Coaching under the spotlight gemm Insights November 2024
There are two key elements to the success of coaching; one is to recognise how and when individual and team coaching can have an impact, and the second is to ensure that the right coach is selected to conduct the development work.
This month, we focus on these two aspects, to provide a deeper understanding of how to commission coaching successfully for yourself or your organisation.
In this issue
Team development coaching - benefits for the individual and organisation How to choose the right coach - not all coaches are the same Team strengths at gemm - a diverse panel of professional coaches
Team coaching
If you take a snapshot in an organisation at any time, in the absence of regular team development, you’ll probably find that there are individuals and teams that are not performing at their best.
Everyone has an off day, but continuous unsatisfactory performance is costly to an organisation, detrimental to morale, and even the health, wellbeing and retention of staff. It’s why many organisations use team coaching to ensure these problems don’t arise.
In fact, such is the value of team coaching that many organisations schedule it as a regular activity, giving everyone the opportunity to check in, build on their successes, and address any challenges and concerns. It enables the team to sustain a higher level of performance and more positive working relationships.
Team coaching is focused on enabling people to be more effective in their work together, giving them the tools to ensure they optimise results with the people around them.
What does team coaching involve?
A typical team coaching programme begins by gaining an understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the team, and identifying the organisational goals that its performance should align with.
Speaking with each team member individually, the team coach gives them the time to express their views and allows them to be listened to and, most importantly, heard. This is an important and much-valued stage in the programme.
Team members often welcome the opportunity to talk confidentially with a coach in an honest and open way. If the team is not functioning as well as it could, sometimes it is simply misunderstandings that are getting in the way, while at other times issues may run more deeply.
Through this series of interviews with the entire team, underlying themes may emerge. The team coach is then able to recommend next steps, which could be an individual piece of work or a series of interventions.
A team coaching programme enables a team to establish new and enhanced ways of working together. Learning how to listen, communicate, appreciate differences, give positive praise and constructive criticism more effectively, are all skills that create a positive shift in interactions and therefore performance.
It will also include an opportunity to recognise achievements, and to pause to celebrate the skills and talents in the team and the results they have all achieved together. As a collective, they can then feel proud and effective. This is a powerful exercise that uses reflection to appreciate one another and the strengths they have as a whole.
Outcomes
Successful team coaching results in team alignment with all members working together more effectively and interacting positively with other teams across the organisation.
Everyone works more closely and collaboratively, capitalising on each other’s unique skills and talents, and supporting one another when there are pinch points in workload. Communication is improved, and individual competitiveness is put aside in the interests of overall team performance and output.
Team coaching helps build trust, improved relationships and increased respect for one another. It can lead to a happier, healthier workforce, reducing stress levels and retaining talent within the organisation.
This work can also dovetail with other learning and development interventions within the organisation, to help achieve broader business objectives and facilitate an overall progressive development culture.
How to choose the right coach
In many professions, there are people with the same job title – accountants, solicitors, doctors, coaches. Within these groups however, there are specialists who have qualifications, experience and knowledge in more specific areas of interest.
Just as you might seek out an inheritance lawyer when dealing with probate, or a tax accountant to help with your personal finances, have you thought about choosing a coach that has the right credentials to meet your needs and the benefits this might bring?
Not all coaches are the same, so here is our guide to choosing the right coach
Credentials – look for a coach who has the right qualifications and is accredited by a recognised coaching body.
Supervision – ensure that any coach that you are considering is supervised regularly to guarantee their ethical practice and ongoing professional development.
Specialisms – find a coach whose specialities align with your or your team’s goals. This might be their career experience to date, their specific sector experience, or who they work with.
Chemistry – It is important to choose a coach you connect well with, as not all partnerships are a perfect match. We recommend that you consider a shortlist of two or three coaches and meet them for chemistry sessions to see who understands your or your team’s needs and goals most clearly and who you relate to best, before choosing the right one for you or your team.
A “fierce” friend – a good coach strikes the right balance between providing support, when you are airing difficult issues, and challenge, when they are “holding up the mirror” to deepen your self-awareness, as they guide you in taking personal responsibility for your development or that of your team.
Trust – the best work takes place in an environment of openness and trust. This happens when your coach is competent, credible and an expert in their field.
Goal setting – it’s important from the start to be clear about the objectives of the coaching sessions, and how your coach can help you achieve them. Good clear communication is the foundation of a successful coaching relationship, as is checking in for reflection and reviews, to ensure the sessions are working for you.
A little work at the outset can ensure you find the right match, which is why, here at gemm, we take the guess work away for you – by connecting you with a carefully selected shortlist of possible coach candidates.
Your choice of coach from the gemm team
At gemm, our strength is in the diversity of our panel of coaches. They hail from a range of backgrounds and have lived experience in many sectors. Their qualifications are many and varied and they have a range of coaching tools at their disposal, enhancing the entire gemm team with a whole host of attributes that appeal on many levels.
This allows us to create a high-quality shortlist that matches your coaching needs, enabling you to make comfortable choices when settling on the right coach for you, or your team. It saves you the time that would otherwise be spent researching many different coaches. One conversation with gemm will start the ball rolling with the reassurance that all gemm coaches work within our professional standards of coaching and adhere to their professional coaching codes.
Coaching should always be a positive experience, giving you the time and space to gain a deeper understanding of yourself and others, and the steps you need to take to achieve your goals. It is challenging, and rewarding, and is truly an investment for life!
Team strengths at gemm
In this issue, we highlighted the benefits of team development coaching, and were guided in the content by Su Openshaw, one of our coaches who has extensive experience and many insights in this area of coaching. Su is currently involved in work in the Dominican Republic, one of many coaching assignments undertaken by our team across the globe.
Several of our coaches have experience in coaching individuals and teams internationally, helping global organisations to improve team cohesion across continents, understand cultural differences, and how they may impact performance.
If you think your organisation might benefit from international leadership and team coaching, please get in touch to find out more.