Whatever you are up to in life, support can make the difference between success and just being average. But support is often looked at as a sign of weakness. Based on our society, you should be able to do it yourself! Though this is not true, it's one of many challenges on the way to success.
Let's look at the costs and payoffs of these two mentoring modalities.
One-on-one positives
Personal attention
Go at your own pace
Focus on your projects
Schedule that works for you
Speed up and slow down as needed
Based solely on your needs and personality
Custom sessions
Custom actions to vision
Accountability is high
One-on-one negatives
No place to hide
Focus on your actions
Cost
Accountability
May not be a match
Value drift over time
Personality clash is possible
Driving pace
Group mentoring positives
Attention is spread throughout the group
Learn by watching others
Get support from the group
Other perspectives
Medium pace
Light focus
Sessions can be missed and made up by listening to recordings
Set agenda
Medium accountability
Half the cost
Group mentoring negatives
Lack of personal attention
Boredom
Pace is set by the slowest person in the group
Personality dynamics with other group members
Not enough accountability to hold you to taking action
Group think
Getting away with not showing up
Not getting what you paid for
Lost in the shuffle
As you look at both modalities, think back on your time in school. Did you enjoy team or individual sports? Did you thrive in a group, or with personal attention? Were you inspired by a personal mentor? Have you ever been mentored by a single, powerful individual? What would be a stretch around support and this next part of your life? What would have you stepping out of your comfort zone? What would lead to the realization of your new vision?
When you see the path, take the first step.
Sit down today and make a costs and benefits sheet for yourself with each type of coaching. Which list is longer? Which list inspires you? What jumps out at you as you view the two lists? What are the obvious next actions to take? Remember, coaching adds speed, depth and power. If success was easy, everyone would be doing it. When you see the path, take the first step. And do it today. Remember, no one gets to success without support.