Coaching is a very verbal activity, rich with questions and dialogue.

It is important to recognize that not all participants process in the same way. Do not assume that quietness means lack of engagement.

Those that are shy or quiet may benefit more from small group or paired work and individual reflection activities. So include a variety of ways for participants to engage, reflect and learn.

The Challenger may wish to challenge all that you say.

As a coach, we need to continually reinforce that our role is not one of expert, in fact they are. Note: this often switches the focus for the challenger and they may move to the "Know it All" Role (see below).

It is quite common to have one verbally dominant person in a group.

They will often let you know this in a pre-call. That's a perfect opportunity to introduce the coaching skill of intruding, and letting them know that you will be jumping in and asking questions to help them get to the core of the story.

Also, teach group members the skill of bottom lining (what's the bottom line?) or laser speak (speak right to the heart of the issue) at the start and remind the group about this skill throughout your work.

If someone continues to be dominant, it may be a good opportunity to break into smaller groupings whether you are in person or virtual.

The unfocused participant may show up as someone who is inattentive and "wandering off".

It's important to let people know where you are going. Provide an overview of the process and ask what they want to explore or get out of the coaching conversation. Also, is the client really coachable and wanting coaching?

We may also sometimes have participants who just don't know what they want. Providing opportunities for those people to become more focused include asking questions such as:

• What are your key goals? What do you need/want to do to get there?

• What do you want to get out of the conversation?

• What's really important? and

• Where do you need to move the needle forward this week?

The Superachiever can pose a challenge for some coaches as their endless achievements may cause concerns and feelings of inadequacy in other group members.

It's important to reinforce with your group that everyone will be moving at their own pace within a group coaching process, and that "Wins" or successes happen at different stages for each person.

Having the Superachiever share what they learned from their experience can spark and inspire others with new ideas and insights.

It can be common to have someone who wants to be the center of attention.

There are several roles you can invite them to participate in - time keeper, flipcharter, note-taker. Some of these roles will "give them the spotlight" and fill the need of being seen.

This is also a rich area for exploration in an individual coaching conversation with them. Coaching Questions to ask them include:

• What's important about being seen? and

• What impact does your need to be seen have on others?

Humour can provide lightness in the coaching process. Again, it's a rich perspective to explore with the group:

• Where could the group infuse some humour around the issues being explored?

• What needs lightening up?

Sometimes, the joker may take humour to the extreme so be aware of the impact it's having on the group. You can also ask the joker to consider what impact they are having on the group.

The Devil's Advocate can take us into the rich terrain of perspectives. Their voice is a great reminder that there are many different perspectives which exist in groups and in a team. Consider what is the flip-side of this? What important issues does the Devil's Advocate point to?

Some difficult participants may want to argue for argument's sake. Great questions to ask someone argumentative might include:

• What's at stake?

• What's the request behind your complaint?

Another tack is to defer the issue being argued about to the group:

• What do others think?

• Do they agree with the issue being raised/item being challenged?

• Is this something that needs further discussion?

If a number of people agree then it may merit further discussion, but if no-one else thinks it is important then the group can move on.

Coaching rests in the belief that our clients do know it all!

Questions to be exploring with the person who feels like they "know it all" include:

• What are you so passionate about proving?

• What makes you unique?

• What do you have to offer? and

• How can you share your expertise in a more positive fashion?

Verbose, or very talkative participants may also show up within your groups. These difficult participants often self-identify and mention this when you first connect with them, perhaps at your pre-program one-on-one.

As coaches it is important to let the group know that you will be providing the space and opportunity to hear from everyone through the conversations.

As with "The Dominator" it can be very useful to introduce the entire group to the coaching skill of "bottom-lining", "laser speak" or "head-lining" where people are encouraged to get to the core or "essence" of the story. Also very helpful to share with the group is the coaching skill of "intruding" or "jumping in".

Although it may be more frequent in a workshop or larger groups, the "sidebar" conversation occurs when two group members have their own conversations while others are trying to speak.

Be genuinely curious, and invite the sidebar pair to share with the rest of the group.

If an open invitation to share with the group or a glance over and making eye contact does not move the sidebar conversation into the wider group space, physically move yourself to stand near where the conversation is happening.