FREE ACCESS to Introduction to Group and Team Coaching: https://www.igcompany.co.uk/gtcnow

Why is team coaching often messier, harder and more rewarding than we expect?

In this episode, we dive into one of the most nuanced areas of our work: team coaching. If you've ever been asked to work with a team after coaching an individual, perhaps a senior leader, you may have felt that wave of uncertainty: Can I do this? What do I need to know? Am I ready?

We’ve been there too.

Team coaching is richly rewarding, but it’s also layered, unpredictable, and deeply human. Through this conversation, we unpack many of the real-world complexities you’ll encounter when stepping into this space to show you just how powerful and transformative this work can be.

We talk about:

• Team coaching starts early: success depends on pre-contracting, stakeholder conversations, and clear groundwork before any workshops begin.
• The team leader’s presence is complex: they may influence or disrupt dynamics; sometimes they lead, other times they step back too far.
• Nested systems within teams matter: old rivalries, power imbalances, and “ghosts of past managers” can quietly shape the group dynamic.
• Emotional realities are unavoidable: burnout, reluctance, and anxiety about visibility are common and need sensitive handling.
• The coach must stay present and neutral: it’s easy to be pulled into the team’s dynamics, but observation without judgement is key.
• Beware the pull of belonging: coaches can be tempted to become “one of the team,” especially if they miss team environments from past roles, but boundaries are crucial.

We wrap up by reminding ourselves (and you) that team coaching is perfectly messy. There’s no tidy formula, but with curiosity, courage, and structure, it becomes one of the most impactful forms of coaching there is.

If you’re curious about stepping into this work, we invite you to access our free introduction to group and team coaching course. Whether you’re a coach, a team leader, or someone wanting to navigate team dynamics with more skill and confidence, this is a great place to begin.

Key Lessons Learnt:

• Team coaching starts before the coaching begins. Pre-contracting and alignment conversations are critical.
• Nested systems matter. Power dynamics, past relationships, and unspoken tensions affect everything.
• Psychological safety isn’t guaranteed. It must be created, respected, and nurtured.
• You are not a team member. As a coach, your role is to observe the system without being absorbed into it.
• It’s okay to feel uncertain. Team coaching is messy by nature, embrace the ambiguity.

Timestamps:

• 00:30 – The reality of being asked to coach a team
• 01:56 – When the team leader is part of the coaching
• 03:22 – Nested relationships and power dynamics
• 05:16 – Creating psychological safety and trust
• 06:40 – Contracting with the whole team vs. individuals
• 08:09 – When team members aren’t fully invested
• 10:19 – Blurred team boundaries and who should be in the room
• 11:45 – The “ghosts” of past leaders and emotional baggage
• 13:37 – What to do when someone questions your method
• 14:35 – Anxiety, exposure, and resistance in team coaching
• 16:29 – Managing your own bias as the coach
• 17:53 – The danger of “falling in love” with the team
• 19:28 – Supervision and support in navigating complexity
• 20:54 – There’s no one way: team coaching is perfectly messy
• 21:24 – Free access to the introductory module

Keywords:

team coaching, complexities of team coaching, coaching team dynamics, psychological safety in teams, coaching resistant teams, coaching team leaders, nested systems in teams, coaching in matrix organisations, team coaching training, group coaching for leaders, how to coach a team, free team coaching course,

Links:

Free Intro Course: https://www.igcompany.co.uk/gtcnow

Main Website: https://www.igcompany.co.uk