Team building and coaching as tools for creating a dream team
80% of the success of any business depends on the team that works on it. In the current situation on the labor market, the employer is increasingly faced with such problems as high staff rotation, expensive training (skill enhancement) and the limit of their own time.
Having come to a new place of work, it is a little easier for employees who some experience behind their backs to adapt and adjust to the rhythm of the employer, which cannot be said about young specialists and students who are just starting their careers. In order to maximize the potential of experienced and novice specialists and establish effective contact between them, employers are increasingly resorting to such tools as coaching and team building. All this is also relevant for domestic universities that want to become more open and friendly to both students and employees.
Having come to a new place of work, it is a little easier for employees who some experience behind their backs to adapt and adjust to the rhythm of the employer, which cannot be said about young specialists and students who are just starting their careers. In order to maximize the potential of experienced and novice specialists and establish effective contact between them, employers are increasingly resorting to such tools as coaching and team building. All this is also relevant for domestic universities that want to become more open and friendly to both students and employees.
Coaching as a leadership style
Anna: I did everything as you told me, but I'm not getting anywhere.
Manager: So you did something wrong. Do it right…
In this process of interaction between the manager and the employee, we see the most popular style of personnel management. Most likely, Anna will believe that she was left with no choice, her pride was hurt, she should not be responsible for decisions that she did not make on her own. For a manager, if workers think so, it will mean that there will be no initiative, no sense of responsibility and no involvement in their team.
Anna: I did everything as you told me, but I'm not getting anywhere.
Manager: So you did something wrong. Do it right…
In this process of interaction between the manager and the employee, we see the most popular style of personnel management. Most likely, Anna will believe that she was left with no choice, her pride was hurt, she should not be responsible for decisions that she did not make on her own. For a manager, if workers think so, it will mean that there will be no initiative, no sense of responsibility and no involvement in their team.
But there is another way that is based on the principles of coaching:
Anna: I did everything as we agreed, but I'm not getting anywhere.
Manager: I have an urgent appointment. Try to find out what the problem was and when it occured, I'll be back soon and we'll look for a solution together.
Half an hour later.
Anna: I found a way out, everything has worked out.
Manager: Excellent. How did you achieve this? Did your decision affect anything?
Anna: That was the problem: (…), and I found the way out like this: (…). No side effects, I've checked everything.
Manager: A great solution. You see what you can achieve if you just want to!
Anna: I did everything as we agreed, but I'm not getting anywhere.
Manager: I have an urgent appointment. Try to find out what the problem was and when it occured, I'll be back soon and we'll look for a solution together.
Half an hour later.
Anna: I found a way out, everything has worked out.
Manager: Excellent. How did you achieve this? Did your decision affect anything?
Anna: That was the problem: (…), and I found the way out like this: (…). No side effects, I've checked everything.
Manager: A great solution. You see what you can achieve if you just want to!
This management principle is based on coaching. Anna feels responsible, as she makes decisions on her own, she has the initiative and she develops her skills. In companies where there is such a management style as coaching, as a rule, employees become more independent, proactive and exceed their own results.
Examples of the most successful companies in which managers are coaches:
- Brian Tracy International. More than 31 branches of the consulting company. The founder and CEO of the company, Brian Tracy, is not only a successful executive, but also the author of bestsellers in the genre of business literature.
- Huthwaite Inc. A consulting company whose founder Neil Rackham is one of the most famous sales consultants. His clients were such corporations as: Google, Bank of Amerika, MasterCard, IBM, UPS, Johnson&Johnson.
- Warren Buffett and his Berkshire Hathaway. Warren managed to build a job in a company that had been operating at a loss for more than 7 years and raise the stock price from $8 to $250,000 apiece.
If we talk about Russian companies and corporations, coaching is much less common here. Most often, Russian entrepreneurs choose a style of persuasion, discussion or dictatorship. It is sometimes more difficult for managers and owners to refuse instructions and total control than to learn coaching.
What coaching gives to business:
What coaching gives to business:
- Reveals the potential of employees and thus helps to achieve maximum efficiency and productivity
- Coaching highlights the best qualities in individuals and teams, gives them responsibility and the right to make decisions.
- Improving interaction within teams and the company as a whole The very fact that employees regularly ask each other questions, act as mentors, shows how much you value a person and their answer/opinion.
Improving the quality of life
As people feel the involvement of management and the company as a whole, the relationship between the employee and the employer improves.
As people feel the involvement of management and the company as a whole, the relationship between the employee and the employer improves.
