Should You Join A Group Coaching Program Or Take An Online Course?

Yep, today we are going all in on two of *THE* most popular educational tools: a group coaching program and an online course.

If you’re considering taking the leap soon and taking control of your education, each of these have their own benefits in giving you the virtual boost you need to begin reaching your goals and taking control of your life and business.

In this post, we’re getting into the many pros and cons of investing in a group coaching program vs taking an online course.

MY OWN PERSONAL VIEW

I’m honestly the self-proclaimed group coaching queen, yes. But did you know I also have a soft spot in my heart for online courses, too? Personally though, group coaching has the edge.

Group coaching training can really take ahold of you and help you implement positive changes for good. If you join a good one, with a good coach, it can ignite all kinds of inner power and lets-make-it-happen attitudes in members. I’ve hosted and been a member of a few group business coaching programs throughout my career.

The first coaching program I joined was a group one and I also run my own as well at the Busy To Boss Academy. But my group coaching program also functions as an online course (and I have taken MANY online courses). So I like to think I know what I’m talking about when it comes to both courses and group coaching!

The way I want to do this is treat this almost like a written venn diagram post - do you remember those from school? It’s two overlapping circles and in this case, it would be one circle for courses and one for group coaching. The overlapping part of the circles is what they have in common. Because for how different you might think the two experiences are, they do have some incredible commonalities, too!

First up, let’s chat about what makes these learning and development experiences amazing in similar ways.

WHAT A GROUP COACHING MODEL AND ONLINE COURSES HAVE IN COMMON

Good coaching membership programs and good courses share a few super-inspirational qualities, so let’s get into what those look like!

Education

Of course, most courses and group coaching programs were created in order to teach all kinds of people, from all over the world, something:

New
Valuable, and
Impactful

It’s delivering this new information to the masses for students to take and implement into their own lives or businesses.

Both should have tangible takeaways, action steps, and support (whether that’s a workbook, activities, online community, or check-ins) as you apply the learning materials to your life.

Purpose

Both courses and a group coaching structure should deliver a deeper purpose for you to walk away with, beyond just learning something new.

Depending on the coach or educator, you probably won’t just walk away from a course or group coaching program with new knowledge in your toolkit. You should feel a little more equipped to reach your dreams and go after the things that light you up.

Purpose-driven educational experiences will push you from just learning new stuff to you actually wanting to implement it and seeing how it can shift your journey to something more meaningful and fulfilling.

Community

They make look a little different, but with both courses and group coaching programs, you often gain a new community of like minded goal chasers and big dreamers.

Courses sometimes (but not all of the time) offer a digital space to get support. Group coaching is exactly what it says on the tin. You get coaching time on a regular basis to get your questions answered and at some point during each week you’re in the program you’ll get custom 1:1 support.

THE PROS AND CONS OF DIGITAL COURSES

If you’re leaning towards investing in a digital course to take the reins of your education, you’ve got a LOT of good things going for you! Whether you’re looking to learn a new skill so you can up-level your business, streamline an area of your life, or just find more joy, there are courses on everything you can imagine learning about. Think new hobbies, business strategies, home decor, social media, and so. much. more.

It’s honestly a little wild for me to think about it because as a big believer in digital courses, I have absolutely loved seeing how this area has expanded and shifted to include everything imaginable to learn about. And one of my personal favourite things about courses is that most offer access for a lifetime. This means you can jump back in later and learn something new or experience fresh takeaways as your business and directions pivot through the years.

This also means you’ll get access to new updates and changes to courses as the materials get refreshed. So you’ll always have access to the most up-to-date processes and systems that the course tackles. I go back to courses I’ve purchased years ago and each time I go back to it, I glean new insight. You have that information at your fingertips whenever you need to reference it or need a refresher, and that’s something I love about online courses.

I’d say the only downside to courses that I see is when people can’t seen to push past life and dig into the materials to really integrate the knowledge into their life and business. And trust me, I GET IT. Life happens and follow-through isn’t always easy. But the truth is, most courses work if you do the work. They’re not a magic wand offering to fix your business or your life once you hand over your credit card, but they seriously improve a LOT if you choose to take the knowledge, do the work, and go with it!

THE PROS AND CONS OF A GROUP COACHING PROGRAM

As for the benefits of group coaching, they are endless. There are SO many good ones out there that are transformational and unbelievably jam-packed with the best information and strategies from powerful entrepreneurs, CEOs, and beyond. So much of the group coaching process gives you this thrill, this high from being in the environment and feeding off the energy of so many other inspired, hyped-up people. If you’ve ever been part of a group coaching program, you know what I’m talkin’ about!

You get one-on-one access with your favourite mentor and meet people whose stories are exceptional and make you all the more eager to chase down everything you’ve ever wanted, and then some. In group coaching questions are answered. It’s buzzy, inspirational, and full of good energy, on top of equipping you with all sorts of new information to implement and run with.

The only downside, if you ask me is that group coaching programs can vary in length between 6 weeks to 12 months. You normally leave with these mega-feel-good-boosting vibes after having done these group coaching activities and group coaching exercises, so when you leave, it’s all the more challenging to keep that buzz going on your own. To continue generating the energy and stick with all thee ideas and goals you came up with while part of a group coaching program, it can be difficult once you’re not in that environment anymore and back into your own life, which can be full, fast, and distracting.

I’d advise you to throw yourself into the group coaching tools that you are taught during your time in a coaching offer. Thrive off each other and the one-on-one support. Don’t be that person who takes pages of notes that never get implemented (or even read again!) The best group coaching programs send you away with a plan every single week to make progress and get the work done.

HOW TO CHOOSE WHICH ONE IS RIGHT FOR YOU

It’s tough to know which investment will pay off the best for you, isn’t it? So here’s what I would say: If you’re looking for a blueprint that you can actually implement or a system to put into place in your business and you need a step-by-step model that allows you to work at your own pace? Hands down, choose a course.

If you want all of that but you also want community, inspiration and an accountable plan of action to take things to the next level? A group coaching program might be a great opportunity for you.

My advice is to do your research - for both a coaching offer AND a course. Look into the speakers, the educators, the leaders, and make suer they are names that you trust and that you know will deliver on the value they promise. Have they gotten themselves and others results? Is the promise they are painting by the end the result that you’re seeking? After all, you’re the one investing your hard-earned money in this experiences to learn something new that hopefully takes you to the next level!

When it comes to taking an online course or joining a group coaching program, the decisions is yours. Both can be amazing, transformative experiences. Just make sure whichever you choose, you jump in with both feet and commit to making it well worth your time and investment - because you are definitely worthy of that!