You want to improve your team-building skills. What executive coaching tools are most effective?
Team-building skills are essential for any executive who wants to lead, motivate, and inspire their employees. But how can you develop and enhance these skills effectively? Executive coaching can help you by providing you with tools and techniques that can boost your team performance, communication, and collaboration. In this article, we will explore some of the most effective executive coaching tools for team-building skills.
The first step to improving your team-building skills is to assess your current team situation. You need to understand the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges of your team members, as well as their personality types, preferences, and motivations. Executive coaching can help you by using tools such as DISC, MBTI, or StrengthsFinder to analyze your team's profile and dynamics. These tools can help you identify areas of improvement, potential conflicts, and synergies within your team.
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Lead by example. Demonstrate the qualities and behaviours you expect from your team members. Show empathy, resilience, and a commitment to continuous improvement. Leading with authenticity fosters a positive team culture and encourages your team to follow suit. Recognise and celebrate individual and collective achievements as it is essential for boosting team morale. Acknowledge the unique contributions of each team member and create a positive work environment that promotes a sense of accomplishment. This not only motivates team members but also strengthens the overall team spirit.
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Assessing teams is method and art. Method because there are various approaches the coach can take to establish a base to work on. Art because there are some elements which may require intuition and a feel for the culture. What I like to do is to assess the several factors. These include unity, positivity, integrity, diversity, and accountability. Unity is crucial for people to move together to achieve the mission and fulfil the vision. Accountability is another vital ingredient. The aim is for people to execute the agreed-upon actions and be accountable for what they need to do. Intuition comes in when something seems amiss. For example, if positivity is high but integrity is low, more searching needs to be done to get to the root cause.
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To boost team-building skills, effective executive coaching tools include StrengthsFinder for identifying strengths, DISC assessments to understand communication styles, and team-building workshops or retreats for hands-on learning. Utilizing collaborative platforms like Trello or Slack can also enhance team communication and coordination.
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Wenn ich die Teambuilding-Fähigkeiten verbessern möchte, würde ich mich nicht vorrangig an Coaching-Tools orientieren, sondern zusammen mit meinem Team nach 2 Faktoren schauen: Was ist die größte Stärke des Teams? Was ist das missing Link des Teams? Diese team-orientierte Herangehensweise beschert sofort zu Beginn Erfolgs-Erlebnisse. Das ist es, was ein "Team im Wachstum" braucht.
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Below are some effective executive coaching tools that can enhance team-building skills: 1. 360-degree Feedback. Input from peers, subordinates, and superiors. 2. MBTI, StrengthsFinder, DiSC for self-awareness. 3. Evaluate team dynamics and set improvement goals. 4. SMART goals and progress monitoring 5. Conflict Resolution Tools for effective conflict management 6. Improve clarity, active listening, and communication 7. Experiential learning for trust and collaboration. 8. Develop on interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence 9. Coaching and Feedback Sessions 10. Peer Coaching and Mentoring 11. Cultural Awareness Training
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Incorporating tools like the Everything DiSC solutions portfolio and the Five Behaviors assessments into your team-building strategy creates a tailored approach to improving collaboration, communication, and overall team effectiveness. Combining insights from both assessments allows for an understanding of team dynamics. This knowledge empowers you to customize team-building initiatives that address specific challenges and capitalize on strengths. By identifying areas of improvement, you can tailor your leadership approach and coaching needs to foster a more cohesive and high-performing team.
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Enhancing team-building skills requires a thoughtful blend of executive coaching tools, and one impactful approach I've employed involves leveraging team assessments. As an executive coach, I often recommend tools like the Team Diagnostic Survey or Belbin Team Roles to evaluate how team members collaborate, communicate, and contribute to shared goals. These assessments serve as a starting point for targeted coaching conversations, enabling leaders to understand their team's unique composition and guide them toward enhanced collaboration and effectiveness. By utilizing such tools, leaders can strategically tailor their team-building efforts, fostering a cohesive and high-performing work environment.
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Effective executive coaching tools for enhancing team-building skills include personality assessments like Myers-Briggs Type Indicator or DiSC, which help understand team dynamics. Emotional intelligence assessments like EQ-i 2.0 aid in fostering empathy and communication. Team-building workshops, facilitated discussions, and experiential activities like ropes courses or simulations promote collaboration and trust among team members, enhancing overall effectiveness.
