Expansion: Scaling the Benefit of
Coaching for Teams
Presented by DJ Mitsch, MCC
2001 Past President ICF
About Darelyn “DJ” Mitsch, MCC
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Former ICF President (2001), among the first 25 coaches in the
world to receive MCC designation
Former Broadcast Executive – VP/General Manager – pioneer
female in that industry
President of the First US “Corporate Coaching
Company” 1994 - The Pyramid Resource Group
◦ Attracted a team of masterful coaches to work in collaboration with HRD teams and
large company initiatives to drive a culture of coaching in organizations
◦ Designed process called The Extraordinary Game – a Team Coaching program
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Publications
◦ Co-authored Choice Magazine article entitled Expansion: Scaling the Benefits of
Coaching to Groups and Teams, December 2008 Issue
◦ Author and Editor – Coaching for Extraordinary Results – ASTD In Action
Learning Series, Case Book
◦ Forthcoming, The Team Advantage, Coaching Teams to Play an Extraordinary Game
in 16 weeks!
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Contact Information: The Pyramid Resource Group NC, USA
◦ www.pyramidresource.com
◦ dj@pyramidresource.com or via phone –US 919-677-9300 ext 101
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Objectives for this Team Coaching Session
1. Review current trends and business imperatives driving
need for team coaching
2. Briefly distinguish Team Coaching versus Group Coaching
3. Discuss “impact” for team coaching
4. Describe the Team Charter process that sets stage for
Team Coaching
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Groups
Intact Team
Team Mandates
Building
Develop Leaders
Stay Relevant
Innovate
Key Talent
New Manager / New Team
Leadership Stretch
Keyword: “PARTNER”
Individual Leader
KEY ENTRY
Team
Keyword: “GROWTH”
Organization
Affinity Groups
Educational Forums
Mentoring
Keyword: “ENGAGEMENT”
Keyword: “CHOICE”
Comparison—Team & Group Coaching
Distinctions: Group Coaching
Focus on…
• Choice
• Individual results
• Peer relationships
• Coach holding agenda
• Participants shaping agenda
Distinctions:Team Coaching
Similarities
Requires…
• Masterful coaching
• Model: advanced skills
• Presence
• Member collaboration
• Results/Common Focus
• Dynamic Communication
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Focus on…
• Engagement
• Team results/individual
contribution
• Role/leader relationship
• Coach holds agreement
process
• Team innovations include
flexibility w/ agendas, but
rely on process
Business Imperatives
Driving Need for Expansion to Team Coaching
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Communication, Communication, Communication
Organizations need a “boost” in team effectiveness
Virtual teams need to have a framework for building
business
Project Teams - need to focus on accelerating the
intended result
Sales Teams - particularly seasoned, have seen most every
other type of training
Collaboration – people talk about it, but are often
“clueless” about how to execute it
Accelerated Movement – Key talent and leadership move
in and out of position, so there are few stability factors.
Definition—Team Coaching
…is a transformational process where a highly skilled
coach partners with a team leader (the
manager/executive) to engage the members in an
action learning environment, and coach the team as
they work together to achieve a specific business
outcome.
Key Word “Engagement”
(which is distinct from Coaching Groups
with key word being “choice.”)
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Applications for Team Coaching
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Sales Teams
High performing – need to stretch
Low performing – need to boost
New Manager needs to flatten learning curves –
produce immediate impact
Project Teams
Innovation Teams
Leadership Teams (CEO’s, Division Heads etc.) setting
strategies
Global Work Teams (often virtual)
New Leader Assimilation 0 Jump Startling the Team
under new leadership\
Cultural Initiatives driving organizational changes
Impact of Team Coaching
Two Cases:
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New Sales VP inherits team of 14 District Managers (2 district
groups, physical division in geography and emotional division after
former leaders ousted).
Goal – move up in revenue share from 5th – 4th rank out of 21
regions within a year.
Outcome – from 5th to 1st rank in one reporting term – trimester –
team began to “love” each other.
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Regional Marketing & Sales Team work to launch a new product –
cross-functional team from marketing and sales – tension around
expectations and dynamics.
Goal – Region to Have #1 launch in the country
Outcome – After FDA delayed approval by 3 months, team launched
product and was ranked #1 in the country in 1st reporting period.
So Where to Begin?
Have the team create a foundation – a code
of conduct for what they want to address
– this becomes the touchstone for your
coaching conversations.
Step One – Team Charter
Step Two – Identifying the gaps
A Team Charter
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Have team list everything that is important to them including
challenges and what they wish to change.
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In small groups of 3-5 people have them discuss what they want to
include in this new operating code of conduct, or Team Charter.
◦ Sample items
 Respect and listen fully to others without speaking over each other
 Listen for intensions underlying the stories our teammates tell us
 Embrace the rapidly occurring changes, and find ways to leverage those to address
the needs of our customers
Sample Team Charter on our website www.pyramidresource.com
Questions
and
Discussion
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