Team coaching has long transcended the periphery of sports activities, making inroads in the corporate world. It is quite common to find an in-house team coach in an organization these days, and the demand has been increasing consistently. Nevertheless, it would be fair to say that the concept of team coaching is still in its nascent stage, with more organizations opening up to its benefits. The initial hurdle towards incorporating the practice is selecting a team coach. Through this blog, we will offer a few pointers on the same.
7 Steps to Selecting a Team Coach
This is an expert-vouched, tried, and tested method of finding and choosing a team coach followed by working with the individual.
1. Determining and Outlining the Team’s Needs
You need to start by determining the answers to the following questions:
- What do you think is the present condition of the team?
It is a self-assessment of the overall productivity and performance analysis of the team.
- Where do you want to see yourself as a team? What is your end objective?
Here the team would have to determine and decide their criteria for success.
- What are you seeking in a team coach?
Decide whatever it is that you are trying to achieve with the coach’s assistance.
2. Shortlisting Potential Coaching Professionals
There are various ways for finding and selecting a team coach, such as
- Get references from peers and acquaintances;
- Ask the management or HR executive to draw up a list of potential candidates;
- Research and contact leading coaching organizations’
- Contact organizations that specialize in coaching, team development, leadership team formations, etc.
3. Choosing a Coach Best Suited for the Team’s Specific Needs
Getting answers to those questions mentioned in the first point will help you in defining the team’s requirements. This helps to select the team coach that helps you achieve these specific requirements on priority.
4. Drawing up a Work Contract
The Contract is the key agreement between you and your coach. Here’s an idea on what can go into the list:
- Expectations of the team and the coach;
- Mode of success evaluation;
- The tenure and frequency of coaching sessions;
- Nature of team building activities;
- Confidentiality, privacy, and other working ethics and protocols;
- Feedback generation methodology.
5. Relationship Development with the Team Coach
The key to building a cohesive bond with the team coach is to review and evaluate every session and stage of the coaching process and change the plan strategy accordingly, with the participation of both parties.
6. Assessment
Once the team’s objectives are listed out, a regular assessment can help to pace the progress between leader, team, and coach.
7. Session Completion
The completion of team coaching should be marked by:
- Reflect on the process;
- Inculcate whatever you and the team learned in the process;
- Plan ways to incorporate whatever you learned within the functional fabric of the team
Hopefully, the steps we discussed were able to give you clarity regarding selecting a team coach. If you are looking for an organization that can help you with team coaching, then Team Transformation is the right fit. They provide customized team coaching to organizations and businesses worldwide.
