Wednesday, January 4, 2023

choice Thoughts: Team & Group Coaching in an Evolving World

It is with great pride that we present to you our  issue Team & Group Coaching in an Evolving World

A note from Garry, Publisher

It’s hard to believe we are coming to the tail end of our 20th anniversary of publishing the coaching profession’s only unbiased, independent, globally distributed magazine. Indeed, we have been at the forefront of the growth and development of coaching since 2003. I am thankful for our team past and present, our writers, our subscribers and our sponsors. As they say, it takes a village.

I especially want to thank my husband, Patrick. Back in ’03, when I said there was no coaching magazine, he responded, “You’re an entrepreneur – create one!” The rest, as they say, is history.

After 20 years, what else is there to say? Well, we are a young profession and there’s LOTS to say. Take this issue, for example. Looking over the many past issues we have published about team and group coaching, we have come a long way. I am impressed by the amazing collection of wisdom in this issue. Not being a team or group coach myself, I learned a lot about what is needed to prepare to coach teams and groups. It’s interesting to see where team and group coaching differs from one-on-one coaching, and where they are similar.

Speaking of teams, one of our longtime contributors, Marcy Nelson Garrison, is leaving our team as the lead writer of our “coaching tools” section. After contributing to every issue of choice for the whole 20 years we’ve been publishing, it is time for her to focus on her ever-expanding offerings. We thank her for her two decades of service in spotlighting and reviewing the amazing tools available to coaches. We wish Marcy the greatest of success in her adventures, and we hope she’ll continue to write features and columns from time to time when her busy schedule allows.

On a more somber note, it is with great sadness that we mourn the passing of a leader in the profession. Kate Michels passed away earlier this year. She was the creator and driving force behind Emotional Wisdom Training Institute. Her mantra was: “Miracles happen every day. One just happened.” Fortunately, Kate left a rich legacy of teachings from her principles, processes and practices of success. We are very grateful for her work and kindness.

Kate was a frequent and popular contributor to choice Magazine, and we are honored to publish an article she submitted last year for our “final say” page at the back of this issue. Her article is titled, “Hindsight With Foresight Brings Insight,” and it’s a poignant reminder of just how fragile life is, and how important it is to plan for the unexpected. She will be dearly missed by the choice audience and the coaching community.

A note from from Janet, Managing Editor

For me, the passage of time is often measured by magazine editions. Four issues make a year, and sometimes several years will pass before we revisit a particular topic. We last focused on this issue’s theme, Team & Group Coaching, in 2018, and it’s crazy to think how much our world has changed since then. 

The articles in this issue reflect those changes and provide a blueprint for how team and group coaching can help individuals and organizations survive and thrive as they navigate the “new normal.”

In our opening feature, Jennifer Britton presents a comprehensive overview of how team and group coaching have changed and evolved. Next up, Sandra Hill explains how to take your team and group coaching to the next level by facilitating the practice of becoming U.N.T.A.P.P.E.D. This is followed by DJ Mitsch’s exploration of the rules of engagement as a strong foundation to promote trust and safety in team coaching.

Halfway through our feature section, Leigh Ann examines how a team assessment can lead to tangible coaching outcomes. And if you’re among those who aren’t sure whether team coaching is right for you, you’ll want to check out Michelle Chambers’ article, which walks you through how to decide.

Our next feature by Terry Hildebrandt looks at the importance of Organizational Development in team coaching, followed by an excellent article by Catherine Carr and Jonathan Sibley exploring the Five Disciplines systemic approach to team coaching at scale.

Julian Humphreys has the last word in our final feature, which discusses coaching teams through disappointment – a topic that is especially apropos in these times of change and uncertainty.

We hope you enjoy this issue and come away feeling enthused and empowered to take your team and group coaching to the next level!

 

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