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Mejorar el trabajo en equipo implica fomentar una comunicación clara y abierta entre los miembros, establecer metas y roles definidos, promover la confianza y el respeto mutuo, desarrollar habilidades interpersonales, valorar la diversidad, proporcionar recursos y herramientas adecuadas, promover la colaboración y el intercambio de ideas, tener un liderazgo efectivo y participativo, abordar conflictos de manera proactiva, y realizar evaluaciones continuas con ajustes necesarios.
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A unique tool in helping teams started on the journey towards high performance, is the PERILL model, developed by David Clutterbuck. Based on extensive research, including a deep dive at Facebook (Meta), this model is taking the point of view of the team as an entity, instead of the individual team members. A survey is available for the team members, assessing how they work as a team, compared to the best practice of high performing teams. The results serve as a starting point for the team to develop a plan towards high performance and ideally, capability to coach itself.
The second step to improving your team-building skills is to set clear, specific, and measurable goals for your team. You need to communicate your vision, mission, and values to your team, and align them with the organizational objectives. Executive coaching can help you by using tools such as SMART, OKR, or GROW to define and track your team's goals. These tools can help you create a sense of direction, purpose, and accountability for your team.
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In recent years the acronym FAST has been replacing the traditional goal setting methodology of SMART. FAST (frequent, ambitious, specific, transparent) method indicates that goals should be embedded in: - Frequent discussions: To review progress, allocate resources, prioritise tasks and seek feedback - Ambitious in scope: Should be difficult but not impossible to achieve - Measured by specific metrics and milestones: Should be concrete with clarity on how to achieve goal and measure progress - Transparent: Goals and current performance should be displayed publicly for all employees to see/track FAST as a coaching tool is an excellent to drive company & individuals strategic execution and increased ownership at a more real time pace!
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You want your team to work together, to behave as a team indeed ? 1) Set collaborative goals - goals that will make them depend on each other to perform. 2) Set you metrics right. Too often metrics reward individual performance, and managers are then surprised to see no team spirit. Set team metrics, in terms of revenues, training and projects and you'll see unity.
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Je stärker der gemeinsame Erfolgs-Faktor gleich zu Beginn herausgearbeitet wurde und für alle sichtbar und spürbar ist, desto ambitionierter sind die Ziele, denen sich das Team verpflichtet. So sollte das Team in der Lage sein, zwei Ziele zu definieren: A) das strategische Ziel, welches sie erreichen möchten (WAS) B) das Verhaltens-Ziel oder der Team-Kodex, also die Art & Weise, (WIE) sie miteinander arbeiten wollen
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Astonishingly, many teams operate without a clear understanding of their collective and individual goals. Executive coaching frameworks not only help in defining goals but also ensure they are in sync with the organization's vision and mission. The clarity provided by these tools fosters a strong sense of direction and accountability within the team, which is often the difference between average and high-performing teams.
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One thing I’ve found is that most organisations and leaders spend time setting goals, however, they don’t always spend the time to align people properly to these and have the difficult conversations to decommission something’s that are no longer in plan. Having clarifying conversations consistently and openly help. In order to do this you need to have psychological safety on the team and a shared purpose.
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Imagine your team as a group of skilled craftsmen building a majestic castle. Each member is a crucial piece in the grand design. Now, setting clear goals is akin to drafting a meticulous blueprint that guides every artisan in their tasks. Executive coaching, acting as a seasoned architect, introduces tools like SMART, OKR, or GROW to refine and articulate these goals. It's the magic wand that transforms aspirations into tangible milestones, providing a sense of direction and purpose. As the castle of success begins to rise, the importance of clear goals becomes undeniable—a guiding light through the twists and turns of the team-building journey.
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I would also take a step further by looking at the business strategy, previous year's business and team performance results, customer feedback, and then carve out the SMART goals specific to the team (i.e. business unit). OKRs are beneficial in getting teams to define the short-term goals, keeping teams on track. GROW is certainly an effective model to use to ensure teams stay engaged and motivated, I have used this model frequently in 1:1 sessions. Overall, each tool compliments each other and provides a sense of guidance and accountability for everyone, leaders and team members.
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In addition to setting goals, foster a culture of transparency and collaboration by involving your team in the goal-setting process. Encourage open discussions to gather input, insights, and suggestions from team members. This not only enhances their sense of ownership but also ensures that the goals resonate with their individual aspirations and strengths. Implementing a collaborative approach to goal-setting creates a shared vision, aligning the team more closely with organizational objectives. Moreover, regularly revisit and communicate progress towards these goals, providing opportunities for adjustments and celebrating milestones, reinforcing a dynamic and responsive team culture.
