coaching_mainTeams can bring together complimentary skills that exceed those of any individual member and create synergy potentially leading to high performance. So how do individuals maximise the performance of the teams that report to them? One approach is to utilise Team Coaching.

Team Coaching

Team coaching has been described by Peter Hawkins (a leading expert in this field) as the ‘new kid on the block.’ Through Julia Henderson’s MA research and her on-going work in this field, it’s clear to her that the benefits of working with an intact team, over a period of months (or longer) adopting an approach that incorporates work in a range of areas, enables a sustainable change in ways of working, leading to high performance.

Often teams are made up of members who have an inconsistent sense of connection and/or purpose. They aren’t often together and operate in a challenging and high change environment. Developing a real sense of purpose, connection with others and the resilience and ability to work through periods of ambiguity is critical to high performance.

Whether grouped together on a project or working as a part of an intact or virtual team, teams take time to truly come together. Teams progress through a natural development process. Probably the most well-known is Bruce Tuckman’s (1965) ‘Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing’ model of group development. We work with this maturation process to assist teams to accelerate movement through the various phases.

How Team Coaching Works

Team coaching is a comprehensive approach to working with a team, usually for a period of months and sometimes longer. It provides a team with the space, time and environment to become aware of how they are functioning today (as individuals and as a collective) as well as identifying opportunities for greater team success. We work on real issues to maximise individual and team learning.

We use a range of approaches during Team Coaching depending on the requirement in the moment, including coaching, action learning and facilitation. Through team coaching we aim to create an environment of learning and safety that leads to greater insights, innovation and trust within the team.

Whilst the Team Coach may use a mixture of interventions the distinguishing characteristics of Team Coaching are:

  • Working with an intact team over a period of time (not just a one off event) at both off-site events, in team and business meetings
  • Coaching ‘real time’ on issues, including the team leader, which results in integrating learning and action if done well
  • Supporting the team to achieve its goal and collective purpose (it often starts with agreeing and committing to the collective purpose as this isn’t always clearly articulated)
  • Working with team dynamics. In a CCL (Centre for Creative Leadership) White Paper Riddle (2008) explains “the ability to read in the moment the multiple levels of dynamic occurring in the team” is a critical competence for any team coach to have.
  • Adopting a systemic approach and taking time to incorporate stakeholders’ views and feedback to provide valuable data for the team to explore how it might need to function differently

Contracting

As with Executive Coaching the contracting process is key to the engagement process and we use the EMCC Code of Ethics to guide our approach to contracting with the Sponsor, Leader and Team.

Diagnostics

We start with a thorough diagnostic phase by meeting team members individually to learn about their key issues, challenges and success indicators. We combine the group development model with our high performing team success factors, as a part of the diagnostic phase. Gathering feedback from key stakeholder groups is a valuable approach to take during the diagnostic phase to assist with adopting a systemic approach to the team coaching work.

Design

We then design an approach concentrating on the highlighted needs over several sessions. If it’s a one off event that’s required, we’ll adopt a Team Development approach rather than using team coaching. We collaboratively design a Team Coaching approach, specifically focused on the highlighted needs, whether they:

  • Are looking to implement culture change, where the leaders drive the change themselves
  • Have a cross functional team working with a territorial or silo mentality
  • Aren’t meeting the needs of key stakeholder groups and need to develop a different way of thinking and working
  • Are looking to build better team dynamics
  • Are in a department or organisation suffering from dysfunctional relationships – affecting team performance
  • Do not have a clear vision, purpose or priorities
  • Need to discover and understand each-other’s strengths, personalities, preferred working, thinking and learning styles
  • Are looking to solve complex problems together
  • Want to build the coaching skills of the team to ensure on-going performance through coaching

Delivery

Team Coaching takes place over a period of time. We include:

  • A session designed to review the diagnostic data and involve the team in identifying themes and objectives for the Team Coaching assignment.
  • Typically a ‘launch’ event and then a series of follow-up ½ – 1 day workshops.

The Team Coach will also typically attend a team meeting to observe and provide feedback. This is particularly valuable to challenge and provide the support and implementation of new ways of working and to embed learning and new practices.

In our experience, each team coaching session informs the next so there is a fluidity and emergence about the way we work with teams.

Julia Henderson explains: “When I am working with a team, be that as a Team Coach or a Facilitator I aim to work with the team to create an environment that gives people the space and the safety to express what is really going on and ensure that each team member can be heard and therefore contribute in the best way possible.”

For sustainable results there needs to be on-going commitment and intervention and that’s what Team Coaching is all about. Once there’s an embedded way of working that supports continued growth and high performance, a team will be coaching itself.

Benefits of Whole Team Coaching:

  • Working with the whole team enhances team dynamics and interactions
  • Assists with creating a culture of excellence and continuous improvement
  • Enhances the quality of relationships leading to greater levels of engagement and satisfaction

Working with a team coach in this format is an effective way of transforming and enhancing individual, team and organisational performance.

Call or email us today to discuss your ideas and requirements:

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