When a leadership coach talks with your team, she meets with everyone together and then with each person privately. The goal is to give you a clear picture of what your team needs and to give your team a safe place to be honest.
If the idea of someone else talking with your team makes you a little nervous, you are in good company. Most founders I work with feel that way at first. So let me walk you through exactly what happens.
Step one: you and I talk first
Before I meet anyone on your team, I want to understand you. What is your vision? What feels heavy? And what do you wish your team understood?
This matters because the work is in service of where you are taking the business.
Step two: a session with the whole team
Next is a guided Team Empowerment session with everyone in the room, in person or on Zoom.
Your team learns each other’s working styles. They name what each person does best. They talk about how they want to communicate when things get busy or change quickly.
It is practical and it is warm. In fact, people often learn something about a teammate they have worked beside for years.
Step three: a private conversation for each person
After that, every team member gets 30 minutes with me, one on one.
This is where the honest things come out. Not gossip. The real things: where someone feels unclear, unseen, or unsure how to bring something up.
One team member put it this way: “It gives you a really safe, comfortable, supportive space to say the difficult things that maybe you didn’t want to say in the group.”
What stays private?
What a team member shares with me in a private conversation is theirs. I bring you themes and what your team needs from you, so you can lead well. [Tara: confirm this matches your confidentiality practice]
Step four: we bring it together
You and I sit down with everything I have heard. You leave with a clear picture of what your team needs and practical next steps for how you lead and communicate. [Tara: confirm]
Will this stir things up?
It brings up what is already there. However, in my experience that is a relief, not a disruption. One founder I worked with had been carrying constant tension around a team member who turned small issues into ongoing disruptions. Through our conversations, she gained the clarity to trust what she already knew. What remained was relief, steadier leadership, and the confidence to make decisions without second-guessing herself.
Want a coach to talk with your team?
Read more about how leadership coaching works, or book a free 15 minute call. We will talk about where you and your team are right now.