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Strategic Clarity: Transform chaos into coordinated excellence by defining clear, achievable goals. The more specific and measurable your goal, the faster you'll be able to identify, locate, create and implement it boldly to the real world. 1 Align team goals with the mission. 2 Break it down into small, manageable tasks. 3 Foster a shared vision for enhanced motivation. 4 Utilize NLP goal-setting tools for precision. 5 Regularly revisit and adjust goals for improvement. Craft goals like an artist paints a masterpiece. Precision, clarity and focus breed success. Example: Use the SMART frame along with NLP tools to guide the team towards specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound goals. #LeadershipMastery #ExecutiveCoach
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The team needs to understand the problems they are trying to solve and, ultimately, the impact of their work in alignment with the organization's principles and values. Many teams focus on the tasks at hand and often lose sight of the reasons behind their actions, creating a disconnection from the organization as a whole. While this might not directly impact the team, it could lead to a broader detachment from the company.
The third step to improving your team-building skills is to provide constructive and timely feedback to your team. You need to acknowledge your team's achievements, celebrate their successes, and recognize their contributions. You also need to address any issues, problems, or mistakes that may arise, and offer guidance, support, and solutions. Executive coaching can help you by using tools such as the Feedback Sandwich, the Situation-Behavior-Impact model, or the STAR method to deliver effective feedback. These tools can help you boost your team's morale, confidence, and performance.
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Ein klares, wertschätzendes und motivierendes Feedback ist für jedes einzelne Team-Mitglied von höchster Bedeutung. Ob es einen bleibenden Eindruck macht, liegt an den, auf die Person bezogenen Formulierungen. Und die dürfen bei jedem Mitarbeiter einen anderen Schwerpunkt haben, entsprechend der Ergebnisse aus den Analyse-Tools. Die Veränderungs-Treiber brauchen anderes Wording als die riskoscheuen Bewahrer.
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Feedback is an ongoing process - both for work done well and things that need improving. Don't store up examples for that twice-a-year event or performance review. Keep having feedback conversations to continually be on a path of improvement. Bonus tip - feedback goes both ways. Ask your team for feedback about what you're doing well and what you can improve. This way you're serving as a role model for continuous improvement and also learning and developing yourself.
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Impact by Feedback: Elevate the team's performance through constructive and empowering feedback. "Feedback is the breakfast of champions." - Ken Blanchard 1 Offer specific, timely and balanced feedback. 2 Use positive reinforcement to motivate and inspire. 3 Embrace NLP communication techniques for clarity. 4 Encourage a culture of open dialogue. 5 Foster a growth mindset through feedback loops. Turn feedback into a tool for growth and personal evolution, not criticism. Nourish your team's and by that your company's success with thoughtful guidance. Example: Implement "Power Feedback", leveraging constructive nudges with clear feedback to ensure best impact: Detail. Perception. Impact. Goal. Effect. #LeadershipMastery #ExecutiveCoach
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Executive coaching can further enhance your ability to provide impactful feedback. These tools, when employed effectively, not only address challenges but also boost morale, confidence, and overall team performance. Celebrating successes and learning from mistakes builds a culture of openness and growth. Remember, feedback is a two-way street. Encourage a culture where team members feel comfortable sharing their perspectives. This fosters mutual understanding and strengthens the bond within the team.
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Furthermore, make feedback a two-way street by encouraging a culture of continuous communication within your team. Create channels for team members to share their perspectives, insights, and suggestions. Actively listen to their concerns and ideas, fostering an environment where everyone feels heard and valued. Emphasize that feedback is not just about addressing challenges but also recognizing and amplifying what is working well. This bidirectional feedback loop not only strengthens team cohesion but also promotes a culture of mutual growth, where both leaders and team members actively contribute to the team's success and continuous improvement.
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When giving individual feedback, employ the SBI (Situation-Behavior-Impact) model. For team feedback, use the 'sandwich' approach. It's crucial that team members feel they are both learning and growing in their roles and contributing autonomously. Feedback should be given not only for recognition but also for development.
