Introduction to Team Coaching
What is Team Coaching
In the following piece, we discuss various facets,of team coaching. But, before that, we must get some things out of the way.
What is the difference between Team & Group
A group is a set of individuals who complain of inability to manage time for work could be put together in a coaching setting. The way to get to the resourceful state may vary but the end goal of time management is common to all of them.
A team, say, your work team in the organization has certain targets, issues, commitments that are unique for the team, that have to be addressed as a team. This is where team coaching steps in.
Having straightened that out, it is imperative for teams to draft a team agreement that can act as a compass at the beginning of every team coaching engagement.
Setting the Team Coaching Agreement
If the team is stuck and doesn’t know the way forward, it must revert to the agreement for clarity, convenience and effectiveness. If it doesn’t exist in the document, it must be updated and then the team should go ahead.
Nothing is done on assumption, such that even if the team meets for the 100th time, the team must browse the agreement, probably make required changes and then move into action.
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What does a Team Coach do?
Having set right our team coaching agreement, let’s now get into the brass tacks of team coaching and what a Team Coach can do!
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The team coaching scenario
Whom do you coach?
There are three major entities involved in the team coaching scenario: the team, the team leader and the stakeholders. Whom do team coaches focus on? Whom do team coaches ‘coach’?
The team? The most obvious answer. Or say the topic, umm, or maybe the process itself? Some of you might go: Naah! Everyone in the line needs coaching.
All said and done, team coaching focuses on the field of interaction. Anyone looking to build the team coaching muscle must tackle this field of energy and then, only then, can they become master team coaches.
How to make a team great? What is the responsibility of Team Coach?
Ask yourself this question: As a team coach, is it possible to make your team great?
Yea! That’s why I was called. Or ‘Not really’.
A good number would likely fall in the ‘not so sure’ category.
Team coaching experts are, maybe sadly, of the opinion that a team coach cannot make a team great!
Why? Two reasons.
One, as a team coach, you could look at the team’s actual potential: They are already great!
Is it actually that easy? Consider this: Your son comes home with test scores shy of a ‘C’. What do you do? Give him a piece of your mind or smile and encourage him to explore his actual potential?
The catch is to make a sincere effort to look beyond biases and judgments that cloud one’s vision. It is darn simple to make judgments about the team to be coached but extremely difficult to oversee them and more so, put in sustained practice to succeed at it.
Two, you accept them as they are. Why label them as ‘great’ or ‘not great’?
Teams will be messy, have unhappy voices, drop accountability sometimes but despite all of this, we must accept them as they are, without intervening to ‘make them great’.
How about we now discuss the golden triangle of team coaching in the light of what we have read so far?
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The golden triangle of team coaching
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Three Ps of Regal Team Coaching
Do you stay fixated on the next quarter’s target of x crores?
Perhaps, to benefit from the team’s expertise and develop your potential?
Or, to make a difference to your customer; to serve the people?
The output of teamwork is a function of the level of understanding of the purpose that drives the team and that is precisely why a deep appreciation of the team’s purpose is necessary right at the beginning of charting the agreement.
The pharma company Novortis regularly puts out awareness pieces on diabetes since they further the cause of diabetes prevention and not only medicinal intervention which, funnily enough, in business light, is detrimental to the company’s profits.
Talk about team potential and the first thing that flashes in most minds, thanks to the movie, is the Indian cricket team of 83’. Guess what would have happened if the Indian manager didn’t trust the team’s potential and gave up on them like every other person in the Indian team management or literally, the world. We wouldn’t have such a nail-biting story to tell, would we?
There will always be unhappy voices on the team but can there be some happy voices despite the unhappy ones? Can we bring everyone on board? Maybe simple things like calling out to share, asking for help or clarity. These tough conversations build trust and bring people on the team to hum together.
Team coaching is thus a factor of two important things: Time & Patience necessary for people on the team to play along.
And while we play along, let us breeze into understanding effective teams and how they work. Such an understanding will only help recognize teams and their dynamics better, making team coaching effective.
What do Team Coaches do: In a nutshell
Having discussed the various aspects of team coaching, it is time to ruminate on the essence and necessity of team coaching for your team.
Do you think team coaching can aid your team to reach a more resourceful state? Maybe help you reach common goals or smoothen out paths of interaction?
There you are!
Make the most of ICF Team Coaching with REGAL Unlimited
Well, if you are not so sure and perhaps just want to have a chat on team coaching, you are welcome too! Just log onto https://www.regalunlimited.com/icf-team-coaching/ and drop in a mail to procure an appointment with our esteemed team coach, Subash CV who can then guide you with both information and support.
Here is a chance to build better teams. Give it a go!
