“Thanks to the team coaching you gave our senior team, I am changing my approach to issues I encounter, bringing more back to SMT for us to solve as a collective – having recognised the pressure and responsibility I seem to place on doing it myself – so thank you for that! “
These words from a senior leader in a national social care charity, describe the paradox that a collection of high performing individuals does not make a high performing team. Coaching can make the difference, enabling them to be so much more than the sum of their parts.
Purpose
The process of team coaching challenges team members to work through what gets in the way of them working well together to become the high performing team they aspire to be – and which their stakeholders need. At the core of the process is articulating a meaningful team purpose – nested within organisational purpose – that they can each sign up to and work in service of. Clarifying the team’s purpose – the commission – generates clarity and allows the goals against which the whole team’s performance can be evaluated, to flow.
Trust is the foundation
Mutual trust between team members is the foundation that allows robust and sometimes challenging conversations to be take place, enabling the team to arrive at shared goals set for and by the team. I spend a lot of time building that trust. Once in place commitment, mutual accountability, and results can flow, enabling the team to achieve its best.
Building that trust can be as simple as inviting team members to bring their whole selves to the coaching session.
“The most important things that I’ve learned from the last two team coaching sessions is more about my colleagues. I didn’t realise before these sessions quite how important that is in the workplace – especially as we work remotely – and how transformative this can be to how I feel in relation to my colleagues. “
Team member
Team coaching comprises
Typically, team coaching comprises four half day co-created sessions designed around Peter Hoskins’ systemic approach to creating and supporting high-performing teams. Ideally the team leader receives coaching alongside the coaching the team, a process which begins with a simple interview with each team member.
“Thank you for today. I do feel so sad that these team coaching sessions have come to a close. A huge personal thank you from me for bringing your whole self to us!“
CEO, national social care charity