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Teambuilding meint den Aufbau eines Teams. Um ihre Teamentwicklungsfaehigkeiten zu erhöhen, kann eine Führungskraft das Instrumentarium zur Mitarbeiterführung nicht 1:1 übertragen. Daher ist es nicht sinnvoll, einem Team auf Basis des "Sandwich Feedbacks" Rückmeldung zu geben: "Beobachtetes Verhalten - ausgelöstes Gefühl - Wunsch an künftiges Vorgehen". Das "Verhalten" eines Teams besteht aus der Aktion einzelner Team-Mitglieder sowie deren Interaktion untereinander, d.h. findet auf relationaler Ebene statt. Um dieses dynamische und komplexe Geschehen einem Team zu spiegeln, muss man in die Kiste der Gruppendynamik greifen. Feedback ist an sich kein Coaching-Tool, da es eine Wertung impliziert. Coaching nutzt statt Feedback das "Spiegeln".
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Coflict resolution trainings teaches leaders how to identify, manage, and resolve conflicts within a team. It equips leaders with skills to navigate disagreements constructively and maintain a positive team dynamic.
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Ever since my Amazon interview prep, the STAR model has been my go-to, not just for acing interviews but for elevating my team-building game. It's a game-changer, transforming how I give feedback—structured, clear, and always hitting the mark. By laying out the Situation, Task, Action, and Result, I ensure every piece of feedback is actionable and grounded in real examples. It's not just about pointing out what needs to improve; it's about showing how every challenge is an opportunity to shine.
The fourth step to improving your team-building skills is to encourage collaboration and cooperation among your team members. You need to foster a culture of trust, respect, and mutual support within your team, and promote positive interactions and relationships. You also need to facilitate teamwork, problem-solving, and decision-making processes, and leverage the diversity and creativity of your team. Executive coaching can help you by using tools such as the Team Charter, the RACI Matrix, or the Six Thinking Hats to enhance your team's collaboration. These tools can help you clarify roles, responsibilities, and expectations, and stimulate different perspectives and approaches.
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I totally concur with Benah Parker. And I would add that the pathway to establishing a foundation of trust and creating psychological safety necessarily intersects with empathy. As Patrick Lencioni’s “Five Dysfunctions of a Team” highlights, high performing teams leverage trust as a catalyst for productive conversations on conflict. Executive coaching skills can be employed to trigger reflection upon empathy and assist in surfacing core issues that hinder the leader’s ability to foster trust. Productive conversations can then contribute to building alignment around sound course of actions necessary to advance team goals and objectives.
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A great way to support collaboration is to voice conversations that need to happen, but for which the team doesn't yet have a language. A simple (and fun!) way to do it is to use symbols to voice some of these unconscious dynamics. Here are 3 questions to get you started: - "If we were an animal, what animal would we be?" - "If were a music genre, what genre would we be?" - "If we were a superhero, who would we be?" You might find out a team is a 'cheetah' (it sometimes rushes into decisions), or a 'bear' (it's slow, although it defends itself very well)... the options are endless - have fun & learn! :-)
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Effective collaboration is not just about assigning tasks; it's about creating a culture where every team member feels valued and heard. Executive coaching can empower leaders to go beyond tools and frameworks, guiding them to foster a psychologically safe space, embrace diversity, and instill a commitment to continuous learning. By prioritizing open communication, utilizing technology strategically, and celebrating collaborative achievements, leaders can truly cultivate a collaborative environment that propels the team towards shared success.
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Additionally, create opportunities for cross-functional projects and initiatives that encourage diverse skill sets to come together. By fostering a collaborative environment where team members can share expertise and learn from one another, you not only strengthen individual capabilities but also enhance the overall synergy of the team. Encourage open communication channels and celebrate collective achievements, reinforcing the idea that collaboration is the cornerstone of success. This approach not only amplifies creativity and innovation but also builds a resilient team that can navigate challenges collectively.
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Collaboration can be enhanced when team members know more about each other. This can come with team-building time and/or team-based personality tools. DiSC is one example. Each team member completes an assessment. In additional to individual briefings for each team member, the results are also plotted on a wheel. A diverse array of personality types leads to a stronger and higher performing team. And by each team member understand their colleagues' preferred communication styles, the team can work more effectively together.
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Encouraging collaboration is the cornerstone of truly effective team building. It fosters synergy, boosts creativity, and propels your team towards achieving extraordinary results. collaboration is a journey, not a destination. Cultivate a culture of continuous improvement, actively solicit feedback, and adapt your approach to ensure team dynamics remain strong and collaborative. By consistently nurturing a collaborative environment, you'll witness your team transform into a cohesive unit, united by shared goals, fueled by mutual respect, and empowered to achieve the seemingly impossible together.
