Be a Discussion Starter

Discussions are a great learning tool you can use to work through issues and help people learn a bit more about themselves.

Online discussions can be a great learning tool. Your group coaching clients can use discussion modules to discuss concepts, work through issues, and learn more about themselves and others. Even though these are so beneficial, it can often be difficult to get your group coaching clients to start up discussions; this means that you have to do it. You need to learn how to start conversations online that get your group coaching clients to have some quality conversations.

Online discussions as a coaching tool

There are many tools at your disposal in your life coaching practice. These tools have been designed to help you grow your coaching business, interact effectively with your clients, and efficiently lead your clients in developing strategies and techniques to help them develop and progress.

One such tool is that of online discussion forums which may take place in group coaching courses that you deliver. These group coaching discussions can be very powerful for your clients, but they might not be prone to take advantage of the ability to discuss with other coaching clients in a group setting. Asking your clients to use the discussion tool can help, but just because they discussing online doesn’t mean that they are using a discussion tool to its full potential.

The best way to get group coaching clients engaged and active in discussion forums is for you to participate in these discussions. As a coach, you need to be starting conversations online to get your clients involved. Starting conversations, however, is often easier said than done.

The following are some strategies and techniques that can help you kick off helpful online discussions about key concepts and important issues. These discussion starters, intriguing discussion topics, and other tips can help you to kick of conversations in your group coaching courses to get your clients more engaged so that they can reap even more benefits from the life coaching you offer.

Incorporate discussions as a core component of your curriculum

Don’t let discussions be optional; tell your group coaching clients that online discussions are part of your life coaching approach. With each module, you will want to ask a question or offer up a discussion topic that is related to your class. Incorporate the things your clients say in these forums into your coaching; knowing you are watching make them more likely to participate.

Ask questions your clients must answer in detail

Starting conversations online can be as simple as asking an intriguing question that cannot be answered with a simple “yes” or “no” response. These questions should elicit responses by being direct, pointed, and about your client. People love to talk about themselves, so they are more likely to take the opportunity to do so.

Discussion topics should be easy at first

Even though most of your coaching takes place online, these discussions may be foreign to your clients. Your first discussion topics should be simpler questions that they can answer easily, like asking them about their goals. This way they can get acquainted with how the discussion tools works without having to put a lot of thought into complex ideas and concepts. Tread into more complex discussion topics over time.

Stay involved and engaged

Your involvement should not end with your discussion starters. By staying engaged in discussions and responding to what your clients post, you will be leading them by example. By staying active in these discussions, you are showing your clients that you care about what they have to say, and this will make them more likely to speak up.

Encourage clients who aren’t participating

If you have clients who are reluctant to say much about even your most titillating discussion topics, you need to draw them in. Be sure you comment directly on anything they say, no matter how brief, and ask them follow up questions. Praise them when they make a good point, and thank them for their thoughtfulness in their responses.

And other strategies

These aren’t the only ways to start and foster online discussions. These discussions are beneficial for your clients in their development, and they can help you gauge their progress. As you get more comfortable with discussion starters and creating hot topics, you can start to develop your own techniques and strategies for better online discussions for your clients.