From One to Many E-Book

Jennifer J. Britton

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 523

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2013

Beschreibung

"Jennifer Britton has penned another winner! With From One to Many, Jennifer not only gives us a bird's-eye-view perspective, but she also delves into the details we need to be successful as group and team coaches. I'm eager to incorporate this new material--not only into my course curriculum--but also into my own group coaching programs." --Jory H. Fisher, JD, href="http://www.joryfisher.com/">www.JoryFisher.com "This remarkable resource gives coaches the necessary tools to expand their effectiveness and offer a group experience of connection and collaboration, providing an exceptional experience for many." --Sandy Miller, MA, CPCC, ACC, href="http://www.revolutionizingdivorce.com/" target="_blank">www.revolutionizingdivorce.com "From One to Many is a must-read for coaches, whether experienced or new to group and team coaching. Jennifer combines extensive research, personal and peer experiences, practical applications, and a comprehensive set of tools and resources to deliver another excellent book for professional coaches." --Janice LaVore-Fletcher, MMC, BCC, President, Christian Coach Institute Practical tips, tools, and insight on successful team and group coaching engagements As professional development budgets at many organizations remain flat or even shrink due to financial pressures, coaches and human resources leaders are looking for new ways to do more with less funding. Team coaching--which may span intact teams, project teams and virtual teams--and group coaching--spanning both organizational and public contexts--offer a solution to this developmental puzzle. Unfortunately, there are few practical resources available that address the best practices for team and group coaching. From One to Many fills that gap for coaches, leaders, and human resources professionals. The book explains how to integrate the practice into an organization and how to maximize it to full effect. * One of the only books on the market that explores in-depth the related topics of team and group coaching * Written by the founder of a performance improvement consultancy who is also a popular speaker on the subject * Features new content specifically for practitioners in coaching, human resources, performance improvement and related fields

Leseprobe

Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

List of Figures and Tables

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Part I: Team and Group Coaching Defined

Chapter 1: Team and Group Coaching: Related Sisters

Team Coaching Defined

Group Coaching Defined

The Context of Team and Group Coaching

Differences Between Team and Group Coaching

Focus Areas for Team and Group Coaches

Foundational Issue: Adult Learning Principles

Best Practices When Coaching Many (Team and Group Coaching)

Chapter 2: The Fusion of Approaches, Benefits and Tricky Issues in Coaching Many

The Group Program Continuum

Team Building versus Team Coaching

The Business Case for Coaching Many

Tricky Issues in Team and Group Coaching

Three Tips for Mitigating Tricky Issues

Chapter 3: Core Skills for Team and Group Coaching

The ICF Core Competencies

Part II: Team and Group Coaching Foundations and in Action

Chapter 4: Design Principles and Practices for Coaching Many

Best Practices for Program Design

The Design Process from One to Many

Chapter 5: Group Coaching Foundations

The Context

What Group Coaching Can Look Like

Components of a Group Coaching Process

Positioning Group Coaching as a Support in Organizations

Chapter 6: Team Coaching Foundations

Who Is Involved with Team Coaching?

Foci of Team Coaching

What Types of Issues Are Important in Team Coaching?

The Value of a Team Coach

Skills for Masterful Team Coaches

The Team Coaching Process

Why Team Coaching Can Fail

Additional Tricky Issues in Team Coaching

Chapter 7: Virtual Design and Delivery

When You Have Decided to Go Virtual

What Is Really Important in the Virtual Environment?

Key Best Practices for Successful Virtual Programs

Making Virtual Group and Team Coaching More Effective

Using Technology in Virtual Programs

Chapter 8: Creating Connection and Fostering Engagement in Team and Group Coaching

The Context: Recognizing Needs at Different Stages of the Team and Group Development Process

Creating Connection throughout the Coaching Process

The Impact of Styles on the Team and Group Coaching Process

Approaches for Engagement and Connection at the End of the Coaching Process

Part III: Expanding Our View of Coaching Many

Chapter 9: Capacity Development: Mentoring, Coaching, Supervision, Leader as Coach and Peer Coaching

My Own Story

The Context of Business Today

The Players in Capacity Development

The Role in Capacity Building of Other Coaches: Peer Coaches and Managers as Coaches

Coaching Skills Training for Leaders

Leader as Coach Coaching Models

Coaching Many and the Impact on Culture

Chapter 10: Developing a New Cohort of Leaders

The Context of Leadership Development

Leadership Development and Team and Group Coaching

Making It Stick: Positioning Group Coaching as a Follow-on to Leadership Development Training

Focus Areas in Leadership Development

Emotional Intelligence

Chapter 11: Co-facilitation, Partnering and Collaboration: Who Has Your Back?

The Art of Co-facilitation

Roles within the Co-facilitation Team: Checklist

Building a Collaborative Culture: Partnering and Collaboration

Knowing When and When Not to Collaborate

Working with Teams to Explore Collaboration

Supporting the Development of a Collaborative Leadership Style

Chapter 12: Trends in Team and Group Coaching

What's Next?

Appendix: Exercises, Tools and Resources for Team and Group Coaching

About the Author

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Index

Copyright © 2013 by Jennifer J. Britton

Published by Jossey-Bass

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Published simultaneously in the United States of America and Canada.

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The author acknowledges that Team Diagnostic® is a registered trademark of Team Coaching International, Inc. JournalEngine™ is a registered trademark of Frame of Mind, Inc. DiSC® is a registered trademark of Inscape Publishing, Inc. MBTI® is a registered trademark of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Trust. VIA® and the VIA logo are registered trademarks of the VIA Institute on Character. StrengthsFinder® is a registered trademark of Gallup, Inc. The Group Coaching Essentials™ teleseminar and the 90 Day BizSuccess™ Group Coaching program are trademarks of Potentials Realized.

National Library of Canada Cataloguing in Publication Data

Britton, Jennifer J., author

From one to many : best practices for team and group coaching / Jennifer J. Britton.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Issued in print and electronic formats.