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In addition to developing a joint vision and values together with the team, creating a culture of co-creation, and celebrating the successes, leaders should nourish the relationships between team members with a good part of their time. I have experienced these three aspects as most helpful: 1 A leader should develop trusting, deep relationships directly with each of the team members. Trust starts by never talking about others so that people are safe to share. 2 Use tools like the StrengthsFinder to understand the different personalities better and, as a team, become aware of strengths and needs of each team member. 3 Spend a good time together instead of remotely. Go out, play, celebrate, rest together. Proximity fuels trust.
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Um effektive Zusammenarbeit im Team zu fördern: Gemeinsame Vision: Verankern Sie ein klares Verständnis der Teamziele, um ein Gefühl der Zugehörigkeit und des gemeinsamen Zwecks zu schaffen. Klare Kommunikation: Etablieren Sie offene Kommunikationswege und nutzen Sie Technologie, um den Informationsfluss zu erleichtern. Regelmäßige Meetings: Führen Sie Treffen durch, um Ideenaustausch zu fördern und Fortschritte zu besprechen. Ermutigen Sie offene Diskussionen. Teambuilding-Aktivitäten: Setzen Sie auf Aktivitäten, die das gegenseitige Verständnis und Vertrauen stärken. Konfliktmanagement: Entwickeln Sie Strategien für den konstruktiven Umgang mit Konflikten, um das Teamgefüge zu festigen.
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As a leader coaching the team for collaboration, one key aspect is to… not be there. At least, not too much. Create opportunities for people to work together without needing you. For example, if you have a regular leadership forum that meets every week, make it a boss-less one every other week or two. That allows them to become a real team and not just a group of people who report to you.
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Engage in team-building activities that are designed to improve collaboration, communication, and trust among team members. These can include workshops, retreats, or even simple icebreaker exercises during team meetings. Collaborative Tools: Implement technologies and tools that facilitate collaboration and communication within the team. This can include project management software, communication platforms, and other tools that enhance efficiency and teamwork. Skill Development Programs: Identify specific skills that are crucial for the team's success and invest in training programs to develop those skills. This can include both technical skills and soft skills such as communication, conflict resolution, and emotional intelligence.
The fifth step to improving your team-building skills is to develop the skills and competencies of your team members. You need to identify the gaps, needs, and opportunities for learning and growth within your team, and provide them with resources, training, and coaching. You also need to empower your team members to take ownership of their own development, and encourage them to share their knowledge and skills with others. Executive coaching can help you by using tools such as the 70-20-10 Model, the 4MAT Model, or the GROW Model to design and implement effective learning interventions. These tools can help you optimize the learning outcomes, preferences, and styles of your team.
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Investing in the development of team members extends beyond addressing immediate gaps; it's also about fostering a culture of continuous learning and adaptability. Executive coaching plays a pivotal role in guiding leaders to not only identify skill needs but also to create an environment where learning is a shared responsibility. By integrating personalized approaches such as suggested models, leaders can tailor development strategies to align with the unique strengths and aspirations of each team member, thereby maximizing the overall potential of the team.
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Development tools can be effective, but the most important thing is to genuinely connect with your people. Be curious, listen to understand and show empathy. When you have the trust of your people, they're more likely to take responsibility for their own development, knowing you have their back.
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1. Assess current team-building skills and identify areas for development. 2. Design targeted skill development programs. 3. Use role-playing exercises and behavioural modeling within coaching sessions to practice team-building skills. 4. Pairing leaders with mentors or engaging in peer coaching arrangements can facilitate skill development.
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Moreover, promote a culture of continuous learning within your team by creating a supportive learning environment. Encourage the exchange of knowledge through regular knowledge-sharing sessions, mentorship programs, and collaborative learning projects. Provide access to external training programs, workshops, and conferences that align with individual and team goals. Recognize and celebrate skill development milestones, reinforcing the value of lifelong learning. By investing in the growth and development of your team members, you not only enhance their capabilities but also foster a dynamic and adaptive team that is well-equipped to meet evolving challenges and opportunities.
