Team coaching is unlike any other coaching modality. It requires a different approach, mindset, and level of expertise. To co-create impactful results, you must navigate many dynamics, including:<\/p>\r\n
ICF’s Team Coaching Competencies were developed to better prepare you for this complex discipline, ensuring you have the knowledge and skills to empower teams and cultivate unity in pursuit of shared goals. It also serves as the foundation for the ICF Advanced Certification in Team Coaching (ACTC)<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n The team coaching framework builds upon the ICF Core Competencies<\/a> by introducing unique sub-competencies that are tailored specifically to the tasks, skills, and knowledge needed for effective coaching. It also provides a clear, concise definition for team coaching, and it addresses the unique concerns regarding ethics and confidentiality in team coaching. When you follow this competency model, you can be confident that your team coaching aligns with the ICF Code of Ethics<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n The ICF Team Coaching Competencies model is the result of a rigorous, evidence-based research project. Relying heavily on participation and input from expert team coaches, we completed the following activities to help define team coaching competencies:<\/p>\r\n In practice, you can use the ICF Team Coaching Competencies to deliver coaching interventions that address the unique dynamics of each team, support their development, and drive sustainable success. Here’s a few ways these competencies can be used in practice:<\/p>\r\n Implement processes for learning from experiences, including after-action reviews or retrospectives to help the team evolve based on lessons learned during each phase of work.<\/p>\r\n Encourage the team to recognize how external factors influence their performance and how they can better navigate these systems. You may facilitate discussions about organizational culture or external market forces, and how these impact the team’s functioning and decision-making.<\/p>\r\n Draw from various coaching methodologies to provide a more tailored coaching experience related to the team’s maturity and specific challenges. Adapt your coaching techniques to match the team’s evolving needs.<\/p>\r\n Looking for a deeper understanding of the Team Coaching Competencies and how to apply them in practice? Check out our video.<\/p>\r\n Access the Video <\/a><\/p>\r\n Team coaching empowers teams to work toward continued high performance and ongoing development – requiring innovation, flexibility, adaptability, and goal alignment – all traits that the original ICF Core Competencies help support.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n The ICF Team Coaching Competencies outline the unique knowledge, skills, and tasks essential for coaching teams, building on the foundation of the ICF Core Competencies. Each aspect of this model aligns with the Core Competencies, incorporating specific nuances and dynamics tailored to team environments.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n Ethical Foundations for Team Coaching<\/a> Expand<\/i><\/a><\/p>\r\n You understand that at the heart of all effective coaching – including team coaching – lies a commitment to ethical practice. Coaches must treat the team as a single entity, maintain clarity on the distinction between team coaching and other modalities, and foster an environment built on trust. It’s essential that coaches honor transparency, especially when fulfilling multiple roles within the team dynamic.<\/p>\r\n A Coaching Mindset with Teams in Focus<\/a> Expand<\/i><\/a><\/p>\r\n Coaches must remain objective, keeping a close watch on team dynamics while being aware of how personal biases might impact their approach. This requires a reflective practice and, when necessary, seeking supervision to ensure accountability and growth. A strong coaching mindset, coupled with awareness of the team’s culture, is essential for effective team coaching.<\/p>\r\n Creating Agreements for Success<\/a> Expand<\/i><\/a><\/p>\r\n Like one-on-one coaching, a team coaching engagement also starts with clear agreements. Coaches partner with team leaders and stakeholders to set expectations, outline responsibilities, and define the coaching process. The goal is to create a space where both individual and collective goals align, giving every team member the chance to contribute to the team’s success.<\/p>\r\n Building Trust and Safety<\/a> Expand<\/i><\/a><\/p>\r\n As a coach, you understand how trust is integral to the coaching relationship. Building trust within a team is also fundamental to team coaching. Coaches foster an atmosphere where team members feel safe to express their thoughts, feelings, and ideas openly. By encouraging participation, resolving conflict, and promoting effective communication, coaches enable teams to view themselves as a unified whole, working towards a common purpose.<\/p>\r\n Staying Present in Team Dynamics<\/a> Expand<\/i><\/a><\/p>\r\n Team coaching requires a heightened level of awareness. Coaches must remain attuned to the team’s emotions, energy, and behaviors, shifting their focus as needed. Whether working alone or with a co-coach, maintaining presence allows coaches to move fluidly through the team’s dialogue, creating space for reflection and fostering growth.<\/p>\r\n Listening Beyond Words<\/a> Expand<\/i><\/a><\/p>\r\n In team coaching, every voice matters. Coaches are tasked with actively listening not just to individuals, but to the collective energy and communication patterns within the group. By recognizing alliances, conflicts, and opportunities for growth, coaches help teams develop greater awareness of their dynamics and work towards positive outcomes.<\/p>\r\n Awareness that Drives Action<\/a> Expand<\/i><\/a><\/p>\r\n A coach’s role is to challenge a team’s assumptions and invite them to think deeper. By facilitating ownership of their dialogue, coaches push teams beyond surface-level discussions, leading them to new insights and meaningful growth. It’s about helping teams recognize patterns, fostering greater awareness, and encouraging them to own their collective journey.<\/p>\r\n Growth Through Collective Action<\/a> Expand<\/i><\/a><\/p>\r\n Team coaching isn’t just about insight – it’s about transformation. Coaches work with teams to turn new awareness into action, encouraging the development of goals and clear steps to achieve them. With guidance from a coach, teams grow stronger, more unified, and more capable of reaching their full potential together.<\/p>\r\nDevelopment of the Model<\/h2>\r\n
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Application of the Model<\/h2>\r\n
Facilitate Team Learning and Growth<\/h3>\r\n
Promote Systemic Awareness<\/h3>\r\n
Integrate Multiple Coaching Approaches<\/h3>\r\n
Team Coaching Competencies<\/h2>\r\n
The ICF Team Coaching Competencies Model<\/h2>\r\n