GROW: The Structure of Team Coaching

In this blog post, we discussed what Team Coaching is and what some of the benefits gained from participating in Team Coaching are.  This blog is going to focus on the structure of Team Coaching so that you know what to expect before your first session.

We have different versions for how we do Team Coaching, depending on the amount of time a team has planned and whether or not the team coaching is paired with a team training.  However, regardless of the amount of time, we use the GROW model, focusing on Goals, Reality, Options (& Obstacles), and Will. Let’s break this down further.

Goal

Before we start a team coaching engagement, the team sets a SMART goal they ultimately want to achieve as a focus-point for all future sessions. Then at the start of each team coaching session, we determines a sub-goal for that specific session.  The sub-goal will always lead to the team’s greater overall SMART goal.  

Reality

Once we know where we are headed, we first discuss where the team is now. This is their current Reality. We get clear, defining the landscape at a root level, not just a surface level, so we can address the core to achieve our goal.

Options (& Obstacles)

Now that we know where the team is at a root level and the team knows where it wants to head, we discuss alternative ways of getting to the goal.  We encourage full participation from team members so that we can have plenty of options as to how to proceed.

Next, we discuss what obstacles are in the way of our options, the pro’s and con’s of each option, what the people-impact of every option will be, and any other factors that need to be considered before deciding on a way to meet the goal.

Will

Now the team eliminates the options that are least likely to succeed. The members collectively choose the option that they will all commit to.  Each team member will set clear tangible action items to support the accomplishment of the goal, given their area of expertise.  As the team hears what each person will do, if there are any obstacles they sense will be in the way, they will briefly discuss how to overcome them.  They will also talk about how the different personality types will accomplish their sections and how progress will be reviewed.

The next session will open with how every team member did in accomplishing the previous goal, and then the process starts over again with a new sub-goal.  This cycle continues until the overall goal is accomplished.  Typically, team coaching engagements are 6-12 months in length.  

The exception to this is when we pair 1-2 coaching session(s) with our trainings to ensure the team leverages what they learned towards immediate action.  In these cases, to be more efficient with the team coaching time, the team will decide their Team Coaching topics at the end of their training.

No matter the case, we will make sure to set your team up for success and guide you every step of the way!

Chew On This:

  • What structure does your team need to accomplish its goals?

Ryan C. Bailey & Associates is an organizational effectiveness firm focused on developing high-performing teams by equipping business leaders

*This blog is an amalgamation of a few different clients.  No client is being singled out.