ISBN 978-1-118-54927-8 (bound).—ISBN 978-1-118-54928-5 (pdf).—ISBN 978-1-118-54930-8 (epub)

1. Teams in the workplace. 2. Employees—Coaching of. 3. Organizational effectiveness. I. Title.

HD66.B74 2013658.4'022C2013-902762-9C2013-902763-7

Production Credits

Cover design: Adrian So

Typesetting: Thomson Digital

Cover image: iStockphoto

Editorial Credits

Executive editor: Don Loney

Managing editor: Alison Maclean

Production editor: Pamela Vokey

John Wiley & Sons Canada, Ltd.

6045 Freemont Blvd.

Mississauga, Ontario

L5R 4J3

This book is dedicated to coaches, leaders and other professionals looking to enhance their own coaching conversations with groups and teams.

We are strengthened by those around us, particularly our loved ones and family. Thank you to Andray, Matthew, Mom and Dad.

List of Figures and Tables

Figure I.1: From One to Many

Table 1.1: Group versus Team Coaching

Table 1.2: Focus Areas for Group and Team Coaching

Figure 2.1: The Group Program Continuum

Figure 2.2: The Group Program Continuum

Table 2.1: Benefits of Group Coaching

Table 2.2: Benefits of Team Coaching

Table 2.3: Tricky Issues in the Virtual Domain

Table 3.1: ICF Core Coaching Competencies and Team and Group Coaching

Table 3.2: Key Skills for Group and Team Coaching

Table 3.3: Self-Assessment—Core Coaching Competencies

Figure 4.1: A Typical Design Process

Figure 4.2: MindMap

Table 4.1: Knowing Your Client Profile

Table 4.2: Creating Your Business Roadmap

Figure 5.1: Components of a Group Coaching Process

Figure 5.2: Group and Team Coaching Session Process Overview

Figure 6.1: The Coaching Approach with the Team as a System or a Collective of Individuals

Table 6.1: Six Conditions for Leadership Team Effectiveness

Figure 6.2: The Team Coaching Process

Table 6.2: What Team Coaching Is and Is Not

Table 7.1: The Different Virtual Approaches

Table 7.2: Virtual Call Evaluation

Table 7.3: Web and Video Options

Figure 8.1: The Triangle of Coaching Relationships

Table 8.1: Group and Team Dynamics

Table 8.2: Pre-program One-on-One Worksheet for Group and Team Coaching

Figure 8.2: Virtual Team and Group Coaching Session Notes Page

Table 8.3: Coaching Approaches for Different Learning Styles

Table 8.4: Coaching and Learning Support Needs for Different Generations

Figure 9.1: Coaching, Mentoring and Supervision

Table 9.1: Distinctions between Coaching and Mentoring

Figure 9.2: Program Development Stages and Considerations

Table 9.2: Comparative Relational Outputs as Identified by Maitland

Table 9.3: Phases and Focus Areas of the Coaching Conversation

Figure 9.3: The Arc of the Coaching Conversation

Table 9.4: Questions and the GROW Model

Figure 10.1: Making It Stick—Leadership Development Module Follow-On

Figure 11.1: The Co-facilitation Arc

Table 11.1: Co-facilitation Checklist

Table 11.2: Collaboration in Your Team/Organization

Table A.1: A Selection of Activities for Team and Group Coaches

Acknowledgments

From One to Many has grown out of the many questions I have been asked and the conversations I have had with coaches since the publication of Effective Group Coaching in 2010. Whether it has been in the coaching training programs I run through Potentials Realized, or during presentations I have made at ICF conferences and chapter meetings, one of the most common questions I have been asked is, “What's the difference between team and group coaching?” Increasingly coaches, leaders and other professionals are straddling the realms of coaching teams and groups, and are eager for more resources to undertake their work. I am pleased to take a deeper look at the related realms of team and group coaching—the processes and practices behind our work.

This book has been infused by the experiences of the groups and teams I have worked with over the last two-plus decades. My work has now taken me to work with teams and groups in five continents, and in recent years has connected me virtually with more countries than I will physically ever visit.

Incorporating the voices of many is critical in our work with groups and teams. I would like to thank the following coaches who generously shared their examples and insights around group and team coaching for this book: Renee Brotman, Catherine Carr, Michael Cullen, Ursula Lesic, Sharon Miller, Lynda Monk, Shana Montesol, Jacqueline Peters, Ray Rigoglioso, Phil Sandahl and Kevin Stebbings. It should be noted that all quotations from these coaches are taken from my interviews with them, unless otherwise documented.

It has been a pleasure to work with the team at John Wiley and Sons Canada again. I have enjoyed the many conversations with my executive editor, Don Loney, and also want to thank Nicole Langlois for her editing work. Thanks as well to Leslie Bendaly, who reviewed the manuscript.

A big thank you to my family—Matthew and Andray, and of course my mom and dad. Without your support I would not be able to do the work that I do.

Jennifer J. Britton

East Gwillimbury, February 2013

Introduction

From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching explores the continued evolution of two sub-disciplines of the coaching profession: team coaching and group coaching. Whether you are an internal or external coach working with teams, corporate groups or public groups, or you are a leader working with your own team, this book is geared to provide you with practical tools, insights and best practices around team and group coaching. From One to Many is geared to professionals who want to explore the skills and best practices behind exceptional team and group coaching. It is also for professionals who are looking for practical tools and approaches they can adapt and implement in their own programs right away, without having to reinvent the wheel. From One to Many has been shaped by my own work with teams and groups over more than two decades. The book has also been shaped by the questions and learning of hundreds of practitioner coaches from around the world with whom I have had the opportunity to work in the Group Coaching Essentials program, the Advanced Group Coaching Practicum and the Group Coaching Intensive programs since 2006.

Just as current business challenges require new ways of thinking and working across boundaries, the work of a coach is also spanning these boundaries and silos. In fact, group coaching is playing an important role in facilitating communication across the silos. Likewise, team coaching has the potential to break down the silos that exist within a team, as well as the silos that exist within a wider organizational context. At the same time, coaches are increasingly collaborating with more partners in organizations, often working with them to develop a cadre of peer coaches and to train leaders as coaches.

