Systemic team coaching, why now?
This article was originally published in Portuguese in Líder Magazine, in the October 2022 issue.
The online version was later published on the magazine’s website. The original article can be consulted here link.
Systemic team coaching, why now?
In today’s world we are increasingly aware that change and uncertainty are constant, and that the context can change rapidly, with uncertain consequences and complex challenges.
We know that the leadership of the past will not be the best fit for the solutions we will need in the future. In organisations there is a perception that it is essential to develop shared leadership, reinforce trust, collaborative work and mutual responsibility for performance, well-being and learning in teams and companies, transforming processes and creating connections with a systemic and interdependent vision.
In most organisations, development plans essentially focus on individual competencies, through training, mentoring or executive coaching processes. We observe that development plans for teams, the driving forces of organisations, are mostly non-existent or scarce. They concentrate on training or team building, more oriented towards the development of individual skills or the relationships between team members, but with results that, in general, do not directly influence the performance, well-being and learning of the team as a whole. There is still no perceived sustainable impact on the team’s daily work dynamics nor a significant influence on its interactions with other areas of the organisation.
Systemic team coaching emerges as a response to transform leadership and organisations. Its simultaneous focus on purpose, processes, people, aligning expectations, creating value with and for its stakeholders and collective development promotes a culture of learning and the sustainability of results. It allows the team, as a whole, to respond more effectively and creatively to the main current and future challenges.
The support of the organisation’s leaders is essential to obtain the desired results. It is essential that the team has between 4 and 10 participants, autonomy to implement changes in its scope of action and commitment to the process.
Team coaching is a process that evolves over time, not always linearly. Establishing agreements and continuing alignment of expectations between the sponsor, the team, and the coaching team are important aspects to consider.
The transfer of the coaching process to the team begins from the first meeting, since the objective is for the team and its members to be co-responsible for their future development.
Most organisations work primarily with teams. Therefore, not investing in its development is contradictory, considering current and future trends and challenges. Systemic team coaching is a response to this need. We invite you to explore and integrate this process into your organisations.
Authors: Fátima Ribeiro and Susana Azevedo
