The Team Coach
I feel they would have to be different when working with one person, verses an entire team of people.
One person may have a great skill set, one that enhances a key element of your teams goals. For instance.. let's say Jim is a great grant writer, and we need that skill to help us accomplish our teams need for government funds for the project.
Someone else on the team may have some ability to certain aspects, but they may not meet the criteria needed to comply with the governments requirements.
It may be in our best interest to have Jim take the point in this area, while finding another area of business writing our other member may be able to cover.
I've learned to review each team members skill set, along with all of our milestones within the team charter, to ensure success for our ultimate goal.
Hi James,
I agree with you. In most cases, a leader must approach a conversation with his or her team in a very different manner than a direct discussion with one individual team member. As you point out, skill set and skill level are important factors to consider, as well.
I have used tough love, when appropriate, in one on one situations; however, I find more general, execution and objective driven discussions work better when meeting with a team.
Pep talks and pats on the back work well in both situations.
The strategies may be the same, but carried out in a different way. The basic strategies of coaching are transferable across individual work to team work. Your variable would be whether you are coaching the team in a group environment or one on one. Just as individuals respond differently to various coaching strategies, so would the group. As the team leader you are charged with knowing what type of coaching will inspire the team and to layer that with individual coaching as necessary.
Hi Wendi,
You are correct. I believe informational updates, discussions about modifications to your plan of execution and positive reinforcement are better topics for team meetings.
Coaching through individual development opportunities in a one on one setting provides a leader with a little more room for error.
A leader must be highly skilled to work through an individual development opportunity within a group setting.
James, I also agree with you. Management style and/or coaching method requires a different approach or interaction when working with an individual or a group.
I would like to take the discussion one step further and add different types of teams and include conflicts as the focus. The purpose of the team will dictate the type of individuals selected for the team and the commonality between the individuals across types of teams can differ greatly. The steps in addressing conflects utilizing a Human Resource facilitor who is familiar with the objective or goal of the team is an excellent way to personalize these differences, work toward a solution, and keep the team on track.
Coaching is, in my mind, a process whereby one increases the capabilities of the person or group being coached. The coaching strategies for a group would be different than for the individual with some overlap: For example in the following circumstances I've identified some goals and to whom they would apply.
Better communication - both
Less conflict - group
Greater cooperation - both
Increased self awareness - individual
Overall better performance - both
Shared vision and commitment - both
Individuals have different strengths and weaknesses coupled with varying degrees of motivation. The key in coaching the individual is to get to know what these are and focus the coaching on how best to create a change and an improvement.
With a group the dynamics are different in that there are multiple personalities. If the coach tries to effectuate a change within the group the overall goal and mission needs to come first. Coaching a group would dictate more of a collective effort to attain a common goal without trying to individualize the process.
The coaching strategies would be different in most cases for a team vs. an individual. A single person would tend to be specialized in one area more than another vs. a team would need to coached on a broader basis surrounding a common goal or task.
Hi Richard,
You are correct, although most of the basic, high level principles are the same.
The greatest difference is probably the time and effort associated with coordinating communication and potential personality conflicts that tend to be more prevalent within a larger team.
Best,
Greg
The approach to coaching a team vs. an individual can be similar in some aspects and vastly different in others. It is important to be able to coach to the personality type of individuals and know what motivates each team member. For example, someone may be motivated with a tangible incentive while another may only require positive feedback to motivate them.
the strategy would be different with individuals because i can be more specific on what i desire from an individual. i believe that a team strategy should be initially broader and allow them to implement or devise some of the framework that the team will use to accomplish the task dependent on the teams skills.
In my recent experiences, I have found that I use basic coaching strategies with my entire team; however, it is necessary to use different coaching strategies with others. This is due to differences in experience, and level of performance. Some people who need to strengthen their job performance might need more hands-on coaching.
An example I can share is an employee that needs to improve his presentation skills. One of the coaching strategies I used what to develop a work plan together with specific activities for improvement: For example, Sitting in on other presentations given by keypresenters to learn presentation skills, reading information on presentation skills, etc.
Hi Yvonne,
Great comments. It is critical for a leader to understand her audience. Ken Blanchard suggests different leadership styles for different team members.
"Direct" when working with a new team member or existng member taking on a new task;
"Coach" when a team member is weak in a particular area;
"Support" when an experienced team member is in a slump; and
"Delegate" when you have developed a peak performer and future leader.
Hope this helps,
Greg
Hi Nicole,
Great points. You certainly do have to be aware of the different personalities on your team.
Although, I believe that everyone requires some form of positive feedback to remain motivated on a daily basis.
Don't discount the importance of a "thank you" and a pat on the back, especially when the team member may not be expecting it.
Best,
Greg Nathanson
Hi Mark,
Good points. Strategy and review of metrics for individuals should roll into your team plan. Team discussion may be a bit more broad-based than a detailed drill-down that may be necessary for individuals but, overall, you should be tracking one strategy and set of numbers.
Development opportunities and tough love are many times discussed on an individual basis. Praise and pats on the back work well with individuals and in a group environment.
Best Regards,
Greg
I believe the type of coaching strategies used may depend on the person and or the situation you’re dealing with the since there may be many variables involved.
I think you would need to take in account several factors after reviewing the situation. The individuals personality, performance, or how well they take criticism along with coaching.
Every situation is different and team dynamics are going to be different. There may be times where a one on one approach is the best way to resolve and issues. There are other times
where two or more members of the team would benefit from a team approach to coaching. Bottom line is all variables should be reviewed before making a decision with regards to the
type of strategy you elect to choose.
Are the coaching strategies you would use for a team the same, or different, from those you would use with an individual? If different, how? Please explain your choice.
Using the cookie-cutter approach in coaching and management is not the most ideal methodology to support and propel a team-member, because people are different, and their strengths and opportunities are dissimilar. Know the team dynamics. Many teams comprise of members with different skill level, some are new, and some are seasoned; hence, we must take the time to assess not only team performance but importantly individual performance. How can we have integrity and ensure effectiveness as a coach if we are unknowing of our members' capacities and deficiencies? I firmly believe in the saying that the most unfair treatment in the workplace is the equal treatment of the unequals.
