Soji’s Approach to Team Coaching

Organisations rely on teams, and as a result, the team’s mandate to become a ‘high-value creating team‘ (more than the sum of its parts) is foundational for organisational success.

As a result, leaders are constantly seeking ways to boost their team’s engagement and performance. Soji Learning and Change provides customised team coaching to enhance collaboration, strengthen team skills, and build shared impact. Their approach focuses on helping teams reflect and improve themselves. Let’s explore what team coaching is, how Soji makes it work, and the benefits it can bring to teams.

What is Team Coaching?

Team coaching is a unique form of professional development focused on collective growth rather than individual or skill-based learning. At its core, team coaching is non-directive: a coach works with the team as a facilitator, guiding them through reflection, structured dialogue, and exercises encouraging self-discovery and problem-solving. While the coach provides structure and insight, the team owns the process, driving the content, decisions, and outcomes.

This shared ownership helps the team address immediate challenges, build essential collaboration skills, and develop the ability to self-coach. Over time, teams emerge more adaptable, better aligned, and equipped to sustain high performance independently.

Soji’s Approach to Team Coaching

Soji’s approach to team coaching is grounded in principles that foster team engagement and measurable results. Drawing from industry-leading frameworks, Soji supports teams in addressing current challenges and building capacity for long-term success. Soji team coaches work with teams to establish clear goals and set a compelling direction, empowering them to own their development.

Central to Soji’s team coaching is the structured approach based on Hawkins’ five disciplines for high-value team creation:

1. Commissioning a Compelling Purpose – Effective teams are propelled by a shared purpose that exists within their specific context. Soji’s coaches assist teams in uncovering their mandate, highlighting the collective purpose they need to achieve together. This commissioning process ensures that teams are clear on their mission and align with the organisation’s goals.
2. Clarifying Shared Accountability – High-value creating teams need clarity on their vision, goals, and measures. Soji’s approach helps teams develop a sense of shared accountability, ensuring each member is aligned with the vision and understands their role in achieving team goals.
3. Co-creating Value through Shared Practices – Soji coaches guide teams in establishing effective working methods, from communication methods to problem-solving frameworks. This cocreation of practices builds a culture of trust, transparency, and respect.
4. Connecting to the Broader System – Soji’s team coaching encourages teams to expand their perspective, engage with stakeholders and understand how their work impacts the broader system. Through proactive relationship-building, teams become more attuned to the needs and goals relevant to their context.
5. Continuous Learning and Improvement – Soji’s coaches incorporate feedback mechanisms, retrospectives, and reflective exercises to drive lasting success. This focus on constant improvement empowers teams to adapt and grow beyond the coaching period.

What to Expect in a Team Coaching Experience with Soji

Teams engaging with Soji Learning and Change can expect a collaborative and dynamic coaching experience. The process typically begins with an assessment to understand the team’s context, strengths, challenges, and goals. From there, the coach facilitates a series of tailored sessions, guiding the team through structured exercises, reflection, and dialogue.

Throughout the coaching journey, Soji’s team coach is a partner, guiding the team to develop capability in the five disciplines above. The emphasis on continuous improvement and regular feedback ensures that the team is positioned to grow independently and maintain progress long after the coaching engagement has ended.

Soji’s team coaching empowers teams to progress with purpose, trust, and adaptability. By enhancing collaboration, deepening accountability, and fostering a culture of continuous learning, Soji is reshaping teams into high-value creating units capable of addressing systemic challenges and fostering lasting change.

Conditions for Effective Team Coaching

Effective team coaching depends on key conditions that help create a strong and collaborative environment for teams to succeed together.

• Good rationale – There is a compelling reason for the team to exist.
• Reasonable team size – Ideally, teams have no more than eight members. Any bigger than 12 members, it becomes difficult to facilitate inclusive dialogue, and the team will start to splinter.
• Genuine desire – Team members want to get better at working together to improve collective performance.
• Informed consent – Team members understand and agree to participate in the coaching process.
• Reflection and dialogue – Team members are ready to commit to tackling issues through honest reflection and dialogue.
• No infra-team conflicts – There are no current clashes between individuals that would jeopardise the coaching process.
• No conflicts of interest – The coach is not an external stakeholder with a vested stake in the outcomes of the coaching.
• Balanced team relationships – The coach doesn’t have close relationships with some of the team members but not with others.
• Skilled coach – the coach holds key beliefs and foundational skills and has a working understanding of how to use foundation tools.

To find out more about Soji Team Coaching, reach out to us via info@soji.com.au.

Photo by Josh Calabrese on Unsplash