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An executive coach can ask powerful questions to support the executive in modeling lifelong learning for their team. How will they share stories of their growth journey? What vulnerable reflections demonstrate their challenges and progress? How can they make their learning visible? How will they create space for growth and seek feedback? How might they participate in training alongside your team? The coach's role is not to direct or suggest but to listen deeply and ask questions that encourage you to gain the executive to gain insights. By reflecting on how they can authentically role model continuous learning, they will inspire their team to develop themselves.
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Try Sports Coaching Methodology to have high impact, low timeframe skills interventions regularly: Coach Demonstrates, Deconstructs and Articulates - YOU show the 'Player' what you want to see by either demonstrating the skill yourself or using an Expert Role Model. Once you've done that, break down the demonstration into steps and explain the 'why' of what you did. Player Imitates - You're not looking for perfection. Ask: "show me YOUR version of what you just saw" Player and Coach Feed Back - Player goes first: What were the positives (repeat these next time) and what needs work...THEN the Coach gives their assessment. Repeat, Repeat, REPEAT! - The whole cycle is repeated until the skill is embedded.
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What is missing? Competence or commitment? I find this foundational question really important when it comes to helping our team members grow. They are different dimensions and require different skills and interventions. The more mature someone gets in your team, the less likely that performance challenges and obstacles are due to a lack of knowledge. People are resourceful. They will know where to find knowledge. What they need to overcome is often a lack of motivation or confidence. That requires coaching skills to help people develop their own resources. Not everything can be solved with training, and not everything can be solved with coaching. We have to constantly find the right mix depending on the situation right in front of us.
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Emphasizing experiential learning and learning through others, alongside formal education, has led to more impactful skill development. I've witnessed teams become more agile and adaptive by integrating this model into their development plans.
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Identifying high-performers & top-talent within your team, isn't enough. You are responsible for ensuring that their learning & development continues at the right pace and in the right manor. Managers simply don't have the time to dedicate to this, so please respect both your up and coming talent, yourself and the organisational requirements, and get some external support through coaching. Far too many companies skimp on the budget to develop their next generation, who they happily promote to fill gaps because they are good at their jobs, yet they are left with even more problems because they can't & haven't trained them to be good people managers or strategic thinkers and just 'hope' they will learn on the job. Hope is not a strategy
The sixth step to improving your team-building skills is to evaluate the results and outcomes of your team's efforts. You need to measure and monitor your team's progress, performance, and impact, and compare them with the goals and expectations. You also need to solicit and provide feedback, and celebrate and reward your team's achievements. Executive coaching can help you by using tools such as the Balanced Scorecard, the Kirkpatrick Model, or the Appreciative Inquiry to assess and improve your team's results. These tools can help you capture and communicate the value, benefits, and lessons learned from your team's work.
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Katrin Charlton, MSc, CNTC, PCC
Founder | Executive & Leadership Coach I Consultant I PCC (ICF), MSc
Through coaching (with or without tools), we help our clients improve their self-awareness, emotional intelligence and communication skills, which in turn, significantly improves their team-building capabilities. Team-building skills involve developing emotional intelligence to foster stronger team connections, developing self-awareness for personal growth, and providing the tools for clear communication- all three are essential for building trust and teamwork.
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The key to successfully evaluating team-building efforts is to balance both quantitative metrics and qualitative aspects, providing a comprehensive view of performance. This involves tracking concrete results and also assessing softer elements like team dynamics and individual development. Effective evaluation is an iterative process, using feedback for ongoing strategy refinement and fostering a culture of continuous improvement and recognition.
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1. Implement feedback mechanisms such as 360-degree feedback post-training to evaluate the impact of skill development efforts. 2. Define clear performance metrics related to team-building objectives. These could include measures of team cohesion, project completion rates, employee engagement scores, or conflict resolution effectiveness. 3. Encourage ongoing reflection and self-assessment as part of the coaching process.
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I find the STAR model very useful in helping us collect evidence objectively and without bias. When we use the STAR model, we note down what kind of SITUATION we observe, for example, a project meeting or a project milestone. We note down the TASK, which could mean that we wanted to showcase our progress succinctly and in 15 minutes to a stakeholder. We observe an ACTION, which means we delivered the presentation successfully, answered all questions competently, and closed the milestone. And we write down what we see as the RESULT/IMPACT. For example, the stakeholders saw us perform well and gave us more funding. If we track team performance this way, we capture lots of useful details to document later. It makes life so much easier.
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Using the Balanced Scorecard approach has allowed me to help teams not only measure their outcomes but also understand the broader impact of their work. It's gratifying to see a team's hard work reflected in tangible results and to celebrate those successes together.
