Group Coaching Program Architect

You have a great idea for a group coaching program. What you don’t have is the structure: which week covers what, when people are most likely to drop off, and what to build before launch. So the idea sits in a doc while you tell yourself you’ll map it out ‘next month.’

This skill turns that fuzzy idea into a complete group coaching program you can actually sell and deliver. You give the AI seven inputs about your niche and transformation, and it returns a week-by-week curriculum with outcomes, call focuses, between-call actions, a retention plan, and a build checklist. By the end of this page you’ll also understand why the prompt produces a real plan instead of generic fluff, so you can adapt it to any future offer.

When to use this

• You’re launching your first cohort-based program and need the full skeleton fast.
• You’ve been coaching 1:1 and want to package your method into a leveraged group offer.
• You have a rough outline but keep losing people in the middle weeks.
• You’re repackaging an old course into a live, call-based program.
• You want a sales-page-ready structure (promise, weeks, outcomes) before you write a word of copy.

The skill

Paste this whole block into a ChatGPT Custom GPT, a Claude Project, or the top of a Gemini chat:

ROLE
You are an expert group coaching program designer who has built and sold dozens of cohort-based programs across coaching niches. You understand adult learning, momentum, accountability, and how to sequence a transformation so people finish and get results. You design programs that are clear enough to sell and structured enough to deliver.

INPUTS
Before designing anything, ask me up to 3 clarifying questions if any of the inputs below are missing or unclear. Otherwise, proceed. The inputs are:
- My niche: {{NICHE}}
- Who the program is for: {{PARTICIPANTS}}
- The transformation (before to after): {{TRANSFORMATION}}
- Program length: {{DURATION}}
- Delivery format: {{FORMAT}}
- Group size: {{GROUP_SIZE}}
- Price and what's included: {{PRICE}}

PROCESS
1. Restate the core transformation in one sentence as a promise the program makes.
2. Work backwards from that promise to define 4-7 milestones a participant must hit to get there, in order.
3. Map those milestones onto the program length as weekly modules. Each week builds on the last; no week is a dead end.
4. For each week, define: the module title, the single outcome of that week, what happens on the group call, the between-call action, and the asset or worksheet the participant needs.
5. Identify the 2-3 most likely points where participants stall or drop off, and place a specific retention mechanism (accountability, milestone celebration, momentum reset) at each.
6. Recommend the onboarding sequence (what happens before week 1) and the offboarding sequence (what happens after the final week to drive results and referrals).

OUTPUT FORMAT
Return the program in this exact structure:
- PROGRAM PROMISE: one sentence.
- AT A GLANCE: a short table of duration, format, group size, price.
- WEEK-BY-WEEK CURRICULUM: a table with columns Week | Module Title | Outcome | Group Call Focus | Between-Call Action | Asset Needed.
- RETENTION PLAN: the stall points and the mechanism placed at each.
- ONBOARDING: 3-5 steps before week 1.
- OFFBOARDING: 3-5 steps after the final week.
- ASSETS TO BUILD: a checklist of every worksheet, slide deck, or template referenced above.

RULES
- Sequence for momentum: easiest meaningful win in week 1, hardest work in the middle, integration and confidence at the end.
- Every week must have exactly one outcome. If a week has two, split or simplify it.
- Be specific to my niche and participants. No generic 'set your goals' filler that could apply to any program.
- Do not invent results, testimonials, or statistics.
- Keep the call focus realistic for the stated format and group size.
- If the duration is too short or too long for the transformation, say so and recommend a better length before building the curriculum.

How to set it up

Install it once and reuse it for every cohort you ever design.

1. ChatGPT (Custom GPT): Click your name, open My GPTs, choose Create a GPT, then Configure. Paste the full skill text into the Instructions field, name it Group Coaching Program Architect, and save it private.
2. Claude (Project): Create a new Project, open the custom instructions / Project knowledge panel, and paste the full skill text. Every chat in that Project now behaves like the architect.
3. Gemini: Paste the full skill text as your first message, then send your inputs when it replies.
4. Keep your inputs handy: Save the seven inputs in a note so you can paste them in seconds the next time you spin up a cohort.

