Mapping the complex territory of team coaching and supervision

There’s been a growing awareness for some time in the world of coaching and supervision that what happens in team coaching is complex, fluid, and often uncertain. I’ve been researching this area since David Clutterbuck and I conducted a scoping research study in 2017, and following that, I developed a map, ‘Factors to consider in team coaching’, which sought to visualise the multiple factors, dynamics and layers encountered by team coaches and their supervisors during sessions.

In May and July this year, I engaged in two virtual Dialogue Session through EMCC Global for team coaches, trainers and supervisors of team coaching. We explored the usefulness of the map in representing the territory and dynamics involved in team coaching. I consciously created the sessions as dialogues, rather than webinars, as I wanted to engage with people actively working in the field who would contribute to and advance our practice in this rapidly emerging area.

Out of that hugely valuable dialogue and feedback, I’ve now produced a new map which expands and gives more detail to the factors at play in team coaching, and which also offers a better visualisation of the intense dynamism and interconnection of the relationships that may exist and arise during an assignment.

I discuss the new map with David Clutterbuck in the video above, and I’m also presenting it here in a downloadable article:

Mapping the complex territory of team coaching and supervision

The article gives the developmental background to the map, and also offers a short exposition of each of the factors it presents, together with the academic references. It includes an A4 size version of the map for printing out. I hope that coaches and supervisors will try using it in their practice to test out how useful it might be as they engage in the work of team coaching.

I would value their feedback and stories, which can be sent to me here:

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