We live in a more enlightened business world, where the benefits of coaching are better understood and appreciated. Those who seek coaching are seen as driving their personal and/or professional development, rather than being looked down upon for admitting a weakness.
Coaching works. We know this to be true. However, the overwhelming majority of people see it as a one-to-one process, which benefits an individual.
What many people do not realise is that coaching can be of benefits for groups of people, notably teams within an organisation or even company boards.
Consider it one of these two ways. It is an alternative to the cheesy team building away days (as pleasant as those may be), or perhaps it helps to think of it as a form of marriage guidance for colleagues. Also, it is an everyday part of the world of sport, from grassroots to superstar level, so why can’t that translate to the boardroom?
There are any number of tell-tale signs that your team or board could benefit from team coaching, from a member showing lack of willingness to participate in discussions, to an individual who is too vocal and seemingly unable to listen to colleagues, with so much more in between.
Even if the overall results of the team are good, signs of such troubling issues within a group mean it is probably worth exploring coaching, because the chances are that both individual and collective performance can be even better.
The ILM definition of coaching focuses upon the individual, but works equally well with groups: “The coach seeks to develop and improve an individual coachee’s performance by unlocking their capabilities through guided conversation and questioning.”
It is not about identifying the problem and telling the group what to do to resolve it. The best results will come from guided group conversation, which brings out the issues and allows the members to find a solution themselves. That, in itself, will foster a collective sense of achievement, which will help to build cohesion and a more effective unit.
Sue Alderson is a director of Azure Consulting, a Yorkshire-based specialist in leadership development. www.azure-consulting.co.uk. 01924 385600. www.twitter.com/azureconsult
