LEADERSHIP training &
facilitation

Leading a team and organization requires holding a vision that you care about and influencing others into inspired action. The times of fear mongering, pushing others or being the hero is long gone!

I help organizations to find a balanced way by working with leaders to help them learn how to foster increased connection and collaboration within their teams with respect. Initially through a brief consultation to determine where the opportunities are for growth & development, we create a customized track to increase the capacity of your leaders to foster trust, manage performance more effectively, and better understand who they are as a leader. Having self-aware and emotionally intelligent leaders who effectively communicate and inspire their teams, there is no vision that is unattainable.

Conscious leaders work with people in ways that recognise strengths, extends trust, inspires action and connection toward a common vision. Working this way creates a culture and vibe that ripples out into every aspect of a shared mission, bringing wholehearted commitment and collaboration to every endeavour. Gateway Coaching’s vision is to transform groups of people who simply work together into truly collaborative and engaged teams.

Read this Case Study

A Case Study of Coaching a Team to Success based on Repeated Use of the Team Conversation Survey

October 2019

SUMMARY

Gateway Coaching’s coach Tess Horan, a Newfield and CEO trained coach helped the leadership team of a non-profit organization transform their effectiveness using the Team Conversation Survey, developed by Collaborative Solutions and Pathways of Growth, on three separate occasions to identify important areas for the team to focus on and enable them to chart their progress over a period of 4 years.

SITUATION

The senior Leadership Team of a non-profit organization consisting of 9 professionals was led by an Executive Director (ED) with over 17 years of experience. The majority of the team members had worked together for over five years. Before the coach was brought in, team members worked in silos which resulted in a dysfunctional organization with poor decision-making and problem-solving skills.

The ED needed the team to lead the organization through a time of strategic policy change. She determined that enhancing their ability to trust and communicate effectively with each other would improve their overall performance. The coach identified the Team Conversation Survey as a way of helping the team understand how best to achieve these goals.

STEPS TAKEN

1

The coach introduced the survey

and its potential value to the team to help with problem diagnosis and team building. Once the ED had agreed and communicated to the team, the survey was deployed for the first time. The survey took an average of about 15 minutes per person and was completed over a period of two weeks.

We always knew that this was an issue, but until we had the survey results, we didn’t know how to move forward.

- Tess Horan

2

The coach discussed the survey findings

with the ED and explored ways of engaging the team with the results. The survey results helped bring to light some of the dysfunctional team dynamics. The leader shared the survey results with the team and invited the coach to one-time leadership training. The training introduced the ten constitutive conversations of a team – the foundations of the survey.

3

The coach conducted a series of skill building training

Although the new team awareness was a key starting point for strategy setting and building agreements, it soon became apparent that further intervention was needed to translate that awareness into action and lasting change. Over the following year, the coach conducted a series of skill-building training targeted at the team conversations that had scored the lowest, which were the conversations of Trustworthiness, Coordination and Mood; and 6 months of individual coaching for members of the leadership team.

4

The team survey was conducted for a second time

At the end of this period, the team survey was conducted for a second time to “take the pulse” of the team. This second survey demonstrated improvements in conversations that had previously scored the lowest and highlighted areas that still needed improvement. The survey results were shared with the Board of Directors and based on the evident improvement the coach was asked to continue working with the team to help them continue their progress.

Having the Team Conversation Survey tool enabled me to more easily introduce these important conversations to the team; to identify what was and was not working well and created a level of credibility for the coach.

-CEO Program Coach

5

The survey was conducted for a third time

Following additional leadership training, the survey was conducted for a third time a year later. At this point clear team progress was demonstrated and shared with a satisfied ED and her Board of Directors. The results validated the pattern of sustained improvement as well as pin-pointing further areas for improvement.

