What drew us to Team Coaching, and a more systemic approach to development, is what we call “the trainer’s lament”.  In delivering personal and leadership development programmes that resonate, we have both experienced discomfort with the reality that many workshop attendees fail to implement their learning once back in their daily environments. For this reason, and for greater impact, we have adopted more integrated approaches that recognise the interdependence of individuals within their network of stakeholders, when seen through a systemic lens.

In this context, we find Team Coaching delivers sustainable performance and change at scale, especially when integrated with individual learning and coaching programmes.

For leaders of teams, the pressure to deliver results seldom lets up. We support them to strengthen their teams to deliver great results. What does this mean?

• First, we start from the assumption that RESULTS matter. No business, government or not-for-profit entity will continue to exist sustainably if it does not achieve its goals and realise its purpose.
• Second, we know that healthy RELATIONSHIPS between people in teams and organisations are critical for them to thrive and perform at their best. We help teams turn their intentional focus to this aspect and not assume that everything will just be OK eventually.
• Third, we have learnt that unless teams do the ongoing work of having open conversations about the WAYS THEY WORK together and agree “rules of engagement” for how they will handle difficulties between them, things seldom end well. Our questions and processes help them contract around the behaviours they welcome and those they do not accept.
• Fourth, it strikes us how eager most people are, once they feel safe enough, to contribute to meaningful TEAM HEALTH, and prioritise team collaboration, cohesion and alignment. building sufficient trust takes time and is built one conversation at a time. Our coaching helps make this possible.
• Fifth, we see CONFLICT neither as good nor bad, but a sign that something new needs to happen. Once people see this, and engage in debate and conflict more skilfully, they are better equipped to make the changes they need for sustainable team environments.
• Finally, we emphasise throughout that “EVERYONE IS RIGHT … PARTIALLY”. This frees people up to listen for the contributions of truth each one brings to the team, and make sure everyone is given the opportunity to speak. Conversely it also brings the perspective that everyone may be wrong to some extent, as their knowing is only partially right.

In essence our work is to enable environments where people feel safe enough to contribute, to speak, and to challenge.