Team Coaching
The difference between a group of people working together and a high performing team is synergy.
It’s that additional magic in the mix that means the output of the team is far greater than the sum of the efforts of its individual members.
Synergy: 2 + 2 = 5
Team coaching
A high performing team is a successful team. Working together towards common goals with a foundation of trust and respect maximises a team’s potential and delivers results.
All too frequently, though, the fundamentals of the team – its purpose, goals and individual team roles – may not be clear. Over time this may lead to tensions in the team, lower levels of understanding, lack of trust and poor communication.
Team coaching at LifeForward
At LifeForward we coach both new and established teams. Our team coaching programme looks at the team as a whole and how it functions, as well as the contribution of each of its members.
We also provide team development and training on team effectiveness and communication, working with Insights Discovery® and understanding the essentials of high performance teams.
Why team coaching?
As team coaches, we draw on core coaching techniques to observe:
- interactions of the team
- team members’ communication
- team collaboration, both within the team and with stakeholders
- levels of trust and respect
- accountability on common objectives
We feed back reflections and observations to the team and question and challenge them to raise awareness of factors such as:
- positive and negative behaviours
- communication styles
- relationships in the team
- underlying tensions
- levels of cooperation
Driving performance through coaching
Often appointed by the team leader, we may work with both the team leader and the team on areas such as:
- team purpose
- goals
- roles
- team effectiveness and communication
- synergy in the team
- trust and respect
- shared purpose
- a commitment to results
Before an engagement, pre-work includes agreeing the parameters for the coaching, identifying those who will be involved and ascertaining the commitment of both leadership and the team.
Team development
In addition to team coaching, we also provide team development, both as classroom and virtual courses, providing teams with additional tools, information and resources to build knowledge and understanding of high performing teams.
Drawing on Lencioni’s ‘The Five Dysfunctions of a Team’ and team coaching authorities such as Peter Hawkins, Peters & Carr and Kastzenbach & Smith, our courses cover topics such as:
- What is a team?
- Team essentials and enablers
- Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team®
- Team assessment
- Team identity, purpose and goals
Personal, team and leadership effectiveness
Working with Insights Discovery®, we offer personal, team and leadership effectiveness training, either as part of a broader development programme or as a stand alone classroom or online platform.
Our training and development programmes can be incorporated as part of ongoing coaching engagements or as part of a broader leadership development programme:
- executive coaching – working with individuals
- team coaching
- business coaching and leadership development
Common areas of focus for team coaching
What to expect from LifeForward's team coaching
Initial conversations with leader, team and key stakeholders to determine appetite and commitment to coaching engagement.
A team assessment gives insight into current strengths and areas for improvement that may have been identified.
The coach works with the team to observe, provide reflection and challenge the existing team dynamics.
The team coaching engagement may also include working one-to-one with the team leader and individual team members to support the coaching process and work towards desired outcomes.
Step 1 ~ Establish the coaching assignment
How coaching can help
Step 2 ~ Team assessment
How coaching can help
Step 3 ~ Working with the team
How coaching can help
Step 4 ~ What do you need to differently?
How coaching can help
Benefits of LifeForward's team coaching
- The benefits of team coaching
- Team coaching and Insights Discovery
• A team needs to agree how to work together. This should include expectations of behaviour, both in team meetings and with other stakeholders.
• There needs to be collective responsibility for the team objectives and for the performance of the team.
• The team should establish a level of trust so that decisions can be arrived at after honest and open discussion.
• In order for continuous improvement, to learn and grow as a team, the team should establish their accountability to each other and their responsibility to give feedback to each other.
• What is the overall purpose of the team?
• What skills does the team as a whole need to succeed?
• Are the team members committed to the team?
• Based on the overall purpose of the team, what are its goals and objectives?
• The team objectives are such that they can only be achieved by working together; they are strategic, mission-critical and cannot be delegated.
• Every member of the team needs to commit to the team objectives. Any doubt or disagreement needs to be resolved.
Insights Discovery® personality profiles are a valuable addition to Team Coaching programmes as they improve self-awareness and understanding of others.
Understanding the four colour energies within the individual team members helps with assigning tasks and perceiving how the team could work together most effectively.
The different chapters available can provide additional insights into certain aspects of business life or personal growth.
Insights Discovery® can be incorporated as part of a broader leadership development programme or run as a separate workshop.
Sarah Reynolds
PCC, ACA, CTA
Director
Talk to us today to find out how we can help