Since the publication of my first book, Effective Group Coaching, in January 2010, the global reach of coaches who are active in group and team coaching has continued to grow. Economic realities have continued to turn individuals and organizations onto these as modalities of choice. The collaborative nature of the coaching conversation and the connectivity it creates have been underpinnings of group and team coaching approaches. In contrast to 2009, when I wrote the last book, I regularly hear of organizations incorporating group coaching into their work, as a standalone program or as a follow-on to training. Team coaching is increasingly becoming a popular choice as more organizations turn to the team as the engine of business and also as the luster of one-off team-building initiatives continues to wane quickly after the offsite or retreat.

Based on the requests of practitioner coaches, leaders and HR professionals, this book expands the focus of coaching to groups and teams—that is, into the realm of “coaching many.” The shift from one-on-one coaching to working with many, whether in a team or group, is often perceived as a large step. As we will explore, there are many foundational similarities in team and group coaching, and several chapters will look at these commonalities. Several other chapters will address the differences between these two related “sibling” modalities.

As with coaching itself, my hope is that From One to Many will stimulate dialogue and debate among coaches, leaders and other professionals undertaking this work, as well as add to the growing foundation of literature on the topics of team and group coaching. Thankfully, there is a growing number of books that provide more of a theoretical and conceptual look at team and group coaching. Just as Effective Group Coaching has been embraced by practitioner coaches and as the learning text by many coach training schools, my hope is that this book will also become a trusted go-to resource for new and experienced coaches, HR professionals, leaders and others undertaking work with teams and groups. My aim for the book was to make it practical, impactful and relevant.

As a graduate student 20 years ago, I was motivated by the concept of “praxis”—or the interplay of theory and action. Praxis continues to shape my work. Throughout this book I open a window to my own work with teams and groups and include Field Journal notes. My approaches and insights have been shaped by real-time experience with groups and teams over the last 25 years—virtual teams, intact teams, global teams, public groups and corporate groups—designing and delivering programs in person as well as through virtual programs.

This book takes a multidisciplinary approach, cutting across boundaries. It reflects practically how coaches are coming to this work and shaping it in partnership with their clients. Several undertaking this work today bring a background in learning and development, some as former leaders and managers, while others have entered the coaching domain through intensive coaching skills training. Readers are encouraged to explore areas that may be new terrain—for example, capacity development and leadership. Others may be revisiting topics they are very familiar with, such as group process and coaching skills. From One to Many also reflects this expansion of seeing how coaching fits into the broader business context today.

Part III of the book—Expanding Our View of Coaching Many—particularly addresses this. While there are still many “pure” coaching rollouts, as more professionals are trained in coaching skills, it is likely that the boundaries between related disciplines will continue to be spanned. Likewise, leaders and other internal resources are entering into the domains of team and group coaching. It is not uncommon for me to see experienced group facilitators embrace this work in team and group coaching very quickly. A key focus of this book is on the subtle but important different focus and orientation a group and team coach brings, with a strong emphasis on goal setting, accountability and focus on supporting action and awareness.

As with Effective Group Coaching, I found that it was important to also have other voices represented in the book. Throughout the book you will meet 10 coaches who undertake work in the realm of team and group coaching around the world. Each has each offered his or her own case study, as well as thoughts on team and group coaching processes: best practices, key skills, recommendations and thoughts on trends. Their voices provide a sampling of the variety of experiences that are common with the groups and teams we work with. At the same time, as you read through their varied voices, note the synergies that exist among them.

It has been truly an honor to have the active participation of senior coaches such as Co-Active Coaching co-author Phil Sandahl, MCC, chief coaching officer of Team Coaching International. You will also meet coach Kim Ades, founder of JournalEngine, an innovative online journaling platform with great potential for team and group coaching. We also reconnect with two coaches who were first spotlighted in Effective Group Coaching: Lynda Monk, CPCC, who talks about using a coaching approach in workshops as well as her virtual retreat group coaching; and Sharon Miller, CPCC, PCC, who shares her insights around team coaching. You can also find a case study from the financial services industry that illustrates how Sharon Miller's coaching engagements over time integrate for significant impact and culture change in the digital chapter Team Coaching in Action, located at www.groupcoachingessentials.com. Dr. Jacqueline Peters, PCC, and Dr. Catherine Carr, PCC, share their insights around team coaching and team effectiveness. Jacqueline offers a case study from the oil and gas industry entitled “Coaching as a Lever for Cultural Change.”

Many coaches are engaged with team and group coaching in the context of leadership development. In Chapter 10, Ursula Lesic, ACC, offers a group coaching case study based on her work. Renee Brotman, PCC, shares insights around using tools with leadership groups. Coach Michael Cullen, PPCC, shares his insights based on working with public groups, and Ray Rigoglioso, ACC, offers insights based on his work with nonprofit professionals and public programs for gay men. A case study has also been provided by performance coaches with the British Columbia Public Service Agency, which provides a detailed look at an actual team coaching engagement.

The 30,000-foot View: A Snapshot of the Terrain We Will Cover in From One to Many

The book has three parts. Part I explores the foundation of coaching many, and provides a framework for expanding individual coaching work into coaching many. Chapter 1 looks at team and group coaching as “related sisters.” The first chapter looks at some of the differences and similarities between team and group coaching. Chapter 2 explores the program continuum and how coaches may find themselves using a “pure” coaching approach or may incorporate more training and/or facilitation. In today's era of complex challenges and rapid change, hybridization is a welcomed approach. Chapter 3 takes a deep dive, looking at the core coaching competencies of the International Coach Federation (ICF) and how these play out in the group and team coaching contexts.

Part II of the book takes a look at group and team coaching: common process pieces, different approaches for working with groups and teams, and what this work looks like, along with case studies or “Voices from the Field.” Four examples are presented from practitioner coaches in the area of group coaching, and four in the area of team coaching. You are encouraged to consider how the spotlighted coaches' experience and learning can infuse your own work with clients. Chapter 4 looks at design practices and principles for creating team and group coaching programs. Chapter 5 looks at group coaching processes. A digital accompaniment at www.groupcoachingessentials.com includes team coaching approaches. It also looks at different approaches for working with groups and a selection of case studies of group coaching in action. Chapter 6 explores team coaching processes. A digital accompaniment at www.groupcoachingessentials.com includes team coaching activities and case studies. Discussion about team and group coaching would not be complete without a focus on virtual programming options (Chapter 7), and also on techniques for engaging your groups (Chapter 8). A digital chapter on marketing also accompanies the book.

