Team Coaching
Transforming collective performance
Team Coaching - what is it?
Most of the time professional development focuses on individuals and not on the team works together.
Working in a team is not the same as working as a team and yet they are often treated as if they are the same.
A high performing team adds colossal value to an organisation's bottom line. Would you like this for your team?
Team coaching is a process not a single event.
Workshops and away days can make a significant difference, and I offer them both, but if you want them to act as a catalyst and not an end in itself you need a proper programme.
Click here for information on how a Team Coaching Programme with me can work.
Videos
What is a team coaching programme?
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How can team coaching add value?
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“We were given an inadequate judgment and in less than 12 months, we achieved an overall good! In education that is exceptionally rare.
I put that down in large part to a change in the culture of our SLT, and the drive, the passion, enthusiasm, and clarity of direction that was gained from the team coaching with Alex.”.
Mia Lowney - Headteacher, secondary school
Mia’s team said…
“We were all working hard but not collectively. We didn’t know what we wanted or how to get there. Through team coaching I have gained a deeper understanding of what it means to be part of ‘this team’.
We have become very close, we know each other well and when someone struggles we hold them up. I feel loved and valued by my team, despite at times having some challenging conversations.”
“When you look at the team and how we were to begin with and compare it to now, there is a huge amount of difference. Alex is always there to guide, remind people the playing ground is even and providing great structure to have conversations that the team might otherwise have been afraid to have.”
“Forming a Team Charter was a big step forward, it brought everything nicely on one page and allowed us to focus on what was important.”
“Our programme saw a paradigm shift for the team; ensuring we had a coherence and shared vision. We have learnt to support each other more, to recognise how we can celebrate each other and professionally hold each other to account.”
“I felt I could not manage my workload. I was drowning and I assumed the only way to not drown was to leave. As the newest member of the team, I didn’t feel I could talk to anyone about how I felt. I now know I have something to bring to the table..”
“I recommend Alex wholeheartedly. He works collegially and is very well respected by our middle and senior leaders. His analysis of our organisational dynamics has enabled us to move forward in delivering our central principles and vision. He has played an important role in developing our mindset and ensuring the ‘sum of all the parts is greater than the whole’.
Alex’s coaching has generated excellent conversations amongst the team both within and beyond the time we have spent with him. He is an experienced leader of organisations and has drawn upon this to support improved outcomes throughout our team coaching programme. We have had the best start to any year in our history as a result.”
Gary Kynaston - Headteacher, secondary school
Gary’s team said…
“I did not think it was possible for us to become such an effective group at this speed. Alex facilitated the group to thrive.”
“There is now more of a ‘challenge’ culture amongst the team, the removal of ego has led to systems and strategies that are far more efficient. We hold each other to account more effectively.”
“We have become much more aligned, there is a clear team purpose. It was an enlightening process.”
“It was really excellent, more than I had hoped (and I expected it to be excellent).
Alex got everybody involved in participating and thinking about working closely together as equal team members.
There was a good balance of clear direction, good timing, and a bit of fun and humour”.
Barbara Ball - CEO
Barbara’s team said…
“I got an unexpected understanding of where we are as a team. Alex drew out such important ideas and positively encouraged our capacity to communicate difficult thoughts”
“I wanted to personally thank you for your work with us - I really felt you were able to take exactly the right tone and pitch and pace - and reached everyone. Everyone was included in finding the best possible solution for the current challenges that we are facing..”
“We got to see how many different stakeholders we have interactions with. It motivated me more because I saw the impact of our business on so many. A positive, relevant and successful experience that brought the team together.”
Before the programme we were a new team who were quite disjointed and lacking in clear direction.
The programme resulted in a more productive approach to problem solving.
I know that after the programme we will continue to dig deeper for new perspectives.
Heather Johnston - Headteacher, alternative provision
Heather’s team said…
“Since starting the programme, I have grown in confidence but also in my understanding of the team and our goals. We have achieved a higher level of unity . We also have a stronger collective purpose for what we want to achieve. Team Coaching is really beneficial if you want to grow as a team. It’s something that makes you reflect on your own practice and how you can develop.”
“Before the programme there was a lack of planning between the team, with fewer conversations about what each team member was doing. We now have more open and honest discussions. We still have room for improvement, but we are a cohesive unit. Our perspective has changed in terms of possibilities. Team Coaching has given us a space to change and think differently.”
“I have learned the importance of communicating frequently with others to ensure that all the dots are joined. We all know different things about the same area but it needs all of us to create the bigger picture. My goals aren’t just about what I can do, but what we can do. We have all learned how to work smarter together and understand how our different roles complement each other. We are now much more reflective.”
The programme was perfect in bringing the team together.
A new team member had been struggling to find her place, but judging by the email she sent me afterwards she is well on the journey.
