How can you, as board, directors, or management members, work together more effectively despite differing personal and political interests?
Do you want to improve cooperation and team spirit in your team?
Do you want to optimise the diversity and talents of all your team members?
Are you and your team in a transition, and are you asking yourself what the next well-considered steps are?
Would you like to reinforce your personal leadership?
As an experienced team coach, I provide insights and exercises that free your team to work together more enjoyably and effectively. In my team coaching sessions, we make space for strength and vulnerability and real connection, so that inspiration, team spirit and optimum team results are truly activated.
The atmosphere in the department has improved. In my opinion, the sentiments that exist have been carefully listened to. Concrete points emerged that we can immediately apply in our projects. Colleagues talked about it.
Customized program. Sufficient depth, room for everyone's questions and respectful. Thank you very much! It was very helpful. Nice and clear guidance. The connection with my direct colleagues has been strengthened and feels good, gives energy and provides more job satisfaction!
Team coaching sessions that I organise can be for 2 to 60 participants. For departments, management teams, Board teams, project teams, or starting teams.
My vision is that team-building programs are most effective when all team members are involved and motivated to take action. A common pitfall is that team members are primarily exposed to theoretical knowledge and models without having to truly commit themselves. In my experience, team coaching works when there are multiple moments throughout the team's journey where they consciously examine their own attitudes and behavior, both externally and during their work.
The demands and complexity of a team sometimes require a different approach, such as with Supervisory Boards, Executive Boards and Management Teams. In these cases, exploratory conversations are held to map out the history, current situation, and desired situation, identify objectives, and then offer a customized program.
In regular team applications, the four-phase approach below often proves effective. After each phase, it is assessed whether it makes sense to continue the process.
Interviews are conducted with relevant managers and several team members in order to get the best possible impression of existing wishes and potential obstructions. During the interviews we list which areas need extra attention in the team coaching sessions according to the Team Empowerment model™ (Thoolen). The interviews are face-to-face and last approximately 60 minutes. The information obtained in the preparation phase is also input for the creation of a phased plan for the kick-off meeting and a programme and exercises for one or more team coaching sessions. Naturally, all interviews are confidential.
During the interviews we list which areas need extra attention in the team coaching sessions according to the Team Empowerment model™ (Thoolen). The interviews are face-to-face and last approximately 60 minutes. The information obtained in the preparation phase is also input for the creation of a phased plan for the kick-off meeting and a programme and exercises for one or more team coaching sessions. Naturally, all interviews are confidential.
To get to know more about the context and history of the team we would like, if possible, to receive written material If available, such as the year plan with a detailed vision and strategy, the previously formulated rules of behaviour, the current/desired job profiles, information on consultation structures, possibly an organisation chart and other useful documents.
A kick-off meeting is then held that is attended by all team members. The findings of the inventory phase are shared anonymously, and all team members are actively involved in the discussion on what is desirable in order to achieve the goals of this process. This means that beside a short presentation, team members are (inter)actively put to work to see what they think is necessary for this, which activates personal responsibility and creates a base of support for the rest of the process.
The results of the kick-off meeting are used to first examine whether it is really useful to continue this process. If not, a recommendation is made on what is needed to achieve the goals. If the answer is positive, the results provide (on the basis of the Team Empowerment Model) input for a programme to be decided later that is sent prior to the team coaching sessions.
Team sessions are often one or half a day, increasing the likelihood that all team members will actually be present and allowing regular work to proceed smoothly. Moreover, you can better monitor actual team development with multiple team coaching days over time.
During on-the-job team coaching sessions one or more coaches are present during normal meetings, in which time-outs are used to feed observations and suggestions back to the participants. The progress of the collective and individual agreements that were made earlier during the external team coaching sessions is also examined in the interim.
To increase the chance of a successful process we ask the manager (and several team members if desired) to provide interim input on actual developments in the workplace. The content of the external team coaching sessions is determined on the basis of the inventory phase, the kick-off meeting and the interim evaluation in on-the-job team coaching sessions. Where extra attention will be devoted in the programming and exercises is partly determined on the basis of the Team Empowerment Model created by Thoolen.
It is very possible that some team members, including the manager, may have some individual coaching sessions if this actually increases the likelihood of achieving the goals. This will be based on the inventory phase or kick-off meeting or be prompted during the team coaching process. These individual coaching sessions will, in principle, only be provided by Martin Thoolen as senior coach, and will therefore be available during the team coaching process.
A final meeting is held in which the entire team process and the individual contributions of all team members are evaluated. At the end, a written evaluation is returned to the principal as a free-of-charge anonymous report that functions as quality assurance for the complete team process. There are also discussions on how all team members, including the manager, can best further encourage and secure the positive development, what the pitfalls are and how to handle them.
During the supervision phase the focus will be on the practical situations, coaching and team questions. We often use different perspectives and methods with which we have years of professional experience and expertise as support:
Naturally, the choice of methodology is harmonised with the issue and the wishes of the prfincipal. Between the in-companytrainins sessions we ask all participants to execute several assignments to enhance the transfer to daily practice.
Depending on the client's wishes and budget, we identify a suitable solution, which is then presented in a quote with accompanying objectives, conditions, and costs for the entire team process.
As a Team Coach, I have extensive experience As a team coach, I have extensive experience in the supervision of teams and groups. For example, I gave courses in Group Dynamics at Utrecht University for 4 years. I also organised different indoor and outdoor team building courses for various organisations for 8 years at Boertien&Partners and 20 years at Circumference. I include several client reviews below. For groups larger than 10 team members I often call in an experienced co-trainer from my network. It is also possible to cooperate with co-trainers in the organisation.
You can always call or e-mail me with questions at:
[email protected].
06-15620111
I will reply as quickly as possible.
