Reducing Social Worker Burnout Through Group Coaching

Group Coaching Program

You must know your niche. Beginning with the business value proposition, develop a clear idea of what the business has to offer that is unique and solves a problem for the customers. Identify the target market through market research. The business value proposition is to provide means for the social workers to maintain high levels of motivation during the course of their daily work. Market research will be accomplished by conducting email surveys of members of the Association of Social Workers.

Once the social workers have completed their preparation and acquired positions, they do not have access to a professional group on a weekly or monthly basis. The work is grindingly difficult and it is extremely easy for social workers to become jaded and overwhelmed -- feeling like they are bailing out a sinking boat with a sieve.

Have a system and adapt that system for this group's particular focus. The coaching system for social workers will entail both group coaching and individual coaching sessions. The group coaching sessions will occur on a weekly basis and will include a potluck dinner to underscore the informal and conversational aspects of the group coaching. Participation in the sessions occurs in a freely flowing manner, with participant attendance based on time, interest, and recognition on the part of individual social workers that they need to spend the time in their group. A coach will engage the group in discussion about the weekly topics following the after-work group dinner. Participating social workers will have opportunity to elect to engage in private coaching via telephone each month. The topic for the individual coaching sessions will be specifically chosen to address the areas that have been jointly identified by the social workers, their coaches, and their supervisors. The coaching sessions will operate in six months blocks, renewed according to the outcomes achieved that span personal objectives and professional performance measures that are a basis for their individual job evaluations. The timeline for the group coaching sessions is as follows: first 40-minutes are informal conversations and dinner; followed by 40-minutes of new content; and finally 30-minutes of group share, questions, feedback.

4. Decide where you're hosting your group program. The in-person sessions will be held in a community building such as a church or clubhouse in which there is a kitchen.

5. Make a list of benefits and features. The overarching benefits are reduced on-the-job stress, avoidance of professional burnout, and increased productivity. The shared group coaching experience is also designed to assist the social workers to develop support networks of others in their profession who understand the work challenges.

6. Create a 'no-brainer' price point. The cost of the group and individual coaching sessions will be borne by the agencies that employ the participants. Pricing will be set in accordance with similar professional staff training programs the agencies have provided.

7. Promote and enroll clients! A minimum of eight participants would be required.