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Marian Bateman
The Impact of Workflow Coaching for a Team
Coaching in a team context is a very powerful tool for establishing stability and renewed energy for organizations in the process of change. Today, more than ever, change can occur in an instant and command that we find solutions to complex and challenging questions. In today’s economic climate, many businesses are reorganizing and restructuring, and there are often pressing needs for teams to “get their act together” at a higher level of operational effectiveness.
This last month I worked with an executive who, like many others, had faced the challenge of restructuring his department and reducing staff. His question was, “How do I get above this chaos and inspire my remaining staff to gain momentum and direction once again?”
I truly believe there is a very simple but critical first step in the solution: get the team’s runway clear. Our initial recommendation was that he and his executive assistant complete our two-day Workflow Coaching program. (http://www.gettingthingsdone.com/workflow_coaching.php)
They were buried under email and old reference systems they had inherited. Critical communication had fallen through the cracks, as they had not implemented systems that would enable them to work smoothly together. After the Workflow Coaching, he had his email to zero, and his digital and paper filing set up in a clean A-Z system. He and his assistant both set up pristine systems for managing agendas, developed fast and clear methods of communication and clearly defined the difference between reference and actionable tasks.
Once he had cleared his own runway, he realized he wanted to spend more time mentoring and supporting his staff. He decided to have his entire team experience Workflow Coaching.
Now if you want to experience an energy shift, notice what happens when an entire team clears their runway. Each staff goes through the coaching process and learns how to apply the Getting-Things-Done thought process with their own work. Old stuff and often old feelings with it fly out the door.
This makes room for innovative, creative ideas and new actions. Team members are empowered as they can now come to the table with their complete lists of projects and next actions. Issues are identified and discussions move more quickly as each staff member captures successful outcomes and clarifies next actions. The positive energy is contagious, and there is room for greater cooperation and creativity as the whole team shifts focus to higher-level goals and levels of responsibility. It is nothing short of inspirational to see this shift happen. Staff that had been experiencing a sense of overwhelm and fatigue transform to feel relaxed, productive and in control of their workflow. They find a “can do” attitude once again.
Coaching an entire team provides the training and support that can inspire, uplift and bring greater cooperation and balance back into the workplace. If you face similar questions as the client above, consider coaching for your team. It will be time and energy well spent.
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