You probably don’t want to remember the summer of 2020 and the challenges posed by the pandemic: Schools had closed their doors, students were adapting to remote learning and international travel had come to an abrupt halt.
By mid-August, like many schools around the world, we were planning to start the next school year fully online.
Around this time, one particular team within my school found itself facing significant challenges like never before. As recently as March that year, we had been a highly functional group; now we were exhausted, frustrated and uncertain of what the next school year might hold. It was a stark contrast to the enthusiasm, synergy and sense of purpose we’d previously enjoyed.
How could I support my colleagues to become a thriving team once again? Struggling for answers, I recalled a conversation with Ave Petrie, one of our governors, back in April, one month into the pandemic.
“My team was on its knees and getting cranky.”
Ave, also an ICF Professional Certified Coach and certified Systemic Team Coach, mentioned that she had recently completed her ORSC System Coaching training.
“Would your teams benefit from such training?” she enquired. Being a coaching sceptic at the time, politely, I thanked Ave for her offer.
“I’ll think about it,” I said, while really thinking to myself, “why would we ever need such training?”
Four months later I was faced with a problem for which I had no solution: working flat out since the middle of March coping with the changes and pressures brought on our school and community by the pandemic, my team was on its knees and getting cranky. Maybe we should give Ave’s team coaching a try?
We all doubted team coaching at the outset. Some colleagues were more vociferous than others in expressing their concerns. I pleaded with them to give it a go. What other options did we have?
“We overcame our exhaustion and rediscovered our shared purpose and sense of direction.”
Six weeks and three team coaching sessions later our team emerged transformed. Not only had we overcome the exhaustion within our team, we had also rediscovered our shared purpose and sense of direction. We were once again a highly effective unit. How had Ave helped us to turn our ship around?
In our first team coaching session we discussed how we wanted to work together and the outcomes we were looking for. As the session progressed, the real causes of the tensions in the team emerged; one by one we were encouraged to express how we were feeling; a process known as “venting”.
We acknowledged, often with a high degree of emotion, the stressors caused by the pandemic; increased workloads, isolation and uncertainty regarding the future. Through this open, honest and visceral dialogue, we identified specific instances where negative behaviours were manifesting themselves. The lid had been taken off the pressure cooker.
Two weeks later, we all came to the second session more willing to work on the goals we had set ourselves. In an active, engaging and dialogical exercise, Ave introduced us to the concept of team communication toxins and negative behaviours, that exist in any personal or professional relationship or team identified by Professor John Gottam, PhD.
“The lid had been taken off the pressure cooker.”
We also learned about the “antidotes” to team communication toxins: behaviours which characterise highly functioning relationships and teams. We considered how we could work together in such a way that the antidotes diminished the toxic behaviours in our team.
In the third and final session we created a communication and conflict protocol. This is a co-constructed commitment to creating and maintaining a positive team dynamic. We agreed how we would navigate disagreements constructively through, for example, listening with more curiosity, respect and empathy.
“We were more mindful of how we communicated with each other.”
Our coaching journey helped us to re-energise, restore team harmony and gave us the skills to resolve conflict effectively. We were more mindful of how we communicated with each other. And, once again, we were unified around a common purpose; getting our school through this challenging pandemic and out the other side, stronger, wiser and more resilient than ever.
This was a powerful and magical experience for me. I had witnessed first-hand the power of team coaching to empower people. I could now see the value of creating a coaching culture across our school community.
“This was a powerful and magical experience for me.”
Four years later we are well on our way to creating a culture where trust and dialogue inspire growth. Over 100 staff and students have been trained with coaching skills; nurturing the coaching capabilities of our students and colleagues is helping strengthen relationships across our school community; and according to one of the longest studies into the human condition; successful relationships are the key to a happy life.
Isn’t that something worth investing in?
To find more about CRRGlobal’s ORSC coach training program, contact info@berlotgroup.com