Summary of the Coaches Breakfast held last Marchpar David Carey, ACC
On their website under the heading Team Coaching, ICF International states ‘’ Team Coaching is one of the fastest growing disciplines in the coaching profession and is becoming increasingly important in organizations, including private corporations, government agencies and non-profits.’’ The truth behind this statement was certainly borne out in the last two sessions of the English Activities Committee’ virtual breakfast series when Patrick Doyon, PCC was invited to share some of his reflections and work on coaching for team effectiveness.
In the first part of this two part series Patrick challenged participants to consider some critical questions like ‘’what is team coaching? How is it different from individual coaching? And what approach can we use to increase the effectiveness of a team?’’ Following a facilitated discussion around these important questions Patrick went on to introduce participants to a tool that he has developed to help coaches and teams assess their effectiveness. The model helps coaches and teams to measure the following 15 attributes that Patrick identified as essential to team effectiveness.
- Agility and Resilience
- Trust and Respect
- Collaboration
- Open Communication
- Strategy and Direction
- Alignment, Commitment & Accountability
- Continuous Improvement
- Autonomy
- Feedback and Management Practices
- External Interactions
- Ambiance & Motivation
- Constructive Conflict
- Competence & Complementarity
- Responsibilities & Work Alignment
- Resources, Tools & Processes
The tool is designed to capture team responses and plot their response in graph form. This visual allows teams to see how their team functions in regard to these key attributes and is a great starting point for coaching on how to leverage strengths and develop strategies for growth.
Patrick’s initial session was followed up in the next virtual breakfast with a facilitated discussion around the principles and best practices of team coaching. Participants were invited to reflect and comment on the effectiveness of the model, as well as offer helpful insights from their own team coaching experience. It was a rich discussion, and this was reflected in the positive comments of those who participated.
As the committees first two part series was well received by participants and created such a great opportunity for sharing and learning from others, this two part format is sure to become a regular part of the committees future offerings.
