Cathy Liska Whether a work team functions effectively or is problematic has an impact on individual and organizational success. The challenges are many and the good news is that the answer is simple: team coaching. 
What gets in the way of a team working together effectively? Here are a few things:
- Miscommunication – unclear objectives
- Missed communication – lack of access or simply not reading the information
- Misunderstanding – different interpretations
- Conflict – wanting different processes, roles, or outcomes
- Competing priorities – placing different levels of importance on tasks or outcomes
- Personality differences – introverts versus extroverts, doers versus thinkers versus feelers
- Ineffective leadership – lack of direction
- Poor management – ineffective planning or oversight
- Inequities – biases or unfair treatment that devalue and disengage
- Lack of accountability – whether something is completed doesn’t seem to matter
- Lack of incentives – no motivation to collaborate
What does coaching offer to help in the workplace with team building? A coach will work with a team to:
- Create the space to clarify objectives
- Hold the space for clear communication
- Ensure common understanding
- Work through conflicts with a proven process
- Develop shared priorities, define tasks, and clarify desired outcomes
- Recognize different personalities, adjust to them, and draw on each person’s strengths
- Ensure a common understanding of direction
- Design their plan and oversight
- Create awareness of biases and inequities plus plan for how to create change for diversity and inclusion
- Plan their accountability
- Explore and develop motivation for working together effectively
A team coach is a powerful ally for each person on the team and supports team efficacy and organizational success.
For easy access to a team coach, the Center for Coaching Certification partners with Coach 123.