OUTCOMES

The team leader felt that the first survey provided clear data about the team’s inabilities to communicate, work inter-dependently, address conflict, and make effective decisions. The second survey provided the basis to focus on increasing the accountability of each director and their individual work with the coach to support meaningful change. The third survey gave the leadership team confidence that they were on the right track and paved the way for their journey to continue towards working together as a high functioning team, and not just leaders of their individual silos.

Using the survey helped us create measurable shifts in the performance of the team, resulting in greater levels of trust, more honest conversations and more productive meetings. This validated our improvement work with the Board.

-Team Leader

It was the conversations based on the results of each survey that were held both during and subsequent to team meetings, that led to a more effective team. This resulted in rigorous processes, higher team standards, and improved behavioral norms that guided their work together and their decisions as a team; as they moved successfully through their strategic policy changes.

Connect with me to find out more about my consulting and/or choose from the following workshops to develop your current and future leaders:

Customized Leadership Development Programs

12-month program

Are your leaders looking for more innovation or empathy in their team relationships? Is your organization nurturing emerging leaders and keen to get their feet on the right ground?

This investment in customized training and 1:1 executive coaching starts with a survey of your leadership team to assess needs. We will look at where things are breaking down and your desired outcomes. From there we’ll create a growth-focused leadership program that includes quarterly team trainings, supported by 1:1 or cohort coaching to support each participant toward new habits.

Let’s shift your people from participants to leaders today!

Team Development Program

6 or 12-month program

Are you and your colleagues struggling to meet deadlines and achieve goals? Wondering what you can do to support more trust and accountability at work?

This investment in customized team development starts with a survey that evaluates the conversations your work group are having well, and those that aren’t working effectively. From there, we’ll create a program that takes the shared promise of your group and develops it through deepening trust, accountability, and effective communication that is based on empathy and inclusion.

Quarterly trainings will focus on growing the social skills needed to overcome challenge with mutual care. For sustained results, small cohort coaching supports the changing habits. The result?

A new accountability and fresh motivation that means your group transitions to a team with shared values and care for each other.

Building trust in Workplace

2-day workshop

Does your work team keep getting stuck in conflict and misunderstanding? Not sure how to end eroding trust and build confidence up again?

This workshop builds team effectiveness using proven principles of trust and clear communication. These principles foster a mutual spirit of generosity which supports a sense of safety within the team. This sense of safety in turn allows for clarity and greater connection between team members.

The result? A new harmony and synergy within the workplace that means happier people and way more effective working.

Effective feedback skills

Workshop

Looking to help your team grow through effective feedback opportunities? Concerned that resentment is growing through difficult feedback?

When we can receive feedback well, we can offer feedback well – that goes for both positive and negative commentary. Real time objective feedback keeps a team engaged and accountable.

Regular opportunities for evaluation can grow into a supportive rhythm that feels encouraging and motivational both for individuals and for the team as a whole..

Social Styles® for Teams

Workshop/Program

Stuck in a communication rut in your team?
Wanting to understand more about how each team member works best?

Social Styles are a way to observe and understand someone’s preferred way of acting and interacting. For example, some people respond well to data, others to hearing stories and experiences. Social Style training builds Social Intelligence supports you to be clear about your own preferences and that of other team members. This creates an inclusive, diverse common culture which is the foundation for strong, productive relationships and reducing conflict.

Making small adjustments to behavior can create big changes in team effectiveness.

Social Styles® to Build Interpersonal Versatility

Workshop/Training

Do you naturally ‘get on well ‘with some people and struggle with others? Want to be able to respond more effectively to more people?

Successful leaders are able to observe another’s way of acting and interacting, and make small adjustments to their own communication and behaviour to set others at ease. Understanding emotional expression develops sound judgment and effective ways to leverage each individual’s true potential. This training..

Delivers practical and powerful ways to create a common language based on permission and inclusion of diverse Social Styles.

To find out more information about my consulting and workshops and how I can support your organization, book a time and let’s talk!

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Clarity and understanding is a gift where unknown possibilities open up for us.

– Tess Horan

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LEADERSHIP training &facilitation