Leading Team - Group Coaching
As the Autumn approaches and we move back from the beach to the office or classroom, we start to think about how we’re going to support ourselves in the months ahead. Summer usually provides a useful time of reflection, often with families and friends, and sometimes we’ve gained a keener sense of what is truly important to us and the approach we’d like to take.
While the first element of the group coaching programme focuses upon developing self-awareness and leadership, as mentioned in our previous blog, we move swiftly into applying this awareness and understanding to leading those around us as effectively as possible. Much of our approach to leadership comes from our purpose, presence and mindset, and there are things we can do to become more influential and to persuade people most effectively. We take some time to look at what it is that leaders we admire do, and reflect together upon how we might develop those skills and techniques, taking time to practise them between the sessions. In this way we build trust with our team which is foundational for all else that follows.
Actively listening to team members is a crucial part of individuals feeling valued and heard, and building trust. When we aren’t listened to we don’t feel seen or understood, and our motivation dips, we are guarded and we won’t say what we think, especially if we think it might be frowned upon. Asking open questions, not having all the answers also heightens the sense of team collaboration together, and so a coaching approach helps to develop the team and ensure they contribute and have challenging conversations with the best of intentions for the team outcomes.
Providing clarity of direction for the team and unifying them behind the team purpose are also fundamental elements of working successfully together. Without having a common purpose, and understanding what the values of the team are or what is being worked towards, it is impossible for team members to feel they are a team, and to have the motivation and autonomy to achieve the team goals. How can you score a goal if the posts keep moving or, worse still, haven’t been marked out on the pitch? We look at ways of establishing that clarity together.
With these building blocks in place we can have creative, robust and versatile approaches to team decision making, enhanced by listening and coaching, to hold each other to account to achieve the team goals. It is essential there is a sense of mutual team accountability, and the onus doesn’t fall upon one or two people, and this is difficult to achieve in an atmosphere of fear, shame or lacking clarity of objective.
The group coaching approach to exploring these different elements of ‘leading team’, built upon the foundation of ‘leading self’ is extremely powerful and successful, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. What are you waiting for?! Sign up asap, as we start on Tuesday 3rd September for Senior Leaders and Wednesday 4th September for Middle Leaders.