The seven {{VARIABLES}} to replace:

See it in action (full example)

Here is the exact skill, filled in for a career coach. This is the whole input, nothing hidden:

ROLE
You are an expert group coaching program designer who has built and sold dozens of cohort-based programs across coaching niches. You understand adult learning, momentum, accountability, and how to sequence a transformation so people finish and get results. You design programs that are clear enough to sell and structured enough to deliver.

INPUTS
Before designing anything, ask me up to 3 clarifying questions if any of the inputs below are missing or unclear. Otherwise, proceed. The inputs are:
- My niche: career coaching for mid-career professionals changing industries
- Who the program is for: experienced professionals (35-50) stuck in a role they've outgrown but afraid to leap to a new industry
- The transformation (before to after): from drained and stuck to landing interviews and an offer in a new industry within 90 days
- Program length: 8 weeks
- Delivery format: weekly 90-minute group Zoom calls plus a private Slack community
- Group size: 10 to 12 people per cohort
- Price and what's included: $1,500, includes all calls, a workbook, and two private 1:1 sessions

[PROCESS, OUTPUT FORMAT and RULES unchanged]

And here is the complete output the model returns:

PROGRAM PROMISE In 8 weeks, you’ll go from drained and stuck in a role you’ve outgrown to walking into interviews for a new industry with a clear story, a targeted shortlist, and the confidence to make the leap.

AT A GLANCE

Duration	8 weeks
Format	Weekly 90-min group Zoom + private Slack
Group size	10-12 per cohort
Price	$1,500 (calls, workbook, 2 private 1:1s)

WEEK-BY-WEEK CURRICULUM

Week	Module Title	Outcome	Group Call Focus	Between-Call Action	Asset Needed
1	Name the Real Reason You’re Stuck	A one-line clarity statement on what you’re leaving and why	Each person shares their stuck story; coach reframes it as a starting point	Complete the “Stuck-to-Story” worksheet	Stuck-to-Story worksheet
2	Map Your Transferable Value	A list of 5 skills that transfer to a new industry	Live skill-mapping demo, then breakouts in pairs	Draft your transferable-skills inventory	Transferable Skills inventory template
3	Choose Your Target Industries	A shortlist of 2-3 realistic target industries	Group critiques each shortlist for fit and demand	Run 2 informational-interview requests	Target Industry scoring sheet
4	Rewrite Your Story for the Leap	A 60-second pivot narrative you can say out loud	Members practice the narrative on the call; peer feedback	Record and send your 60-second pitch in Slack	Pivot Narrative script template
5	Build the Industry-Ready Resume & LinkedIn	An updated resume and LinkedIn headline aimed at the new field	Hot-seat reviews of 3 volunteer profiles	Apply edits; request 2 LinkedIn recommendations	Resume/LinkedIn pivot checklist
6	Open Doors Through Conversations	3 informational conversations booked or completed	Outreach scripts and handling the “but you have no experience” objection	Send 5 outreach messages	Outreach message swipe file
7	Interview as a Career Changer	Confident answers to the 5 hardest pivot questions	Mock-interview hot seats with structured feedback	Complete one mock interview with a pod partner	Pivot Interview Q&A prep guide
8	Negotiate and Land the Leap	A decision framework and a 90-day plan for the new role	Negotiation walkthrough; each person sets their next 30-day commitment	Schedule your first 1:1 follow-up	Offer & Negotiation planner

RETENTION PLAN – Week 3 (the research slog): choosing industries feels abstract and slow, so motivation dips. Mechanism: assign 3-person accountability pods on the week-2 call so week 3 has built-in check-ins. – Week 5-6 (the visibility fear): putting a new profile and outreach out publicly triggers impostor feelings, the most common drop-off point. Mechanism: a milestone celebration in Slack for everyone who hits “3 outreach sent,” plus the first private 1:1 scheduled here. – Week 8 (the finish-line fade): people coast once the leap feels close. Mechanism: a public 30-day commitment on the final call and the second 1:1 placed two weeks after the program ends.