Enhanced staff motivation
Coaching helps everyone to find motivation in themselves. Faster and more effective actions in a crisis
When a company treats its employees with respect, they rush to save the business they are involved in. Employees treat the employer's business as their own.
Coaching helps everyone to find motivation in themselves. Faster and more effective actions in a crisis
When a company treats its employees with respect, they rush to save the business they are involved in. Employees treat the employer's business as their own.
Saving the manager's time
Coaching encourages initiative and responsibility. The Manager frees up the time that they previously spent on excessive control and can now spend a resource on performing common tasks.
Coaching encourages initiative and responsibility. The Manager frees up the time that they previously spent on excessive control and can now spend a resource on performing common tasks.
Uninterrupted staff development without large material costs
Acting as a mentor for several of your employees, you instill this skill in them. Then they become mentors for their colleagues and new employees, forming a pyramid.
Acting as a mentor for several of your employees, you instill this skill in them. Then they become mentors for their colleagues and new employees, forming a pyramid.
From "employees" to "team".
Team building is another tool for improving the efficiency of a team.
As a rule, with the help of team building, you can solve a number of problems that occur in a new or existing team:
The presence of personal conflicts among employees.
Departments interact, but they do not communicate with each other.
The structure of a company changes a lot from time to time.
There is a need to evaluate employees and highlight their strengths and fields for development.
It is necessary to increase the loyalty of employees to the company and involve them in the corporate culture.
We need to adapt new employees.
The methods of conducting depend on the number of employees, on the budget and the problem that needs to be worked out. Most often, companies use offsite team building to change the working atmosphere and help employees open up. Nowadays, intellectual and creative team building with the use of quizzes, business games and case solving are gaining popularity. Non-standard team building is also quite popular, but less effective: completing quests, family days, social projects. The recommended frequency of team building is 1–2 times a year.
Team building is another tool for improving the efficiency of a team.
As a rule, with the help of team building, you can solve a number of problems that occur in a new or existing team:
The presence of personal conflicts among employees.
Departments interact, but they do not communicate with each other.
The structure of a company changes a lot from time to time.
There is a need to evaluate employees and highlight their strengths and fields for development.
It is necessary to increase the loyalty of employees to the company and involve them in the corporate culture.
We need to adapt new employees.
The methods of conducting depend on the number of employees, on the budget and the problem that needs to be worked out. Most often, companies use offsite team building to change the working atmosphere and help employees open up. Nowadays, intellectual and creative team building with the use of quizzes, business games and case solving are gaining popularity. Non-standard team building is also quite popular, but less effective: completing quests, family days, social projects. The recommended frequency of team building is 1–2 times a year.
In European countries, team building is a regular and carefully thought-out event. Many companies order research on evaluating employees: their common interests, intellectual skills, motivation in work and emotional component. Based on t he r esults o f t he s tudy, t hey d ecide t o u nite e mployees into certain groups.
The practice of team building is clearly expressed in Google Corporation: from table tennis Olympiads and mass birthday greetings to role-playing games in the style of the popular Counter Strike game. One of the problems faced by the creators of team building at Google was the question of how to actively involve the IT department consisting of young IT specialists who communicate through the Internet and social networks 90% of their time. It was decided to adapt the team building theme to the popular online game Counter Strike. A heated debate after such a counterplay is provided.
At Yandex, o ne o f t he e xamples o f c reative team b uilding can serve as an example of the game «School of Masters — House». For four hours, groups of participants build their houses in an open area, actively discussing the designs and architecture of future buildings.
As a result of the team building, the company receives significant results for itself in the form of an exchange of experience, a cohesive team, increased psychological stability and the creation of emotional intimacy. It can also be noted that team building is a universal tool that will help prevent high turnover of personnel. These factors directly affect the efficiency, proactivity of employees and their involvement in the corporate culture of the business.
Coaching, as well as team building, is not a panacea, but they can become excellent tools for supporting a business and a manager. Novice specialists, students and experienced employees will be able to realize their skills and open up to you from new sides. It is extremely important to see first of all potential and future opportunities in employees, not past failures.
As a result of the team building, the company receives significant results for itself in the form of an exchange of experience, a cohesive team, increased psychological stability and the creation of emotional intimacy. It can also be noted that team building is a universal tool that will help prevent high turnover of personnel. These factors directly affect the efficiency, proactivity of employees and their involvement in the corporate culture of the business.
Coaching, as well as team building, is not a panacea, but they can become excellent tools for supporting a business and a manager. Novice specialists, students and experienced employees will be able to realize their skills and open up to you from new sides. It is extremely important to see first of all potential and future opportunities in employees, not past failures.
Irina Maksimova,
HR Business Partner
HR Business Partner