In Part III, the book widens the scope and connects us with the larger context of coaching many in organizations today, namely the topics of capacity development and developing a new cohort of leaders. In shifting your coaching from one to many it is also likely that you will be involved at some level with discussions around systems and performance at a larger level. Chapter 9 addresses the topic of capacity building, that is, developing internal skills and capacity through peer coaching, supervisor as coach, and linking support with mentoring. Chapter 10 addresses the topic of developing a new cohort of leaders, as many coaches today are involved in supporting and feeding into related talent management initiatives such as leadership development training.

Co-facilitation is increasingly called upon and is an art form for coaches working in the team and group coaching domain. This topic, along with collaboration, is covered in Chapter 11. Trends and where our work is evolving are the subjects of Chapter 12.

Finally, questions, exercises and resources continue to be the backbone of our work as coaches. Everyone is eager for more tools and ideas in their toolbox. The appendix focuses on activities and resources you may wish to incorporate into your own work.

It is my intent that this book will stimulate conversation and action in the coaching community and with leaders. It is focused on providing practical insights. It is also geared to providing a look at the skills below the surface of our work. How is our work different with team and group coaching? What are the things we want to ensure we are always doing? What best practices can we incorporate into our work with teams and groups? The final section of the book explores trends, collaboration, leadership and capacity development, which I believe point to future arcs of where our work is headed, if it's not there already.

I hope that you will engage with this book and in the conversation. I look forward to connecting with you to continue the conversation in person, virtually (through Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, email) or by good old fashioned telephone.

The Context of Coaching Today

“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.”

—Ryunosuke Satoro1

Teams, collaboration, globalization, working across differences, and doing more with less are all key themes in today's business world. Coaching as a modality of support to personal and professional development has also grown and changed in response to this evolving context in which we operate. Team and group coaching are now well rooted as possible approaches for coaches, and leaders, to draw on, in support of better business results, better relationships and enhanced personal and collective goals.

Coaching continues to expand in size and reach. The 2012 Global Coaching Survey from the International Coach Federation estimates 47,500 professional coaches worldwide, of which 41,300 are active coaches. Coaches participating in this global survey came from 131 countries around the world.2

Coaching as a profession continues to become more rooted, and the survey notes that “the coaching profession appears to be showing more rapid growth in emerging regions outside the established high-income regions” of North America, Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand. In the past few years I have seen team and group coaching continuing to expand around the world, as I have seen coaches from countries such as Bolivia, Peru and the Czech Republic explore how it can be added to their coaching mix.

The coaching profession has grown out of diverse fields such as social psychology, quantum physics, the humanities and group dynamics. As Vikki Brock writes about the emergence of coaching in her dissertation, “Grounded Theory of the Roots and Emergence of Coaching”:3

Five points summarize my observations about the emergence of coaching:

1. coaching sprang from several independent sources at the same time and spread through relationships;

2. coaching has a broad intellectual framework that draws on the synergy, cross-fertilization, and practices of many disciplines;

3. modern patterns and practices of coaching are dynamic and contextual;

4. coaching came into existence to fill an unmet need in an interactive, fluid world of rapid change and complexity; and

5. coaching came into being in an open integral social network from a perspective of diversity and inclusion.

The first global coaching survey undertaken by the International Coach Federation asked coaching clients how they perceived coaching to be different from other interventions. A focus on goal setting, awareness building and accountability all were identified as distinguishers for coaching versus other modalities.

Research from the ICF has identified increased productivity, increased positivity and return on investment (ROI) from coaching.4

Increased productivity measures include:

Improved work performance (70 percent)Improved business management (61 percent)Improved time management (57 percent)Improved team effectiveness (51 percent)

Improved positivity measures include:

Increased self-confidence (80 percent)Increased relationships (73 percent)Improved communication skills (72 percent)Improved work/life balance (67 percent)

It is with these roots that coaching continues to expand in form and reach.

The Shift from One to Many

Against the backdrop of global and economic events, opportunities and pressures, team and group coaching have evolved into their own over the last decade.

This shift in the coaching conversation from a one-on-one conversation between coach and client (also known as the “coachee” in some models), to conversations between coach or coaches and team and group clients is what I call “the many.”

As more and more coaches add group and team coaching to their mixes, it is important for us to have a series of best practices and approaches grounding our work. What you will find as you move through this book is a variety of examples, and practical suggestions of how team and group coaching is playing out around the world. The intention of the book is to be a practitioner's resource guide, while providing a light touch on the theory underpinning the work.

So, what are the key themes we encounter as we expand our work to teams and groups (the many)? What areas should those looking to create exceptional experiences with our clients consider? Figure I.1 looks at the foundations of coaching, as well as five areas of consideration as we expand our work.

Figure I.1: From One to Many

The Foundations of Coaching

Coaching is all about a conversation. It's not just any conversation. It's a focused conversation, one that is geared to expedite the insights and actions around issues of importance for the people we are working with. As one of my favorite subject matter expert (SME) partners, Doug McLaren, says, “Coaching is a conversation with intent.” In any type of coaching work—with individuals, teams and groups—we want to remember that coaching is not just any conversation. Coaching is all about a conversation with purpose, to expedite the results for the person or persons being coached.

In moving from coaching one to many, our core coaching competencies and skills continue to provide the foundation for exceptional and impactful coaching conversations. Whether we are external or internal coaches5 or leaders integrating these skills into portfolios—and working with teams, groups or individuals—we will want to “lean into” foundational coaching skills. Most, if not all, coaching models will be founded on, or connected to, the 11 core coaching competencies of the International Coach Federation.

Foundational to any coaching conversation are these skills:

Designing the Coaching Agreement

Every coaching relationship should be grounded in a shared agreement between coach and client(s). This includes partnering with the client to design what the coaching will look like, including agreeing on what the coaching focus will be, and will not be. It will include the “ways of working” or “agreements for the work” we do together. Part of designing the coaching agreement identifies what measures of success and focus areas will ground the work we do. An evolving best practice of the profession of coaching is having formalized written coaching agreements in place.

