Becoming a Team Coach with Chris Sheepshanks
Team Coaching is gaining increasing popularity. In the coaching community, it is also gaining more formal recognition, with the EMCC (after much lobbying), recently agreeing on a competency framework and an accreditation mechanism. Such popularity is ultimately driven by demand, with the recognition that while individual coaching can be immensely powerful in its impact, it is also expensive. Organisations are also recognising the salient fact that most people do not work alone, they work within a team, or more often, in many teams — and it is from this team that work is delivered and results are ultimately achieved.
Coaching a team is in some respects no different from coaching an individual. Many of the core principles still apply. However, it also has some fundamental differences. There are a high number of variables, contracting and confidentiality is more complex, clarifying objectives can be more challenging, and stakeholder needs are more prevalent.It also has some specific characteristics and competencies that need to be acknowledged. Understanding the core elements that need to be in place for teams to work effectively, knowing when and how to educate, facilitate and coach a team, and working with team dynamics, which include not only relational issues around how team members work with and trust one another, but also how they make decisions, hold accountability and work effectively as a team rather than a group of talented individuals.
In this session, we will explore many of these areas, with a focus on the mindset, skills and competencies required in becoming a good team coach, who can bring tangible value to their clients — and still enjoy the process and the endless learning it generates.
Chris has worked as an executive coach for over 20 years. He was operations director at Myles Downey’s School of Coaching between 2005 and 2008, at the time the leading coach-training organisation in Europe, before becoming one of the founding partners at a successful leadership development and coaching consultancy where he supported the growth of the company internationally over 10 years, and led the company’s practice area on executive team development.
About Chris Sheepshanks
He provides individual and team coaching for organisations as well as designing and leading a wide range of leadership development and accredited coaching skills programmes for boards, senior leaders, and CEOs within the UK and internationally across a wide variety of sectors.