High-performing teams don’t happen by accident

By Dave Veale

Watching the Stanley Cup Final a few months back, I couldn't help noticing that the commentary kept circling back not to raw talent, but to how players supported each other, on the ice and off it.That kind of support isn't an accident of chemistry. It's built – usually by someone who isn't on the ice at all.

For the last 15 years, Vision Coaching has been coaching teams within organizations – helping them reach new heights of performance. 

Interestingly, the biggest shift I've seen isn't in the teams. It's in the leaders at the head of them.

The old model was the leader as the one with the answers: in control, directing, holding the line. And that the secret to strong teams were thought to be the CVs of the people in them.

What we’re seeing now is that talent isn’t the top predictor of high-performing teams. It’s how the leaders lead, and the space and the conditions they create for success.

It means leaders moving out of command-and-control and into someone that removes barriers and obstacles. Someone focused on team health and making sure the right conversations happen.

I see it in how meetings run, in who gets asked for input, and in whether the tough conversations actually happen.

That takes real trust in the team. On one executive team I coach, the CEO's executive assistant now has a seat at the leadership table – an important voice with a perspective the rest of the group doesn't have. A few years ago, I don't know that I'd have seen that. It tells me something about that team.

It’s important to be clear about what team coaching is – and isn’t. It isn’t “team building,” which is an event. Team coaching, on the other hand, is a journey. And it only really works if the leader goes first – asking for feedback, acknowledging they don't have every answer, listening as much as directing.Underneath it all is something simple: people need to feel safe enough to speak up, disagree and engage in healthy, productive conversations.. Without that, a team protects itself instead of solving problems.

When we sit down with teams, we usually find they already know what's getting in their way. What is often missing is a leader willing to create the space – and the psychological safety – for them to say so.

If your team is performing well but you suspect it has greater potential, that's where we start: individually surveying every member, then bringing the team together to build an honest plan forward. 

Find out more about Vision Coaching's High-Performance Team Coaching online or just reach out directly. 

Happy to explore the potential with you.

Sincerely,

Dave Veale

Founder & CEOVision Coaching Inc.