Trust and Intimacy

Coaching is a relationship that is based in trust and “knowing the client.” Without trust, coaching cannot occur. In the team and group coaching context, the trust and knowing is not only with the coach, but also between and among group and team members. The coaching process often explores the different needs, preferences, and what is important with the group members individually, and in the case of teams, individually and collectively.

Communicating Effectively

Communication is the foundation for any coaching conversation. The “triad of communication” includes what the International Coach Federation (ICF) calls “direct communication, powerful questions and active listening.” Practically this involves coaching using language that is appropriate for the client, asking powerful questions, and listening at multiple levels inviting exploration, new awareness and action on the part of those being coached.

A Focus on Goals

A key component of the coaching process is working with the person being coached to set and work on goals that are important to them, personally or professionally. These goals become the foundation and focus for our work as coaches with our clients, whether they are individuals, teams or groups. Throughout the conversation it is important to explore with the client(s) the 30,000-foot metaview or “big picture” level of their goals and priorities, as well as the “micro” view, which is more tangible or immediate.

Awareness and Action

Throughout the coaching process we want to maintain a focus on deepening awareness around those key areas of interest to the individuals we are working with, as well as supporting them in taking action.

Coaching involves a regular series of coaching touch points, creating an accountability framework. The coaching process takes place over time, and is generally not a “one-off” conversation, but rather a series of touch points. It is this enhanced “sticky factor” that has led to coaching being seen as an excellent add-on to training, boosting the transfer of learning and integration of new insights and behaviors.

Accountability

The hard focus on accountability distinguishes coaching from other related modalities. In the context of coaching, accountability involves clients making commitments (individually or collectively) around key action steps that will move them toward the goals that are important. A critical part of the coaching conversation involves checking in around these actions and insights at each touch point or meeting.

These skill areas continue to serve as the foundation for all team and group coaching work. Chapter 3 takes a deep dive into looking at what the core coaching competencies look like in both the team and group coaching domain. It starts the conversation around specific techniques and approaches coaches and leaders can integrate into their coaching of teams and groups.

Expanding into the Realm of Many

In “working with many,” in either a team or group context, our focus expands.

While we continue to lead from our core coaching skills, coaches working in this domain will notice:

A Widening Scope

Group and team coaching conversations often feel like they are going broad and wide, and not always deep. In an individual coaching conversation our focus is to have deep conversation with each client around the one or two key areas they are interested in. In coaching many, the scope widens with more voices, with peers playing a key role in the coaching process. We often talk about the “collective wisdom” of a group. It is the breadth and width that have many learning as much from their peers as from themselves and the questions coaches ask.

Multiple Agendas, Foci, Lenses, Styles and Perspectives

Coaches who work in the realm of coaching many will need to be comfortable and confident in working with multiple focus areas or “agendas” at play. In working with more than one person there will be different styles at play, including different learning styles and generational styles, in addition to varying perspectives that show up in any given conversation. This multiplicity creates both enormous opportunity and challenge for coaches in working with tremendous amounts of diversity. It often calls for a stretch on the part of team and group coaches. The book explores varying approaches in structuring coaching processes to maximize impact at both individual and collective levels.

This work is grounded in relationships. Team and group coaching conversations are rich due to the peer learning and sharing that take place. Conversation is the medium in which coaching takes place.

Core Competencies Plus Additional Skills

In addition to leveraging the core coaching competencies explored in Chapter 3, in coaching many, team and group coaches need to develop skills in the following areas:

Adult educationGroup processGroup facilitation skills and experienceExperiential educationInstructional designRelationship systems awareness

Chapters 2 and 8 explore related topic areas, including the introduction of the Group Program Continuum, a way to look at related skills that may be useful in supporting your groups or teams.

Co-facilitation

Given the variety of personalities, focus areas and numbers of coachees/clients involved in the coaching of many process, it is common for coaching work with teams, and in some instances, larger groups, to be undertaken by co-facilitators. Virtual coaching programs may also benefit from a co-facilitation approach. Chapter 11 looks at the rich topic of co-facilitation and partnering with others to support the team and group coaching processes. Bringing in a co-facilitator to coach with provides yet another voice, set of eyes and modeling of co-leadership for the clients we work with. At the same time, group and team coaching are two modalities that are critical in building a collaborative workplace. The second part of Chapter 11 looks at what collaboration is and building collaborative cultures.

The Role of Coach, Leader and Peers

In an individual coaching conversation the coach is in the spotlight with the client, creating a tight partnership with the client. The role of the coach shifts in team and group coaching contexts. She or he is no longer the center of attention. Masterful group and team coaches understand the importance of being able to “fade in and out”; they are able to step back and let the group do the work, stepping back in at times with new questions or insights. Masterful team and group coaches place a lot of emphasis on process. Creating a strong process for the group or team to step into and interact with creates the context for exceptional team and group coaching.

Peers or other team members play a key part in the impact and learning of coaching many. In fact, the peer conversation is just as important, if not more so, than the dialogue with the coach. Coaches play a key role in creating the structure and process of the experience, using powerful questions and various approaches to help teams and groups deepen their awareness and undertake action.

Leaders of teams are enablers of this work. This book explores key conversations that are important to have with the leader before the coaching work starts. It is also likely that leaders may look to integrate many of these approaches with their own, and other, teams. Chapters 9 and 10 look at coaching skills for leaders and developing a new cohort of leaders.

Other Considerations for Coaching Many

Coaches working in the realm of many will want to transport several foundational principles from our individual coaching work, including curiosity, “unattachment” and flexibility. Masterful team and group coaches come from a place of curiosity rather than judgment. Exceptional coaches are flexible in their approaches, able to respond and work with the client in a way that meets their goals in the moment. This requires a level of “unattachment” to how the work may play out. Masterful team and group coaches should feel confident in throwing out ideas and questions (based on intuition, listening and observations) and seeing how they land in the moment. This is often called the “spaghetti factor,” since the ideas might stick like wet spaghetti or just slide down the wall. Being able to adjust “on the fly” is critical. Group and team coaching is often light on content, and heavier on process. The emphasis in a coaching conversation is the conversation, and the ensuing insights and actions as a result of the conversation.

