Coaching, Mentoring and Managing: A Coach Guidebook

verbal acuity (not to mention some tap-dancing thrown in,

perhaps). Balancing individual needs and team needs is as tough

as looking at the short-term and long-term goals you are

constantly reassessing.

A second balancing act with regard to integrating your

individual and potential stars into a strong team deals with the

approaches and the steps of the StaffCoaches™ themselves. What

you have been doing for and with the individual team members —

coaching, mentoring, counseling — also needs to be done with

them as a whole. Talking to a group of people is a challenge when

each listens differently, has different points of view and is

emotionally charged at different levels. The tips and techniques

work; the orientation and adaptation on your part cause success.

StaffCoaching™ has as its focal point staff, or your team,

coaching the team of individuals.

Group vs. Team ..................................................................................................

Groups have been around since the beginning of time; human

nature draws people to one another. Group behavior ranges from

supportive to chaotic, from disaster to success. Many managers are

fine with group performance. For the StaffCoach™, though, it is

increasingly evident that groups that experience the highest output

are those that have bonded into a team.

A main distinguisher between a group and a team is their

orientation to one another. A group is two or more people working

in proximity, each doing her own thing to accomplish a goal. A

team shares the same goal. Its work is dependent upon each team

member for the final results. An example is the curriculum team at

National Seminars. While it is a group of people with different

accountabilities — one laying out materials, one proofing, another

editing, another administering tasks — none is successful without

the other. The final product, whether book, CD or electronic

presentation, cannot be completed without the team’s integration

of talent.

The coach’s job is all about getting results. You do that by

building your team, individual talent upon individual talent. You

balance the multiple needs, recognizing one and minimizing

another to integrate them into a unit. Taking care of your

Coaching, Mentoring and Managing

6

StaffCoaching™:

The Coaching Process

Coaching Mentoring Counseling

InvolvementTeam

AssessPresent

Performance

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