Team Coaching – What Is It And How Does It Help?

By Karen Amos

Whilst one-to-one coaching is becoming increasingly popular, team coaching has been slower to catch on.  The term itself sparks interest, but there’s little information out there about what it actually entails.  Reason for this is that team coaching is an evolving concept.

Here are some Q&A’s around Team Coaching:

What is Team Coaching?

Team Coaching is a way to implement the approaches and benefits of coaching within a group and organisational context.

Working with groups of people – rather than 1:1 – teams work together to overcome issues that they and/or their organisation are facing. This enables them to build a positive, problem-solving approach to their work.

When would you use Team Coaching?

Team Coaching can be used for:

  • Supporting teams to work through times of change or crisis
  • Implementing projects
  • Building new teams
  • Developing and supporting leadership and management teams
  • Supporting individuals with professional development within peer groups

How does it work?

  • Groups or teams of between 4 and 10 people are identified
  • These groups meet on a regular basis – e.g. weekly/fortnightly/monthly
  • Can be online via video meeting, or in-person
  • Sessions last between 1 ½ and 2 hours
  • A programme of sessions is agreed – we recommend at least 4 sessions
  • Team Coaching – a coach/facilitator supports the group to identify the issue they wish to work on, with clear outcomes

          or

  • Peer Coaching – Individuals within the group set out their own issue they would like to work on that week
  • The group are supported to use incisive questioning and coaching tools to seek solutions to the identified issues
  • The group or individual then decide actions they will take by the next session
  • These actions are reviewed at the beginning of each session

 What are the benefits?

  • An effective tool in change and crisis management
  • Builds personal and collective responsibility
  • Brings accountability
  • Helps with team-building
  • Helps team to develop coaching skills
  • Develops a positive, solution-focused mindset with clear outcomes
  • Excellent for leadership development – builds confidence and reflective skills
  • Builds a cohesive team approach to issues
  • Allows individuals and teams to feel supported within the organisation
  • Helps to manage stress and build resilience
  • Builds more agile teams and ways of working

Who is it for?

  • Leadership and management teams of all levels
  • Project teams
  • Peer groups within organisations
  • Function teams
  • Work groups

Why do we need a facilitator?

An experienced and qualified coach facilitator is essential to get the best out of team coaching. They are able to clarify objectives, manage expectations and behaviour and most importantly, ensure the session remains coaching focussed, rather than just an advice-giving session, or a talking shop.

We find that without a facilitator who is experienced in coaching, most team coaching quickly deteriorates into a ‘moan-fest’ or ‘catch up’ session, losing the desired positive, results-focused approach that was intended.

Initially, many members of teams will naturally veer towards advice-giving, rather than coaching.  An experienced coach facilitator is able to recognise this and help develop the team’s coaching and incisive questioning skills and thus, effectiveness.

What’s the difference between Team Coaching and a staff team meeting?

Rightly or wrongly, staff team meetings often centre around updates and procedure. They’re inevitably facilitated by a senior member of the team, or manager and as a result have an imbalance of power and issues around accountability and responsibility.

Team Coaching creates a more equitable environment, where everyone is expected to contribute and take responsibility for finding the solution to an issue.  It focuses very specifically on one, or a small number of issues, with the intention of seeking and implementing tangible solutions to this.

If you would like to book team coaching for your business, organisation or school, or would like an informal, no-obligation chat about how this can work for you, call us on 07714 855757, or email [email protected].

Check out our latest training offers at https://brightbird.wordifysites.com/services/training-courses/

Karen Amos is an executive coach and founder of BrightBird Coaching & Training. She supports business owners and managers to get the best out of themselves and their teams. She brings a practical, down-to-earth approach to improving working lives through better leadership, communication and working relationships.