The Team Advantage is a proven team coaching program designed to transform teams and their leaders through a sustainable process that goes beyond the typical 2-day team-building event. The program is presented as an organizational “game.” The process is oriented around a stretch goal that is meaningful to the organization’s success and includes the role of a coach who supports the team leader as well as the entire team. The process includes four phases of team development that are implemented over the course of 16 weeks:

Phase One - pre-game preparation involves coaching the leader and interviews for each team member that set the stage for the program.

Phase Two is the kickoff workshop where the team creates their own game plan oriented around the stretch goal, with a point system for scoring the weekly accomplishments.

Phase Three is coaching in weekly virtual sessions via teleconference to drive the game plan. During this phase, team members provide progress updates and learn to support teammates as they move through tough challenges that could prevent the team from achieving their goal, and winning the game.

Phase Four is the review of team accomplishments and its transformation—where this newly energized team takes time to assimilate learning and celebrate their wins. They also determine and claim components of the process that they will continue to implement after the completion of this program.

Team Coaching is the most significant and unique component of this program. Teams often leave a team-building event with a lot of enthusiasm but no real understanding of what it takes to change behaviors or go beyond their habitual daily activities. They go back to work and it is business as usual. This program will change that typical team training behavior. During this process, the coach works as a partner, often giving the team leader reminders and new language for communicating celebrations equally as well as challenges. The coach also requests the team determine ways to overcome their barriers to success. The coaching provides momentum and a complete framework for each phase of the game. Through this model the team is in a constant state of maximizing the adult learning processes – observing and adjusting behaviors and actions to ensure the success of the game.

The key objective of The Team Advantage is to provide a complete framework for driving team performance resulting in a transformational experience.

Other key learning objectives:

• Convey core and advanced coaching skills to the team leader
• Provide a forum for real conversations, truth telling, and surfacing conflict as a natural part of team development and essential to the creative process
• Have each team member take responsibility for the team win everyone wins, or no one wins
• Leave the team with a replicable process for continuing to grow together as they accomplish their potential

The acceleration of change in organizations, emerging needs for innovation, and alignment of values are all factors creating a need for new leadership and new ways for people to succeed. Leaders want to know how to stretch an already high performing team, turn around a team that is underperforming or stuck, or assimilate a new leader so they have a strong start with teams that are weary of too many changes. There are many obstacles that can cause a team to get off track. It is paramount that leaders develop their people in a way that is integrated with the demands of their formal roles in the organization.

There are four main features of this package that make it work for driving high team performance: real business goals, coaching, ownership, and sustainability.

• Real Business Goals – The goal addresses a real business need and can often reshape or catapult the entire business, even beyond the individual team.
• Coaching – The coaching component in this process stretches people to become consciously aware of what motivates their behaviors and actions and how they impact others. Coaching holds people accountable for honoring their commitments.
• Ownership – The team creates and takes ownership of the game plan to achieve something extraordinary. It is THEIR game plan and design.
• Sustainability – Teams will have a replicable process along with new habits and behaviors discovered during the team coaching, as well as an easily adaptable business planning format they can apply to any future stretch goal.

This kit includes three components: Coach’s Facilitation Guide, Team Leader Guide, and Team Member Guide.

• Coach’s Facilitation Guide: This comprehensive Facilitator’s Guide package includes detailed instructions for setting up the program in either a 1 or 2 day kickoff session as well as for the 16 weekly follow-up coaching sessions
• Team Leader Guide: The Team Leader’s Field Guide outlines a coaching model, exercises, and tips for coaching team members toward execution and accountability. Additionally, there will be instructions and ideas for setting up the game with the team.
• Team Member Guide: This practical, easy-to-use guide and workbook outlines the model and process for team members, and provides information on ways they can excel in the execution and accountability phases of the game, and exercises to keep them on track.

Using The Team Advantage can be a rewarding experience for any team leader who wants to accelerate their team’s performance. The program can be useful for either project/temporary teams or more traditional intact teams.

The Coach's Facilitation Guide will be a valuable resource for any coach leading this process. Additionally, the coach should have the general qualifications and attributes of a qualified coach including confidence in guiding a team through a process, speaking directly to label observable behaviors, business acumen, facilitation experience and training in coaching and/or facilitation skills.

For team leader, the Team Leader Guide is a detailed resource to guide them through the process. Additionally, it is important for the team leader to be open to accept coaching, be willing to drive the process utilizing their leadership abilities, and have a commitment to the team’s success.

For the members, the Team Member Guide will help facilitate the process. Team members also need to be open to coaching and reflective on their own opportunities for growth, be fully engaged in the process, and be accountable for the results.