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Beyond establishing goals and looking at relationship issues like collaboration, two other elements of effective teams not mentioned above are to clarify team roles and look at the team's processes and procedures. Role clarity is extremely important to ensure someone is accountable for all key team responsibilities. We want to ensure there are no gaps or overlaps. Conducting a role clarification session that results in a RACI chart (responsible, accountable, consulted, informed) can be helpful. A team's processes and procedures are things like problem-solving, decision-making, communication, conflict management, meeting protocols, etc. Effective teams have dialed these processes in to ensure the team meets it's goals.
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I'm sorry to say that all the models, frameworks and books in the world aren't the key to creating great teams. Great teams have each other's backs. Great teams know each other inside out. Great teams have psychological safety, which means showing vulnerability often. How do you as a leader go about this? Role model. Role model all of the above. Get your people in a room together as often as you can and create exercises where people get to do the above. Not. One. PowerPoint. Slide. Share as much of yourselves, your work and your areas of collaboration as possible. Sound scary? Good, because the best things are never easy :)
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Another thing to consider the overall goal for your team. Team-building is not the same as team coaching. You may need one of those interventions or a mix of both. Also, consider whether you might need external support. Sometimes it’s not easy (or useful) to wear both hats (that of a team leader and a coach).
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Every day, all over the world, teams work really well without any tools or models at all. Equally, lots of teams are less than ideal, but even then, don't get distracted by the tools. Just - make it normal for people to be able to talk about what's happening and how they feel about it - then ask them what needs to change for the team to work better - ask them what they aspire to, what they hope for, and what that would look and feel like - ask them what steps they could begin to take to get there If you want more check out my profile and look for posts on Resourceful Conversations
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I would start with assessing the collective mindset of the team to see whether is set for success. Many teams struggle with performance not because they are made by inexperienced or mediocre individuals. They struggle because their collective mindset prevents them from creating a strong trust and sense of ownership. This is the foundation for high performance teams.
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Sehr wichtig zur Verbesserung der Teamfähigkeit ist es, emphatisch zu sein und die Teammitglieder wirklich zu verstehen, Vertrauen aufzubauen durch Verlässlichkeit und das Vertrauen der Teammitglieder in sich und in ihre Arbeit zu stärken.
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One of the key reasons delegation doesn't happen as effectively by leaders is coz they try to wing it. I have asked 60+ leaders who have I have coached across 14 countries one question, Till date I have got a 100% No answer. The question is, Do you have a delegation checklist ? Why in business you have checklist but no checklist for delegation. Lack of checklist leads to gaps in understanding what's being delegated and what are rhe expectations?. So always give them the delegation checklist that I have created for them to use. Results are on an average improvement of 40% in delegated tasks being executed effectively and successfully by the team member and consequent higher team engagement.also reduced times on rework.
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Intuitive leadership is a powerful tool in enhancing team skills and driving organizational success. It involves a deep understanding of each team member's strengths, weaknesses, and potential. By intuitively recognizing the unique talents and needs of each employee, a leader can tailor their approach to maximize personal growth and professional development. This personalized attention not only boosts morale but also encourages team members to explore and develop their skills further. In such an environment, everyone feels valued and understood, leading to higher engagement and increased collaboration.
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A key driver of team building is psychological safety which is the shared belief that the team is safe for interpersonal risk taking. Executive coaching is a useful tool to help you deepen psychological safety on your team and enhance your team building skills. Your coach will help your team pinpoint which areas need honing and help you improve in the following: -If you make a mistake on your team, is it held against you? -Are you able to bring up problems and tough issues? -Do team members sometimes reject others for being different? -Is it safe to take a risk? -Is it difficult to ask your team members for help? -Do people on the team deliberately act to undermine your efforts? -Are your unique skills and talents valued and utilized?
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There's a danger in focusing too much on tools without fully grasping and considering the underlying principles needed to select the right tool that matches the specific context, maturity and unique dynamics of the executive's teams. I believe this is where an executive coach plays a crucial part as they have the skills and experience to properly assess and provide expert recommendations.
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Team ManagementWhat are the benefits of coaching for team cohesion and collaboration?
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Executive CoachingYou’re an executive who needs to improve team management skills. What coaching services should you consider?
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Business CoachingHow do you involve your team in goal setting and decision making?
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Executive CoachingWhat coaching tools help you build a positive team culture?