ONBOARDING (before week 1) 1. Welcome email with the program promise, the call schedule, and the Slack invite. 2. A 10-minute pre-work survey: current role, target direction, biggest fear. 3. Send the week-1 Stuck-to-Story worksheet so the first call starts with substance. 4. A 2-minute “introduce yourself” prompt in Slack to break the ice before call 1.

OFFBOARDING (after week 8) 1. Final-week recording and a one-page “what you built” summary sent to each member. 2. Schedule the second 1:1 for two weeks out to support live applications. 3. A 30/60/90-day check-in thread kept open in Slack. 4. A results-capture form (interviews booked, offers) to gather wins ethically. 5. A referral and alumni-rate invitation once a member reports a win.

ASSETS TO BUILD – [ ] Stuck-to-Story worksheet – [ ] Transferable Skills inventory template – [ ] Target Industry scoring sheet – [ ] Pivot Narrative script template – [ ] Resume/LinkedIn pivot checklist – [ ] Outreach message swipe file – [ ] Pivot Interview Q&A prep guide – [ ] Offer & Negotiation planner – [ ] Welcome email + pre-work survey – [ ] Results-capture form

That is a program you could put on a sales page this week and start building assets for tomorrow.

Why this works

Four LLM principles make this skill produce a real plan instead of vague advice. Learn them and every skill you write gets sharper:

1. Role priming. The opening line tells the model to draw on the slice of its training that knows cohort design, adult learning, and retention, not the generic “online course” average. “Design my program” pulls the bland middle; “you are an expert group program designer who has sold dozens of cohorts” pulls the good stuff. Always assign a specific, experienced role.
2. Specificity in, specificity out. The output is only as concrete as your seven inputs. “Career coaching” yields generic weeks; “career coaching for mid-career professionals afraid to change industries” yields weeks about transferable skills, pivot narratives, and the “you have no experience” objection. The model cannot invent specificity you didn’t give it, so the quality of your {{TRANSFORMATION}} and {{PARTICIPANTS}} caps the quality of the curriculum.
3. Constraints are quality control. The rules aren’t decoration. “Every week has exactly one outcome” stops the AI from cramming. “Easiest win in week 1, hardest in the middle” enforces real momentum design. “Do not invent results or testimonials” prevents fabrication you’d have to delete. “If the duration is wrong, say so first” gives the model permission to push back instead of forcing a bad plan into your timeline. Telling the model what NOT to do is as powerful as telling it what to do.
4. Clarifying questions before output. The “ask up to 3 questions first” line is the single biggest fix for generic results. If you leave the transformation fuzzy, the model asks instead of guessing, and a guessed transformation produces a guessed program. Answer its questions honestly and the structure snaps into focus.

Do this now

1. Install the skill as a Custom GPT or Claude Project using the steps above.
2. Fill in your seven inputs: niche, participants, transformation, duration, format, group size, price.
3. Run it. If it asks clarifying questions, answer them, especially the transformation.
4. Copy the week-by-week table into your program doc and start building the first two assets today.

Pro tips

• Sharpen the transformation first. A vague before-to-after is the number-one cause of a generic plan. Write it as “from [specific pain] to [specific, time-bound result]” before you run anything.
• Run it twice at two lengths. Generate the 8-week and a 6-week version, then compare. Seeing what gets cut tells you which weeks are truly load-bearing.
• Pressure-test the retention plan. Ask a follow-up: “What’s the single most likely reason someone quits in week 5, and one more way to prevent it?” The model’s second answer is often the one that saves a cohort.
• Turn the asset checklist into a build sprint. Paste it back and ask the model to draft the week-1 worksheet first. Build assets in the order participants need them, not all at once.

Related

• Coaching Program Module Designer (Custom GPT / Claude Project)
• 90-Day Signature Coaching Program Builder for Coaches
• Coaching Program Outcome & Promise Definer
• Add a Profitable Group Coaching Offer to Your 1:1 Practice