Now, you might be lucky, your team is functioning well, and you’re looking for coaching for your team to give you an extra edge Great stuff, and we can happily help. However, if this isn’t you, let us reassure you that you’re not alone. Our team coaching community is noticing many teams right now fit into one of three behaviour profiles: they’re overwhelmed, unfit or exhausted. Overwhelmed teams have too few resources to address the expectations currently placed on them. Unfit teams are working in ways that are no longer efficient, such as those still muddling through returning to old working habits And then there are exhausted teams, where action is being quietly pushed back whilst motivation is low.
Hello, we see, hear and understand that this might be you.
We believe team coaching is needed now more than ever to help the people in teams respond to the workplace trends that we think are causing some of these behaviours:
- Reducing the overwhelm: Since the start of this decade, team leaders have been facing unknown territory with their teams. In this workplace trend, there is no longer a place for one hero leader who knows best The leader can’t rely solely on past experiences or old business know-how to decide which way to head. Finding a route forward requires perspectives from different eyes. The overwhelmed team might have too many destinations, too many options, and spend time at sea not agreeing on which way to go Training and mentoring can support the team to explore different perspectives. Team coaching helps the team create consensus and commitment to its direction of travel and reduce unnecessary diversions.
- Building a better fit: As the consequences of the pandemic and war ripple through the economy, many team leaders are finding they have to bridge the widening gap between business needs and demands for individual autonomy. In this workplace trend, trust has become a currency. People have proved they can be trusted to work remotely and pull together in the face of uncertainty People expect to continue to be trusted. They also expect their views to be heard and valued. This might require a shift in style for some leaders, One that requires a dance in the roles played in the team. The unfit team might need to work on getting into the right shape to move forward. Facilitation can help the team explore the different structures. A team coach creates the psychological safety needed for people to let go of individual agendas and explore how the team can make progress on the journey.
- Recovering from exhaustion: Our third workplace trend is that data-driven efficiency is making business smarter and faster Customer expectations match this shift. We are smarter consumers. It is now increasingly in customer service, social relationships and an organisation’s unique capabilities that businesses can make their mark. These assets are socially learned and built by team members working together. Many exhausted teams might benefit from reconnecting, feeling acknowledged, and having fun together. Team building helps the team connect. The coach allows the team to practice using its relationship muscles – actively listening, responding, resolving differences – when the seas get choppy again. This is the difference between learning how to react to conflict versus being in a live conflict within the team and people learning how to apply that know-how together.
But, hey, just for balance, let’s explore why you might NOT need team coaching now. Team coaching isn’t for your team yet if:
- Your team isn’t really a team Team coaching requires people to be working towards a shared purpose and goals. There is interdependence between people; people rely on each other to deliver their part. If this doesn’t describe your team, then team coaching might result in frustration and resistance as people find they work more efficiently towards their goals on their own If people are feeling overwhelmed, they might value some individual coaching.
- The team is unstable. If you already know people are leaving or joining the team in the next few months, now might not be the right time for you. A typical team coaching programme might take 3-12 months. You might want to ask whether team coaching should wait, so the future team owns the work. If you are facing a period of change, it might be that you want to consider coaching the group instead to focus on their individual next steps for now.
- People are not emotionally ready to commit to the team. This may happen where there has been an environment of upheaval, trauma, erosion of trust, fear, and exhaustion At these times; the team is likely to be neither emotionally resilient nor motivated to work together as there are other more pressing individual issues to face Where this is the case, you may find that team building might be a better investment for the team.
If you’d like us to help you ‘triage’ – that is,work out what might be the most suitable support for your team – then get in touch, or check out our team Coaching for Corporates services.
