Team Coaching

“If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.” –Henry Ford

Sophie Parker & Associates provides a unique program that supports leadership development and team effectiveness while doing the actual work of the organization. This six to nine month program creates new clarity, accountability and results for the team and is an effective use of organizational resources (time and money).

This program is NOT teambuilding, although team coaching and team building do share some goals, such as helping a team learn models, methods and tools to improve its effectiveness and performance.

Team coaching is guided by a ‘team coach’ who will make interventions with the team during real meetings and work sessions. These interventions are aimed at helping the team and the individual team members become aware real-time of the group dynamics and work habits that enable and limit effectiveness and performance.

What you get as a result of the team coaching program is a high performing, committed, and effective team.

We achieve this through the following four steps:

 

Assessment

How is the team currently working together? What are their strengths, challenges and growth opportunities? This first step includes confidential interviews, a team meeting observation and generation of a group summary report.

Convene the Team

Working closely with the team leader, we design and hold the first Team Meeting, so all participants understand the Team Coaching process. Identifying team goals for the coaching contract is a critical part of this step. We are here now; where do we need to be in order to be successful?

Coach the Leader

We engage the team leader in a coaching process throughout the contract—working directly with the leader privately and in front of the team. The leader “models” the behavior: being open to receiving feedback, making changes in unproductive behavior, and being held accountable.

Coach the Team

Over 6–9 months, we attend monthly meetings and coach the team and the leader while the team is working. Where necessary, we provide support through skills training, such as developing a Team Charter, Effective Communication, Decision Making, Mutual Accountability, and Feedback.

 

“The process that Sophie engaged me in to advance my professional development helped me not only to grow as a leader, but also on a very personal level. The Birkman is a very powerful assessment and I have been able to leverage the insights it provided to better understand my motivators and stress behaviors. In addition, better understanding my competing commitments has been a very eye opening experience that has allowed me to let go of some of the fears that were keeping me from realizing my potential. She is a tremendous partner and asset to any organization that seeks to invest in its executive leadership team.”