Alex’s work with us is so beneficial. We are always enthused and highly motivated afterwards.
Bola Soneye-Thomas - Headteacher, primary school
“Alex's knowledgeable, level-headed and engaging approach to coaching has helped us mesh together, making us a far more efficient and effective team.
As an experienced leader, Alex is trusted and well-liked by staff to guide the coaching process. I couldn't recommend him more.”
Gerry Robinson - Headteacher, alternative provision
Gerry’s team said…
“Alex coached our team when we took on new responsibilities. We needed to design a new programme, Alex supported us to think creatively not only about what our programme would look like, but how it could help our stakeholders achieve their objectives.”
“I would recommend Alex because he encouraged us to think beyond the immediate and short-term challenges that our work confronted and helped us to think more carefully about stakeholder needs.”
It was invaluable having Alex support us in co-creating a set of values for our working practices.
His gentle but clear interrogation of our conclusions helped embed what was already good but also encouraged further development and value for the process.
Highly recommended!
Rev. John Wood - Charity Director
Team Coaching programmes - what do they achieve?
My Team Coaching programmes help teams to
Energise and inspire itself as a collective enterprise focused on its true potential.
Develop new insights into how it operates and understand how it can move forward.
Examine its role in the wider system of stakeholders.
Reinvent itself in the eyes of the rest of the organisation.
Set the standards for how others should operate.
Clarify where it wants to go, and develop a new purpose and identity along the way.
Solve their own problems.
Access latent talent, creativity and skills.
Typical scenarios
Team in transition
There may be a new leader, or knowledge that a successor will be sought soon. Perhaps there are new appointments and an opportunity to review goals and modes of operation. A phase of development which could be anxious and stressful needs to be one which energises and excites.
Intergenerational teams
Different generations have different perspectives. This creates much potential for success, but also issues if Boomers, Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z do not communicate effectively. A coaching programme can ensure synergies are utilised and not lost in translation.
Latent potential
The team performs well enough, but never as strongly as it might despite the experience and expertise of its members. Issues may have become entrenched over time. Through a coaching programme the team can raise the bar for all the others.
Turning it around
Despite successes in the past, performance has stagnated. What was a plateau has now become a decline with no apparent solution. Team members are willing to try something different as interventions which used to work no longer have the same impact. A coaching programme the team can explore its issues from a new angle and develop the way forward.
Fulfilling potential
The leadership team is a talented group of individuals but they do not operate as a team, or set a standard for how one should operate within an organisation. Workplace politics hold back what could be achieved and this may be well known amongst employees. Meetings are often unproductive and email culture worse. A coaching programme can empower the team to act as a role model for others and inspire them to achieve the best outcomes.
Harmonious but substandard
Members of the team get on well and like each other’s company. Despite this the outcomes are not as strong as they should be. Potentially there needs to be more conflict but this needs to be very carefully handled without it becoming unpleasant or having a negative effect on outcomes. A coaching programme can support them into a new phase where they can achieve success without compromising their values.
Modern challenges
Staying relevant and competitive
The average lifespan of successful organisations is going down, as is the tenure of CEOs within them. Finding the time and space to consider what your future customers need you to become and deliver can make all the difference. A team coach can work with you to structure a programme to define your next phase and ensure you stay agile and flexible.
Working virtually
It is not easy to operate as a team, or become a more effective one, when the members are not in the same room. This was a new challenge to many from spring 2020, but not to others who work across borders and time zones. Team coaching can support a team to exploit the opportunities from this transition.
Getting started
Establishing a new organisation, and ensuring it survives and thrives, is far from straightforward even for those with the best ideas. Over 95% of businesses are ‘small’ with less than 50 employees and often much less. This has pros and cons. Team coaching can help you develop your aims and redefine your processes as you grow, ensuring you make the most of everyone around you.
FAQs
It sounds like team coaching has great potential, but it also feels it could go badly wrong. How do you ensure this does not happen?
At the outset expectations, ethics and ground rules are discussed in some detail, then agreed, and returned to frequently over the duration of the programme. This is to ensure they are understood and consider whether they need to be adapted. In coaching this is referred to as ‘contracting’. It is a highly significant element of the process worth the investment of everyone in order to enable long-term success.
I can see the benefits but also that the process could take a lot of time. How can we make time for it when we are already struggling to make the day to day happen?
Unquestionably team coaching requires a commitment and at the outset it can seem challenging. The other choice is to continue in the same way with the same behaviours, practices and outcomes which may already be inefficient, unproductive and impacting negatively on morale and performance. A better and brighter future exists if team members invest in the process and help to shape it.
Is this just for teams in crisis?
Absolutely not, although it can often be the reason for an initial enquiry. Teams who are seeking to make the most of every future opportunity and ensure they are ready for them are well placed to guarantee a considerable return on the investment.