In this podcast, Georgina Woudstra and Allard de Jong discuss the key considerations for coaches in preparing to coach a team. They emphasize the importance of self-awareness, evaluating team readiness, and assessing personal criteria. The speakers also explore the challenges faced by team coaches, including conflicting expectations and stakeholder agendas. Overall, they provide valuable insights and practical advice for team coaching readiness.
Assessing team readiness involves considering factors such as commitment, leadership, resources, and recognition of the need for change.
In-house team coaches must balance multiple stakeholder expectations and create psychological safety for the team while staying responsive to their unique needs.
Deep dives
Preparing for Team Coaching
Preparing for team coaching involves considering various dimensions. It is important to assess if the team is ready to be coached and if the coach is ready to work with the team. This assessment includes exploring factors such as team commitment, leadership structure, resources, team size, and recognition of the need for change. The situational aspect should also be considered, including organizational readiness, support from stakeholders, and the presence of structures and systems that promote teamwork. Team coaching readiness requires a shift towards an inside-out approach, with the coach generating awareness and the team taking responsibility for their own work. It is crucial to establish psychological safety and contract around the coaching process. The readiness assessment can be done through a checklist of questions for both the team and the coach.
Challenges for In-House Team Coaches
In-house team coaches face specific challenges compared to external coaches. They may have a clearer understanding of the organization's needs and dynamics but can also be under pressure to bring about change. Challenges include navigating the expectations of multiple stakeholders, representing the team's interests, and maintaining alignment with the team's focus. In-house team coaches need to balance their role as a facilitator of change and ensure they create psychological safety for the team. They should also be cautious of assuming that team coaching is always the best intervention and consider other modalities like consulting or training. Treating each team as unique and staying responsive to their needs is essential.
The Complexity of Team Coaching Readiness
Team coaching readiness is a multifaceted and complex process. It requires careful consideration of factors such as team dynamics, organizational context, and the coach's own readiness. Team coaching readiness involves assessing if the team has clear coaching topics, commitment to sessions, and a psychologically safe environment. The coach needs to examine their capacity, interest, and fit with the team. Ensuring a focus on awareness generation and team responsibility is crucial. Additionally, it is important to differentiate between facilitation and emergent coaching approaches. In-house team coaches face additional challenges related to stakeholder management and navigating the organization's expectations. Ultimately, team coaching readiness necessitates a holistic and individualized approach to meet the unique needs of each team.
What does a coach need to consider in preparing to coach a team? Find out in episode five of our team coaching series with Georgina Woudstra and Allard de Jong. Using the STS model of Self (the coach), Team and Situation, they discuss what you need to consider before committing to coach a particular team.
With a series of interesting questions to ask yourself as well as examples from their own experience, Georgina and Allard empower team coaches to know themselves, know their own boundaries, and be able to clearly assess whether a team understands their own commitments and responsibilities in participating in coaching. Learn more about how to evaluate the psychological safety in a team and who you are actually representing.
“The art of it is us navigating the multiple stakeholders’ needs and finding a way to get a clear focus for the work.”
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