Good winning teams have good coaches. Even though coaches are more commonly associated with athletic teams, as we continue to work in teams in the evolving workplace, good coaches are becoming more critical to the success of many organizations. Some organizations’ leaders prefer teams because an appropriately balanced team can bring with it diverse viewpoints to find solutions and identify opportunities. Further, the team, as a whole, can marshal enormous intellectual capital and innovation in a less hierarchical work environment. With clear direction, most teams can accomplish projects more quickly than individuals working alone.

It is not surprising that most organizations tend to equate success with accomplishing strategic goals in very competitive environments. Moreover, it is becoming more and more obvious that success depends not only on institutional leaders, but it also depends on the daily professional practices of individuals in the organization. Oftentimes, it is winning teams that propel an organization into innovative and profitable futures.

Some organizational analysts believe that, in addition to a team’s effectiveness, working in teams improves overall individual effectiveness and satisfaction. Yet working in teams presents challenges in how to appraise and motivate the performance of teams and individual members.  Similar to athletic teams, a winning team might have a range of stars and members who assist—all needed to win. Moreover, with our expanded capacities for connectivity and extending collaborations in global teams and virtual workplaces, the complexities of appraising or coaching teams magnify. So, just how does the team leader or coach do that?

Well, coaching now seems to be a burgeoning profession, complete with psychological and organizational underpinnings. There are certified coaching programs that seek to produce leadership coaches, life coaches, health coaches, and insightful coaches who can employ motivational tools, strategies, interpersonal skills, and maybe a little personal magic, to help individuals push through barriers and achieve desired breakthroughs.

A colleague of mine just informed me that a successful CEO employed a coach for twenty-five years—makes me wonder what I have missed!

From even a brief review of coaching, it becomes clear that a good workplace team coach shares attributes similar to those of an athletic coach developing a winning team. These coaches 1) make sure everyone understands the team strategies and rules, 2) learn the strengths and talents of each team member to determine who should do what, 3) assess the team’s effectiveness, 4) observe the relationships between behaviors of individual team members and the team’s results, 5) furnish specific feedback about performance in a respectful and supportive manner, and 6) offer specific solutions to maximize the effectiveness of each individual team member—with solutions that can be as diverse as the team members.

From coaching vignettes I have read, good coaching seems to combine exceptional interpersonal skills, the ability to establish rapport and trust, and some knowledge of human psychology. For one thing, it is hard to find a description of coaching that does not describe a good coach as someone who listens well, seeks to understand the individual, and offers the support, assistance, and advice needed to succeed. Moreover, the discussion of workplace performance with coaches is portrayed as more mutually respectful, beneficial, and empowering to the individual than are supervisor and subordinate performance appraisal interactions.

Alas, there do not seem to be one-size-fits-all rules for coaching team members because they are individuals, and there are so many nuances in the workplace across regions, generations, and institutional cultures. Moreover, there are ranges of characteristics and work environments in which teams operate.

However, from my readings and feedback from those who have been coached, the coaching profession is just getting started!