/coach/business owner, what have you noticed about your team this quarter?

Answer the following:

  • The thing that has helped me be most productive this quarter has been __________
  • The thing that helped me be most successful this quarter has been __________
  • The thing that has helped me be happiest this quarter has been __________
  • What has helped me be most healthy has been __________
  • What I have noticed about my work/productivity/results and/or relationships during the summer (or winter) months is __________

Also take note of any key metrics which are important for you, and your work. For corporate leaders this may be progress on key KPIs (Key Performance indicators). For small business owners this may be key metrics around revenue and social media.

Then look ahead to the next quarter:

My priorities are:

  1. __________
  2. __________
  3. __________

Our team/business priorities are:

  1. __________
  2. __________
  3. __________

My goals are:

  1. __________
  2. __________
  3. __________

Other questions to ask include:

  • This quarter, I want to __________
  • I'll be really happy at the end of this quarter when __________
  • I also need to think about __________

Wrap-up

What is going to work best for you and your clients? Set up your programming, then enjoy your reflections and conversations with others. This is something I recommend you also undertake yourself. If you have not had time to undertake any quarterly planning before I hope that you will grab a journal, and start this new quarterly practice!

Last month, Jennifer released the "PlanDoTrack™ Workbook and Planner for Virtual and Remote Professionals". Part planner, part workbook, this resource is ideal for coaches wanting to expand their offerings for virtual entrepreneurs, virtual leaders and virtual or remote workers. Pick up a copy of the PlanDoTrack™ Workbook and Planner at Amazon. Contact Jennifer by email info at potentialsrealized.com to learn more about her upcoming Licensing Program for PlanDoTrack (for coaches who are interested in offering this toolkit to their clients).

If you liked this article on creating a pause with your groups and teams, you may also like:

Jennifer Britton

Contributing Author:

Jennifer Britton, MES, CHRP, CPT, PCC, is the author of seven books and has influenced a generation of coaches in the realms of team and group coaching. You may have read her writing, including Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010), the first book in the world to be published on the topic of group coaching; From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching; or her latest, Reconnecting Workspaces: Pathways to Thrive in the Virtual, Remote and Hybrid World (2021).

Since 2006, Jennifer's Group Coaching Essentials and Advanced Group and Team Coaching Practicum programs have become known as the must-do training in the area of group coaching. Focused on providing coaches with best practices in designing, marketing and implementing group coaching, these programs have helped thousands of coaches launch their own group and team coaching programs in a wide variety of settings (public, corporate, non-profit). Together both courses are approved for 18.75 ICF CCEUs. These are the first two of 10 course pathways leading to certificates in Group and Team Coaching.

Potentials Realized's ICF-CCE programs are geared for aspiring group and team coaches, especially those wanting to work toward the New Advanced Credential in Team Coaching (ACTC) with the ICF.

Also check out our neuroscience course for group and team coaches (NLE-A), Team Coaching Essentials  and ACTIVATE Your Team and Group Coaching Superpowers. Prefer podcasts? Listen in to the Remote Pathways podcast, which explores the many different pathways to remote work, business and leadership.

Learn more about Jennifer & see all their articles here >>

Image of Team and Coach Having a Pause Point by Pressmaster via Shutterstock

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