Practice Model

In order to spend quality time in the coaching relationship, we strive to keep things simple and transparent. In the slides below you will find a overview of how a coaching client or sponsor might experience a typical executive or team coaching engagement. The timing can vary and depends on the client’s needs, availability, and how often client and coach meet. Typical coaching engagements range from 6-9 months to a year or more.

Executive & Team Coaching models

Team Coaching Overview

With the pace of change rapidly increasing, organizations who are committed to keeping pace, retaining top talent, cultivating healthy organizational culture, will be the ones who effectively leverage the power of teams.  Team coaching can be a unique and fulfilling way for chief decision-makers to unlock the potential of their organization. Teams are complex dynamic systems and require a different, non-linear, more nuanced developmental approach.

The eight aspects of the CYP team coaching model include: (1) understanding the ethics that govern ethical practices and competencies of team coaching. (2) Recognizing the importance of contracting and aligning expectations at the outset of the coaching engagement.  The research is very clear, every team being coached must have (3) a purpose – their “why” and reason they exist must be clear.  Understanding the team’s purpose is important context for a team coach.  The work in our coaching practice always integrates (4) trust.  Building trust is one of our specialties, naturally we are passionate about working with teams to practice empathy which is the foundation for trust. The next aspect of the model includes (5) how the team forms and establishes its norms, and (6) exploring and cultivating collective dialogue that encourages safe risk taking and active listening building on that trust.  This part of the model assists with navigating the forming and storming stages of group development, so that the team can begin performing at an accelerated pace (Tuckman & Jensen, 1977). Next, the team focuses attention on (7) understanding and embracing complexity.  This stage of the model includes the work and efforts a team must undertake to uncover what underlying assumptions, or limiting beliefs may be holding the team back.  This stage includes reflecting on and getting curious about the reasons limiting beliefs may exist, evoking collective awareness, curiosity, and exploration within the team.  The final aspect of the model includes (8) discovering and experimenting with new adaptive behaviors, ways of thinking, and believing that inspire and motivate the team to move towards their change goal(s), purpose, or aspirations. Ultimately, into a higher developmental version of the team.  This includes our final specialty, accountability and measuring results.

Throughout the model the CYP Coaching & Consulting practice and vision is the glue that holds the model together.  "To develop promising leaders and teams, who embrace complexity, understand the power of trust and empathy, and who transform organizations through courage, connection, accountability, and results.”  Complimented by the underlying belief that the team entity being coach is uniquely capable of solving its own problems.

The research-based models on team coaching utilized to synthesize and create our unique model are advancing and emerging.  The ICF now offers a certification in team coaching.  Our practice is excited about the future of team coaching research and how it will continue to advance our understanding and practice. 

References

Kegan, R., Lahey, L. (2009). Immunity to Change: How to Overcome It and Unlock the Potential in Yourself and Your Organization. Harvard Business Press.

Tuckman, B. Jensen, M. (1977). Stages of Small-Group Development Revisited. Group & Organization Studies, December 2(4), 419-417.

Woudstra, G. (2021). Mastering The Art of Team Coaching: A comprehensive guide to unleashing the power, purpose and potential in any team. Team Coaching Studio Press