Coaching Your Team

This is part 3 of a 3-part series on the topic “Coaching in the Workplace”.

Coaching doesn’t always happen one to one. As a team leader, you can deploy group coaching to enhance and improve team outcomes. When you use coaching questions with a group, you are modeling the behavior you desire in others. You are also helping your team:

  • think more expansively 

  • proactively problem-solve

  • uncover thinking errors

  • get more comfortable being vulnerable

  • Understand the skills and strengths of others and the team as a whole

Here are some sample questions that you can use depending on your goals:

If you are asking for ideas but the group is quiet, get them talking by asking:

  • What have we tried in the past that didn’t work?

  • It appears we are stuck here. What would you rather focus on?

  • What influence do you have that can help in this situation?, 

If a project stalls because someone is overwhelmed or missing deadlines, ask: 

  • What do you notice that could be helpful to Sarah?

  • What strengths do we possess as a team that could help Sarah move this forward?

  • What tools do you know of that Sarah may not have tried?

When starting a new initiative, ask:

  • What strengths are present on this team that will help us move this forward?

  • What individual strengths are present? 

  • Where do our strengths overlap?

For goal setting, ask:

  • Why is this goal important to us collectively?

  • What will be different if we achieve this goal?

  • What negative consequences do you see if we don’t achieve this goal?

When establishing priorities, ask:

  • What is really important for this team right now?

  • If we move this priority forward, what else becomes possible?

  • What research do we need to do?

  • What assumptions are we making that may be blocking us?

  • What might we stop doing?

  • Aside from money and time, what else do we need to be successful?

For discussions on focusing priorities, ask: 

  • If we were to focus on one thing right now, what would it be?

  • If we could say no to anything right now, what would it be and why?

When wrapping up a project or initiative ask: 

  • What went well?

  • What was challenging?

  • What could we do differently next time?

To increase connection within the team, ask:

  • Why are you here? 

  • What do we all have in common?

  • How do we demonstrate our shared values?

  • How do we demonstrate having each other's backs?

  • What do you most expect from this team?

When dealing with mistakes or missed deadlines, ask:

  • What went well?

  • What was challenging?

  • What would we do differently next time?

  • Who did we not engage that would have been helpful?

  • What new skills or strategies have been learned through this process?

Be Deliberate in Getting Everyone Involved 

Each person has different processing times. Some people may easily participate more than others. When coaching in a group, it is important to pause and allow time for everyone to contribute. Don’t let one or two people dominate or answer all the questions. 

You may need to prompt some people with direct, simple cues like: 

  • Carla, what are your thoughts on this topic? 

  • Robert, what are you thinking about right now?

  • Lousia, how would you build off of what has been said?

  • Cindy, do you see something that others might be missing or hasn’t been said?

As much as you’d like participation to be organic, it can’t always be that way. Sometimes you have to call on someone or use direct questions: 

  • Let’s hear from someone new on this. Carla, what about you?

Set The Team Up for Success

If you know what the topic will be, provide some insight prior to the meeting. Send something for people to read in advance related to the topic. Include some reflection questions. You could pick a few from the lists above. These should be open-ended questions that inspire thinking about the topic.

In All Cases, Be Curious

Coaching questions, regardless of the setting, are simple, open-ended, and probing questions that invite the coachee(s) to think deeper, consider new options, and empower them to take positive risks. 

Getting comfortable with using coaching takes nothing more than learning authentic coaching skills, self-awareness, practice, and self-reflection on which questions were generative and inspiring.

If you’d like to improve your leadership skills and ability to inspire, motivate, and hold your team (and self) accountable, you can work directly with Beth on a one-to-one basis. 

To learn more, go here https://ncdsolution.com/mentorship

Beth Wonson