Stepping Out of the Boat: Incorporating Coaching Among Teams
And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.(Matthew 14: 23-27)
Teams and leadership can feel like this at times: many people to work with, difficult decisions to make… Leaders do not need to be alone in spaces of difficult decisions and challenges; coaching skills can help invite teams to be involved and participate with clarity and movement forward! Work and communication environments that incorporate coaching principles can shift the atmosphere for all involved and potentially pivot a leader's approach. How so?
As Wolfgang Jani shared, this might be where you are coming from: "You've done the training, you know the tools, and you genuinely believe in the coaching approach — and yet something still gets complicated when you're also the one responsible for leading a team, performance, decisions, and the difficult conversations that coaching can't always carry." We all make decisions and communicate! Imagine being able to take a step back from the storm, gain perspective, and realize you’re not alone or the only one responsible. When coaching skills enter the workplace or teams, we begin to realize that it is not all our responsibility.
Listening in the workplace/in teams is a significant area for impact with coaching principles. When a leader has a desire to move forward in an area, they may have deadlines in mind, the steps needed, and requests for team members.
However, imagine a shift in one of these areas alone:
The team member who is leading seeks to gather the ideas of the team.
The team members are aware of one another. One team member needs to be gone on Friday afternoons to take care of their family member.
Another team member has come from diverse experiences, which would strengthen the process of the team and where things are headed.
Team members are welcome to share ideas, which impact the projection of work and the team.
How might one of these shifts change the environment of the team and work for the leader? How do these touch on coaching skills when team members or team leaders need to make difficult decisions?
This simple example highlights surface-level shift possibilities. However, when difficult decisions are at hand, coaching skills allow all involved to understand clearly what is happening (clear contracting), to acknowledge and appreciate partnership (listening actively), to build and grow together (evoking awareness). There are additional areas of impact; yet, how pivots are made when a leader is willing to embrace elements of contracting, active listening, and developing with gained awareness of how the team works together and functions can change the atmosphere. Being an effective leader is not attained in how much one person can carry. Success as a team builds with one another and brings clarity with dignity and value of others involved.
Knowing coaching skills and finding how to practice them in your context and community can change relationships and teamwork in significant ways.
Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid. (Matthew 14:27)
You are not in this alone; let’s take courage to step out of the boat of the expected or comfortable and find a calm and peace in building teams with Christ, the one who walks on the water and can calm the storms.
If this gets you thinking or seems relatable, you won’t want to miss joining a free FOCOS Platform workshop with Wolfgang Jani on June 16, CET 16:30-18:00. Imagine not only the ability to transform the team environment and leadership approach, but also to grow in healthier communication and understanding!
For more details or to register, click here
