I was greeted warmly by Georgina Woudstra, Principal at TCS, and by Bob Shearer, TCS Faculty Member and graduate of the Diploma in Team Coaching. The environment was relaxed, friendly and genuinely focussed on our individual and group learning needs. The mix of experience and range of professional backgrounds of each student created an extremely impressive group as we ventured into our first formal team coaching training. I immediately knew this first module of the Diploma in Team Coaching was going to be just what I was looking for at this key stage of my career!
After hearing an overview about the content and approach of the 3 days, we explored the ‘contracting’ part of our learning to gain a shared and agreed understanding of our work together. This was to cover the theory and content behind team coaching, as well as how we could each commit to bringing our unique and authentic selves to the learning. Georgina and Bob were really clear about what was our personal responsibility for learning, and where they would balance the teaching of specific models and tools with us being able to practice its application through role-play or ‘real-play’.
As we explored the syllabus and expanded our knowledge in what team coaching is/is not and how it differs to 121 coaching, I became aware of how relevant and aligned my current skills and experience is to team coaching ……and how much more I could learn and practice to be a great team coach!
Over the 3 days, the themes that were especially powerful for me as I undertook my own learning journey were:-
- Personal agency – helping me to become aware of my thoughts and actions so that I can develop and explore my personal power and style as a team coach;
- Psychological Safety – understanding the theory, science and art of modelling and creating a safe space for team coaching to be truly successful – and specifically the hugely positive impact on me of my own experience of psychological safety as held by Georgina and Bob throughout the 3 days;
- Practical tools and techniques – learning about the range and breadth of team coaching models, and being encouraged to explore in more detail those that resonated with me personally to start to develop my own framework as a team coach;
- Conditions for Success – the things that must be in place to enable me as a team coach and the team itself to be ready for and successful in the team coaching venture;
- Unique Signature – creating my individual and unique approach as a team coach, one that brings together my experience, strengths and how I want to bring this work into the world, as well as the type of clients I wish to attract;
- Real-time feedback – insights offered ‘in the moment’ by Georgina and Bob about what might be part of my own team coaching signature, and feedback offered from my co-students on what I did well and what might be “even better if….”;
- Shared Learning – the power of supporting and witnessing other people’s learning and successes/stumbles as we practice and model the theory taught.
To summarise my learning over the 3-days – it was thought-provoking; full of content and opportunities to practice team coaching in real-time; at times challenging and also really fun and honest in the way that we were encouraged to self-manage as a group; humbling and joyful in witnessing others in our group learn and practice team coaching; and the start of a deep sense of connection within our group as we embark on the unique and valuable training in team coaching provided by Team Coaching Studio.
Georgina Woudstra, principal of Team Coaching Studio added, “We are so pleased you enjoyed the course Anna. At TCS we love nothing better than helping people reach their full potential. Our team coaching programmes are designed to advance the coaching profession by building on the core competencies of our profession, for example active listening, powerful questioning and direct communication and applying this to teams. It is this commitment that runs throughout all our team coaching programmes and that underlines the power of good of team coaching. We wish you every success in helping all the teams that you coach improves their individual performance, relationships and the overall performance of their business, making a real and measurable difference. “