A key anchor point to making this work successful is keeping the client—in this case the group or team entity—front and center. Our clients need to be the driving force of the focus and direction of the coaching, and will influence decisions around structure, approaches and pacing. Flexibility sometimes requires merging, morphing and hybridizing skills and approaches from different domains. Master coaches such as Phil Sandahl have commented that some of the most successful team coaches are those who bring additional skills to the table for teams. At the same time a dynamic tension exists for team and group coaching—preparing and thinking through the various possibilities that can transpire, and being ready to “dance” and move with the client in the moment.

This introduction has provided an overview of the terrain of the book, as well as providing a high-level view of some of the foundational skills and considerations as we expand our focus from coaching one to many.

Before we move on, I want to invite you to reflect on the end-of-chapter questions. Each chapter will include several questions for you to reflect on, and many times, self-assessments to undertake. As a team and group coach I often speak about the importance of writing things down, not only as a reminder tool, or as a tool in setting intention, but also as a support in developing new neural pathways in our brains. I encourage you to write at will—mark up the book, or even better yet, start a new notebook, journal or file on your computer or tablet.

End-of-Chapter Questions

What opportunities currently exist for you in expanding your coaching work to many?

What differences do you see with this work?

What strengths do you already bring as a team or group coach?

What additional skills will you need to, or do you want to, develop?

Reflection

In your work, what do you see as the importance of these areas?

Widening scopeMultiple agendas, focuses, lenses, styles and perspectivesCore coaching competencies, plus additional skillsCo-facilitationRole of coach, leader and peers

1.http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/r/ryunosukes167565.html.

2. International Coach Federation, 2012 Global Coaching Survey, Executive Summary, 16.

3. Vikki Brock, “Grounded Theory of the Roots and Emergence of Coaching,” Dissertation for Doctor of Philosophy in Human Development and Coaching, International University of Professional Studies, Maui, 2008, vii.

4. International Coach Federation, 2009 Global Coaching Client Survey.

5. An internal coach is an employee of an organization, coaching others within the organization; this may be a full-time role, or one part of their portfolio. An external coach is one brought in by an organization for a specific coaching initiative.

Part I

Team and Group Coaching Defined

As we will explore throughout the book, at first glance, team and group coaching may appear very similar as approaches. As we will discover in the following chapters, there are subtle and significant differences between team and group coaching. Chapter 1 explores the distinctions between team and group coaching, and Chapter 2 looks at the fusion of approaches needed for success in coaching many. Chapter 3 explores core skills for exceptional team and group coaching.

Chapter 1

Team and Group Coaching: Related Sisters

If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go with others.

—African proverb

This chapter explores the following topics:

Group and team coaching definedThe context of team and group coachingThe differences and similarities between team and group coachingFocus areas in team and group coachingBest practices when working with many (team and group coaching)Design principles for coaching many

What is group and team coaching? Consider these examples:

Example 1: An intact team in health care with a new leader engages two coaches to work with them, over a six-month period, to help them improve communication, strengthen relationships and results and become more effective working as a diverse team.

Example 2: A virtual team spread across three continents has been brought together after a merger and acquisition (M&A). The leader engages a team coach to help them “hit the ground running.”

Example 3: An international organization wants to equip its senior leaders and key personnel with enhanced coaching skills so they can start developing capacity at country levels. The organization engages two coaches to provide coaching skills training, followed by six months of group coaching calls to support the transfer of learning.

Example 4: A group of female leaders engages a coach to work with them over the span of several months to explore “doing more with less,” and the implications for their work and their lives.

Example 5: A group of parents work with a coach through the local PTA to explore what it means to be a better parent.

Example 6: A government-funded program for women in business engages a coach to work with two cohorts at the start of a nine-month business development program. The program coordinator is confident that the business leaders will be getting enough technical skills through their curriculum. A group coach is engaged to work with each cohort for the first two weeks of the program (half-day sessions) to explore the “softer” foundational side of creating a business vision, exploring values and strengths.

Team Coaching Defined

As examples one and two illustrate, team coaching can take many forms. There are several widely accepted definitions of team coaching, including:

“Helping the team improve performance, and the processes by which performance is achieved, through reflection and dialogue.”1“Coaching a team to achieve a common goal, paying attention to both individual performance and group collaboration and performance.”2

Key to these definitions is a focus on goals and performance, and the processes behind them. Throughout my work as a coach practitioner I define team coaching as “a sustained series of conversations, supported by core coaching skills. The focus is on goal setting, deepening awareness, supporting action and creating accountability. The focus of the coaching may be on the team as a system and/or strengthening individuals within the team. Team coaching links back to business goals, focusing on results and relationships.”

Team coaching is a sustained process of dialogue, reflection, learning and action, occurring over time. Chapter 5 addresses team coaching processes. A digital chapter illustrates Team Coaching in Action and provides several activities coaches may want to incorporate.

Group Coaching Defined

In my last book, Effective Group Coaching, I explored the width and depth of the group coaching field. Examples three through six (above) are snapshots of how group coaching work is occurring.

Group coaching is “the application of coaching principles to a small group for the purposes of personal or professional development, the achievement of goals, or greater self-awareness, along thematic or non-thematic lines.”3

Group coaching continues to expand in reach, with group coaching initiatives becoming more commonplace in organizations, as well as with individuals joining public groups. In her book Group Coaching: A Comprehensive Blueprint, Ginger Cockerham offers this definition of group coaching: “a facilitated group process led by a skilled professional coach and created with the intention of maximizing the combined energy, experience, and wisdom of individuals who choose to join in order to achieve organizational objectives or individual goals.”4

Many coaches are often surprised at how small group coaching work really is. The ICF placed a threshold of 15 persons as the maximum group size several years ago. Many coach practitioners may find that to really reap the benefits of coaching, group size needs to be much smaller, often in the four to eight range. This smaller grouping allows for more opportunities for individual group members to engage at a deeper level with the coaching process. Larger groups often become more training focused.

