So far so good. We have had a very robust committee for the past few months. I think the Action Learning Experience was very successful. It allowed us to really focus on what we wanted out of the committee and by being more formal, we were able to recruit new members to the committee. We have a clear, concise agenda and a clear expectations for our members. We have lost some team members who realized this wasn’t a team they wanted to be a part of anymore – but we have gained new, enthusiastic and energized team members, who are really helping propel the team forward. I don’t think we would have been able to achieve those significant results in such a short time with any other methodologies.”
Challenges
Are your “problem solving meetings” causing problems? (You are not alone …)
Within your teams, do you notice:
- Hostility?
- Conflicting goals?
- Unclear expectations?
- Expected results not being achieved?
- Inability for your organization to deliver its products, promises or mission as needed?
These are symptoms of an unhealthy and dysfunctional team, whose members are undoubtedly individually as well as collectively, frustrated and discouraged. To avoid these harmful effects, you need to be proactive about improving team performance. And even when a team is meeting its objectives, there’s often room for improvement.
When we talk about teams, by the way, we are talking about people who are supposed to be all aligned and headed toward a common goal or outcome, such as the completion of a particular project, the start of a new business unit or the closing of quarterly sales efforts (as opposed to a group, in which people come together with a common interest but do not have the same goal in mind. For example, a group of people may come together to be coached on effective leadership, but each individual has their own final goals to which they would apply their new skills to.)
Whether it’s a team of managers, a project team or a functional team, people get most done when they work together effectively. Therefore, when members of a team don’t work well together, performance and productivity usually suffer. That’s not good for anyone, and it certainly isn’t good for your bottom-line.
Organizational development research indicates that only one in five teams is high-performing.
Solutions
So how can you help your team improve?
Team Coaching:
With good team coaching, you can take your team to the next level. It’s obviously a valuable activity, and it’s an essential management and leadership tool. Team coaching:
- Helps people understand how to work better with others.
- Is an effective method for showing teams how to reduce conflict and improve their working relationships.
- Is one of the premier ways of developing leadership skills amongst team members.
Group Coaching:
Partnering up with a coach and other individuals, group coaching participants co-create an intimate group conversation space, which can powerfully lead them to overcome their challenges and to live the life they want, at work or in life. Group coaching:
- Discover solutions to challenges thereby increasing your ability to reach your goals
- Real progress in your personal or work life
- Increased leadership skills as you support other group members
- A strong sense of belonging, community and contribution
- Benefit from the help and support of proactive, resourceful and objective co-group members
- Shared learning and wisdom amongst fellow group participants
- Feeling listened to and heard in a non-judgmental and supportive environment
- Individual coaching during group sessions
- Partnership with a peer for continued work in between group sessions
Action Learning:
The Action Learning coach assists group members to reflect, not on their problem solving, but on the elevation of their group functioning and on examples of their leadership skills. Action learning:
- Is a process that involves a small group working on real problems, taking action, and learning as individuals, as a team, and as an organization. It helps organizations develop creative, flexible and successful strategies to pressing problems.
- Solves problems and develops leaders simultaneously because its simple rules force participants to think critically and work collaboratively.
- Participants become effective leaders as they solve difficult problems.
- Positions inquiry at the core of organizational behavior, develops critical thinking and creates mutual respect among employees at all levels. The focus on inquiry elevates the group interaction to a true learning environment.
Find out more about Action Learning.
If you would like to learn more about what The Challenge Coach can offer your organisation with regards to Team Coaching and Action Learning, let’s find a time to chat. Either get in touch or schedule yourself in for an appointment to talk about your requirements: