We’ve focused in this series on how to come to coaching as an individual, to do your best thinking.
Today, we look at how to come to coaching as a team, so that the team can do its best thinking.
You might think that it’s just a case of each individual coming as themselves, being prepared to do their best thinking, just as you would if you were in 1-1 coaching.
The team is an entity
But there is a difference. Team coaching is not about coaching each individual in the team; the team becomes the entity being coached. Yes, an entity made up of multiple individuals, but an entity in its own right.
There are relationships between the individuals too, and this is often the focus of team coaching, the connections between each person and the next.
So given that you are part of this entity, how can you bring your best thinking on behalf of the team (vs on behalf of yourself and your silo).
Leave that silo mentality at the door
Base your thinking on what is best for the team and/or organisation as a whole. That’s the focus here.
Say what is on your mind, as it will likely be representative of what is in the system more broadly. You might think I am contradicting myself here if you need to base what you say on what is best for the team and/or organisation, but it is both/and not either/or. Don’t keep quiet about any disquiet, as it will likely be useful to the conversation.
Be curious about what is on other people’s minds. Ask directly, particularly if someone has not had a chance to speak: “What are you thinking, feeling or want to say?” And check in where you see a facial expression or a body posture that might indicate that the person has a point of view that they are not yet sharing. For example, “Clare, your face flinched just then when Boris said X. I wonder what you make of that?”
Access your own body’s wisdom – what are your hunched shoulders or your tight chest saying about the team’s outcome or ways of working or decision-making? Perhaps your hunched shoulders are representative of what others are feeling too.
Look for new thinking rather than going over known thinking. Focus on the what ifs, the how do we etc, rather than placing blame. Come with a possibilities mindset rather than an improbability mindset.
Believe that everyone in the team is creative, resourceful and whole. They each have something to bring, which will contribute to the whole being greater than the sum of the parts. Diversity of thought is useful, not annoying! Believe that constructive conflict is good for the end result.
Who does this team want to become? What would you like people outside of the team to say about you? What kind of leadership team do you want them to see and hear? This is as important (if not more so) than working on problems to be solved.
See yourselves as co-travellers, travelling into the unknown together, designing the map as you go, because there is no map for this team’s unique journey.
What’s the wisdom of the system around you? If you were to look outward, as well as inward, what would you notice that could be useful to your thinking? What do your stakeholders have to offer by way of insight? Don’t try to mind-read, ask them! What perspective does nature have for you? What is the world asking for that might be in your sphere of influence?
Spend time together on deep work, not just business as usual. What is strategic vs operational? Give the strategic thinking the time and space it needs – don’t short-change it.
Remove all distractions, to enable that deep work to happen.
Accelerate your thinking through self-care and remind your team to take care of themselves too: https://clarenormancoachingassociates.com/thinking-accelerators/
Don’t fall into these derailing traps: https://clarenormancoachingassociates.com/derailers-in-coaching-part-2/
I hope that gives you some insights into getting the most out of your thinking time as a team.
