ABSTRACT
Though coaching has been defined by some, specifically as a dyadic practice (Grant et al., 2010; Peterson & Little, 2005), team coaching is now recognised and accepted as a form of coaching in many parts of the world (Henley Business School, 2010; Sherpa Coaching, 2012, 2013). However, there exist multiple definitions of team coaching (Clutterbuck, 2013b; Peters & Carr, 2013), and there are no universally accepted boundaries between team coaching and other disciplines, such as group coaching, facilitation, process consultation or even training (e.g. Carter & Hawkins, 2013). In this chapter, we will review the outcomes of a recent research study, the primary purpose of which was to explore which models, tools and approaches are used by experienced team coaches today. The results suggest that team coaching may usefully be defined with reference to four dimensions of practice, namely, (1) the ability to facilitate alignment on key tasks; (2) the ability to work with team dynamics; (3) the adoption of a systemic perspective; and (4) a focus on long-term sustainable improvements in performance.