“Group coaching is an intimate conversation space, focused on goal setting, awareness building and accountability.”

—Jennifer J. Britton in Choice Magazine, March 2011

Chapter 5 explores the realm of group coaching, discussing the group coaching process. A digital chapter on Group Coaching in Action illustrates different ways that group coaching work is rolling out into the world through several case studies.

The Context of Team and Group Coaching

Team and group coaching are related sisters. They are separate sub-disciplines of the coaching profession. They share a common foundational skill set, and in many instances will utilize the same approaches in terms of design, marketing and implementation. What makes the two very different is the role of relationships, the role of leadership, the lifecycle of the grouping (team versus group), the stance (or position/philosophy) of the coach and also what may be at stake.

A key distinction between team and group coaching is the context in which the coaching takes place. Team coaching engagements take place in the context of an organization or collective body, which operates with a purpose and reason for being. Goals, vision and values will exist, and will be shared by all team members to differing degrees. In the team coaching context, coaches will be connecting the conversation and focus to three levels of impact: self/individual, team and organization. Team coaches need to be able to support teams as a whole system as well as a team of individual group members.

In group coaching, the focus is often more on the development of the individual within the group context, especially in the case of public groups where coaches may be bringing together groups of individuals. There may be no common goals, vision or values linking the group members. The context within which individual group members operate may be radically different, or it may be similar, such as in the case of the women leaders. A challenge for group coaches is to ensure that there are opportunities for individual group members to explore the synergies that do exist and to find points of commonality or similarity.

In a group coaching process, it is likely that the layers of context and impact are different for each group member. As we will see throughout the book, this leads to a different stance in our work. Whereas team coaches may be working with the team as a system, or supporting individual member development toward the team goals, in group coaching, by its nature, coaches are often putting the focus on individual development in the group context. One instance where this may not be the case is in the organizational context, where you may be working with groups of new managers who do not report to each other. In this context of offering group coaching within an organization, it is important for the group coach to support individual group members to reflect on the learning and insights as it relates to themselves, as well as the teams they are part of, and the overall organization they belong to.

The Role of Relationships

Teams usually have relationships that exist before, and will exist after, the coaching relationship. As we often say, teams exist to produce results, so the web of team relationships is a key focus in team coaching. This may not always be the case with group coaching. Members of groups that are to be coached may know one another, but hold disparate positions and levels of relationship. For example, if I am working with a group of new business owners, chances are that they may be meeting each other for the first time. Each owner's focus will likely be on strengthening their own businesses first, and getting to know each other second. It is still important to be aware of the team and group dynamics issues in both.

It is important to note that not every group coaching process takes place in an organizational context or even a shared one. Some coaches may find themselves working with groups of business owners or working with groups of parents, where relationships may not exist before or after the coaching process. Relationships in many group coaching processes start and end with the engagement. Likewise, the context of the different group coaching members may be different. Coaches can bring together business owners from across industries, or new managers in a global organization who work in different divisions or countries. In this last instance, there may be some shared experiences, but very different contexts and priorities.

The Role of Leadership

A key issue in the team coaching process that does not exist within the group coaching process is the formal and informal leadership roles that exist within teams. Where formal leadership exists there are key considerations in the design and pre-work with the leader.

Engagement and Role of the Leader

A key success factor in any team coaching process is the engagement and role of the leader. It is critical to have a conversation with the leader before the start of the engagement around:

What their role will be throughout the coaching processFrom their perspective, what they see as important areas of focusConnection between the work of the team coaching and the organizational and team goals and prioritiesThe culture of the organizationThe openness of the leader and the organization to change (how will the leader react to criticism?)

Teams will have some form of leadership that needs to be taken into consideration in designing the type of coaching that will happen. In all the team coaching and team systems coaching work I do, team leaders play a key role. In fact, the team coaching process may be started because of a new team leader coming on board.

Typically a group coaching process in organizations is not as directly impacted by leadership. For example, if I am working with a group of new managers in an organization, they are likely to have different leaders that they report to. Part of our coaching may involve having them share their learning with their leaders, without the leaders being directly involved in the coaching.

The Lifecycle of the Grouping

The lifecycle of the grouping is another key difference between group and team coaching. Some groups undertaking a group coaching process may come together for a short period of time, disbanding at the end of the coaching engagement. In contrast, team coaching builds capacity within the team. The team exists before and after the coaching engagement.

Key to masterful team coaching is supporting the team in creating agreements that will last beyond the coaching work. Agreements usually spell out the accepted behaviors of a team. Likewise, in masterful team coaching, coaches will be asking the team to sustain the focus. This may involve bringing the tools and models that participants are learning back to their work, as well as integrating structures and ideas into their work and processes. For example, a coach may work with a team on having more difficult conversations, and may introduce the team to a common model or framework they can use to surface difficult issues. It is important for the coach to encourage the team to think about how their learning throughout the coaching process, and the models and tools, can be brought back to the office in everyday activities such as team meetings.

What Is At Stake?

The context of team coaching can be perceived as having more at stake or higher risk than some group coaching contexts. In the team environment, the ability for a team member to become vulnerable with their peers, as well as their leader, requires a certain level of trust in the process. Individuals' livelihoods are at stake within the team coaching process. As such, team members may take time becoming open in the coaching conversation if they do not feel that the coaching space is nonjudgmental and safe, not only with the coach, but also with all team members. This trust is essential for the coaching conversation to ensue.

Differences Between Team and Group Coaching

Many coaches may find themselves working across both domains—team and group. Table 1.1 outlines some of the key distinctions, as well as the common foundation for “coaching many”—that is, team and group coaching.

Table 1.1: Group versus Team Coaching.

