As you will see from the Team Coaching Boutique ® website where we show descriptive models, there is often confusion between team and group coaching for instance.
These subtleties are important as in any coaching engagement confusion will have detrimental effects on the back of misinterpretation. Group coaching is where a group is coached with a collective purpose or common aim / challenge but maybe different topics, whereas team coaching is about coaching a team also with a collective purpose but following similar topics as a means of bringing the team together. Both are valid, but the distinction is clear.
In both scenarios more than one team coach can be deployed. It depends on the needs of the team, size of the team and the collective dynamic. This is where alignment meetings with both the sponsor and team are important. When we have multiple coaches working with a team, we will have multiple roles. We sometimes refer to these as modes as the very essence of coaching is dynamic, meaning that different coaches can work in a different mode or adopt a different role over time. The culture and backdrop in which the team is operating creates the actual essence. Due consideration for the wider canvas is critical for the true understanding of the team dynamic. Typically, mode 1 is where the coach is in the “mix”, sometimes referred to as “live action coaching”, where mode 2 will be the observation of the behaviours and key interactions. Mode 3 involves feeling the wider context and sensing. The parallel to individual coaching would be “intuitive listening”, but this mode 3 will bring in all the senses and looking for some hidden dynamics.
Team Coaching : Common Purpose Group Coaching : Common Theme
The way in which these modes work well is dependent on the skills and experiences of the coaches. These skills develop with years of practice and training and do not come from a textbook. These skills are not fluffy or ethereal but require huge levels of concentration and focus. Depending on the timeline or situation, the coaching can be both directive and emergent. The coaches aim is to help the team help themselves as fast as possible. The real benefit of these skills is that it gets deep early on so hidden issues can be raised. The net effect is more focus and less hysteresis in the coaching journey.
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