Coaching Education Series: Team Coaching Explained

This week, we’re focusing on team coaching, a concept that often gets confused with group coaching.

In case you missed it, last week’s blog covered:

• What is group coaching
• Why Group coaching is a game-changer
• Why does group coaching work so well?
• What you need to know before you start

There are similarities, but they are not the same thing so let’s dive in!

What Exactly Is Team Coaching?

Team coaching is a collaborative process where a coach works with an intact team to enhance performance, foster better communication, and align around shared goals. Unlike group coaching, which focuses on individual development within a group setting, team coaching zeroes in on the collective success of a team as a whole. The goal is to help the team improve how they work together, solve problems, and achieve their common objectives.

Why Team Coaching is a Game-Changer

1. Building Cohesion, Driving Results – Team coaching helps teams develop stronger bonds by aligning on goals, roles, and ways of working together. This alignment fosters trust, which is the foundation of any high-performing team. When a team is clear on what they want to achieve and how to get there, performance skyrockets. Whether your team is undergoing a leadership change, a strategic shift, or simply trying to work more effectively, team coaching can help navigate these changes smoothly.
2. Tackling Real-Time Challenges Together – One of the unique benefits of team coaching is the opportunity to address real issues as they come up. Unlike training sessions, where learning is theoretical, team coaching focuses on the team’s actual challenges and dynamics. The coach observes interactions in real-time, provides feedback, and facilitates conversations that lead to tangible solutions. This means teams get immediate, practical tools to solve their pressing problems.
3. Creating Accountability and Ownership – Just like group coaching, team coaching encourages accountability, but with a key difference—the accountability is shared. Each member of the team is responsible not only for their own actions but for supporting the team’s overall success. This shared responsibility creates a deeper level of commitment and motivates team members to push past silos and work towards collective outcomes.
4. Improving Team Communication – Communication breakdowns are one of the biggest barriers to team success. Team coaching offers a dedicated space for improving communication channels, addressing misunderstandings, and establishing better ways of giving and receiving feedback. As communication improves, so does collaboration, leading to more innovative solutions and smoother execution of tasks.
5. Collective A-ha Moments – Breakthroughs often happen when the team collectively identifies a problem or solution they hadn’t previously seen. These moments of shared insight lead to shifts in how the team approaches challenges, resulting in lasting change.

What Teams Would Benefit Most from Team Coaching?

1. Newly Formed Teams – Teams that are newly established can benefit from team coaching to accelerate their alignment and build trust quickly. Coaching helps them define roles, establish clear communication, and set goals, fostering a strong foundation from the start.
2. Teams Facing Major Change – Whether it’s a merger, restructuring, or a shift in leadership, teams going through significant changes can use coaching to navigate transitions more effectively. Team coaching provides a space to address concerns, redefine goals, and align around a new direction.
3. Underperforming Teams – Teams that are struggling with performance issues—whether due to communication breakdowns, unclear goals, or low morale—can benefit from team coaching to identify root causes and develop strategies to improve collaboration and results.
4. High-Potential Teams Seeking Optimization – Even high-performing teams can benefit from coaching to take their collaboration and performance to the next level. Coaching helps identify small but impactful areas for improvement and fosters innovation by unlocking untapped potential within the team.
5. Teams Experiencing Conflict – If there is tension or conflict within a team, coaching provides a neutral space to address underlying issues, improve communication, and rebuild trust, helping the team move forward more effectively.

What You Need to Know Before You Start

Team coaching can be transformational, but there are a few things to keep in mind before starting:

1. Clarify the Team’s Objective
   What is the specific goal of the coaching? Whether it’s improving performance, navigating change, or fostering better collaboration, a clear objective ensures the coaching process stays focused on what matters most.
2. Ensure Team Readiness
   Is the team ready to invest in its own development? For team coaching to succeed, team members need to be open to feedback, willing to engage, and committed to working together for improvement.
3. Get Leadership Buy-In
   For team coaching to make a lasting impact, leadership needs to be fully on board. Executive support reinforces the importance of the process and ensures the team has the time and resources needed to implement changes.
4. Choose the Right Coach
   Team coaching requires a coach who understands team dynamics and can effectively navigate group interactions. Selecting the right coach with experience in team development is key to getting the most out of the process.

Team coaching offers a unique opportunity to elevate the performance of an entire team, leading to improved collaboration, innovation, and results. If your team is struggling with communication, alignment, or performance, team coaching might just be the solution you need.

Do you have a team that could use a tune-up? Reach out for a complimentary session with one of our team coaching specialists. We’d love to help your team reach their full potential.