Group CoachingTeam CoachingGroup agreementsTeam agreementsIndividual development in group contextTeam and/or individual development in team contextRelationships typically last only during the coaching relationship (exceptions: boards, committees)Relationships exist beyond the coaching relationshipOften no shared leadership (exceptions: boards, committees)Formal and informal leadershipPeer conversationTeam conversation—may have internal and external focusVision, values and purpose may be differentShared vision and purpose; common team and organizational values“I” focus“We” focusClosure critical at end: may not be together againClosure at the end of each session should challenge the team to consider how they will take learning back to the workplaceDevelopment of the individual: focus on how individuals can build skills and integrate the tools and processes into their workCapacity development: focus on integration of tools and processes to their business/worldCommon Foundations:• Designed agreements• Trust and intimacy• Multiple agendas• Confidentiality• Goal setting and SMART-E goals• Powerful questions and active listening• Action and awareness• Process focus• Accountability

As we explored in the introduction and will see in Chapter 2, our core coaching skills remain a foundation, but may need adaptation with groups or teams.

D. J. Mitsch and Ginger Cockerham make the following distinctions between group and team coaching:

Choice versus enrollment (selection)Co-creation (with group) versus collaboration (team leader)Environment of confidentiality versus transparencyVarying levels of personal commitment

Levels of personal commitment can vary between group and team coaching, depending on whether group coaching is mandated, as in the case of programming for new managers. Another distinction to be aware of is the importance of confidentiality in both processes, but also the transparency that is required in team coaching. Team coaching is “risky” work, and transparency allows for deeper levels of coaching conversations to happen.

Focus Areas for Team and Group Coaches

As much as there are differences, there are also a number of similarities between team and group coaching, including common focus areas such as difficult conversations, identifying and leveraging strengths, goal setting, vision and values. What is different in many of these cases is the focus of our work. For group coaches, the unit will usually be the individual; for team coaches, the focus may be on the team as a system, the individuals within the team, and the context in which the team operates.

Table 1.2 includes possible focus areas for team and group coaching.

Table 1.2: Focus Areas for Group and Team Coaching.

Group CoachesTeam CoachesBecoming a better parent, teacher or business ownerEnhanced collaborationEnhanced individual productivityBetter team productivityClearer goal settingClearer goal setting or achievement as individuals and a collectiveAccountabilityMutual accountabilityLeadershipShared leadershipDifficult conversationsDifficult conversationsStrengthsStrengths: individual/team/organizationalVisionVision: individual/team/organizationalValuesValues: individual/team/organizationalGroup member rolesTeam member rolesEmotional intelligenceEmotional intelligence: individual/team/contextStylesStyles: individual and teamFeedback

Group coaching can occur in the context of coaching the individual members of the group (for example, individual business owners to become better owners of their own businesses) or it can occur in the context of strengthening a group, which may not necessarily be a team (for example, a parenting group).

Foundational Issue: Adult Learning Principles

Foundational to any group coaching or team coaching process with adults is that we incorporate adult learning principles. As it relates to our work as coaches we want to ensure that we:5

Leverage the life experience and expertise of the groupCreate a safe and confidential learning environmentCreate opportunities for client ownership and co-create the agenda and exerciseMake sure the approach and focus of the program are clearCreate opportunities for clients to discover knowledgeEstablish coach and participant/client expectations at the start of the programMake it stick (link the learning to real life)

Many of these topics are addressed in other chapters, namely Chapter 3 on core skills, as well as Chapter 8 on connection and engagement. The appendix includes a range of activities. Consider which ones can be used to support these different areas.

Best Practices When Coaching Many (Team and Group Coaching)

Regardless of whether we are working with teams or groups, there are similar strategies, techniques and approaches in our work. Coaches will want to review the core coaching competencies covered in Chapter 3.

Dictionary.com defines best practice as “the recognized methods of correctly running businesses or providing services.”6 In my mind, best practices are an evolving signpost for practitioners, and practice to build onto for our own context, as well as an opportunity to not have to reinvent the wheel.

Wikipedia7 defines best practice as “a method or technique that has consistently shown results superior to those achieved with other means, and that is used as a benchmark. In addition, a ‘best’ practice can evolve to become better as improvements are discovered.”

Foundational best practices for coaching many include:

1. Less is more.

2. Know your client.

3. Remember that all participants learn in different ways.

4. Meet with each participant before the start of the program.

5. The impact of coaching happens between sessions.

6. Building trust and intimacy is key.

7. Keep it simple, not simplistic.

8. Remain flexible.

9. Have a strong focus on process and a light touch on direction.

10. Let the group/team do the work—it's not all about you.

11. Ensure you evaluate.

12. Follow up as a “value add.”

Let us take a look at each one of these.

Less Is More

The power of the group or team coaching process is in the conversation. Conversation with intent takes time. As such, in designing group or team coaching programs, coaches will want to incorporate the “less is more” principle. Practicing the principle of less is more requires that coaches consider what will add value for the group—whether adding an exercise, question or even content. In initial design it may be useful to put aside 20 percent or more of your initial program ideas. It may be useful to consider these elements: What is the focus of each of your sessions? What do you want to incorporate around this theme?

The key to coaching many is to avoid overdesign. You want to ensure that there is sufficient space and time for exploration.

Know Your Client

Foundational to any team or group coaching process is knowing your clients. Your clients will shape everything from the coaching approaches you use to the balance of coaching, and in some instances content or skill development (e.g., difficult conversations). In the one-to-one coaching conversation, everything is created with the client and at first there may be a very loose structure or focus. Many times we start our coaching conversation with the question: “What do you want to focus on today?” Our individual client will provide direction. In coaching many, there are multiple agendas at play, and providing structure and a process to identify and work around these multiple issues and perspectives is important.

The Knowing Your Client profile included in Chapter 4 can support us in thinking through what will be useful for the groups we work with. For those working in a team context, it may be used on a much higher level to think through some of the items of concern facing the team's industry.

Remember that Participants Learn in Different Ways

Coaches need to consider the different learning needs in each group and team they work with. You may be working with a combination of visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners. Note the balance that works for each group you are supporting. Depending on the composition and preferences of the group you will want to look to incorporate a number of different approaches to working with groups, highlighted in Group Coaching in Action, a digital accompaniment to the book.

Knowing your client, coupled with what you learn in any pre-calls, via assessments or in sessions, will enable you to adapt the program for the different needs that show up. There can be tremendous diversity among the group, including:

Generational differencesLearning styles: visual/auditory/kinestheticCultural differences, particularly if you are working with virtual teams