How Is Team Coaching Different To Group Coaching?
Team coaching is generally more effective than group coaching in business settings
Team and group coaching may sound similar but serve fundamentally different purposes.
In group coaching, a coach works with multiple individuals who share common interests or challenges. The coach guides participants through specific topics while encouraging peer-to-peer learning and support. Think of it as a learning circle where individuals grow together but focus on their personal development.
Team coaching, however, treats the entire team as a single organism. Rather than focusing on individual growth, a team coach helps the collective unit define and achieve shared goals.
They work alongside the team in real-time situations – from strategy meetings to daily operations – much like a sports coach who guides both practice and actual games.
What truly sets team coaching apart is its flexibility and broader impact. While group coaching typically occurs in structured sessions, team coaching seamlessly integrates into the team's natural work environment.
The coach can observe team dynamics in action, provide immediate feedback, and help the team adjust their approach to enhance collective performance. This real-world, contextual approach allows for deeper, more sustainable improvements in how the team works together.
Team Coaching Is Immersive
Team coaching embeds the coach directly into the team's actual working environment and real-time dynamics. Unlike the structured, session-based format of group coaching, team coaches operate in the team's natural habitat – whether that's during live project meetings, decision-making moments, or strategic planning sessions. It's like having a skilled observer and guide who's present in the moment when real challenges and interactions occur.
The immersive nature comes from the coach being able to witness and address:
Live team dynamics as they unfold
Authentic communication patterns in real situations
Actual decision-making processes, not just discussions about them
Team behaviours in both high-stakes and routine moments
Immediate responses to challenges and conflicts
This "in the field" presence allows the coach to provide contextual feedback and guidance that's impossible to replicate in contained coaching sessions. They can spot patterns that team members might miss and offer real-time interventions that help shift team dynamics in the moment.
Think of it like the difference between learning to swim in a classroom versus having an instructor in the pool with you – the immersive experience provides opportunities for immediate adjustment and authentic practice in the real environment where performance matters.
Group coaching on the other hand operates more like a structured learning environment with clear boundaries and scheduled sessions. The participants come together periodically to focus on predetermined topics or themes but then return to their separate work lives.
It's more akin to a seminar series or workshop format where learning happens in a contained space, separate from the actual work environment.
The limited immersion in group coaching is evident in several ways:
Sessions occur at set times rather than within the flow of work
Learning happens in a controlled environment rather than in real-world situations
Participants discuss scenarios rather than working through live challenges
The coach isn't present to observe how participants apply insights in their actual work
Interactions between participants are limited to the coaching sessions rather than ongoing workplace dynamics
Think of group coaching as attending a cooking class versus team coaching which is more like having a chef work alongside you in your own kitchen during dinner service. While the cooking class is valuable, it doesn't provide the same level of real-world application and immediate feedback.
The structured, session-based nature of group coaching makes it excellent for focused learning and peer support, but it doesn't offer the deep immersion that comes with team coaching's "in the moment" approach.
What Does The Research Say About The Efficacy of Team Coaching?
Evidence from the research shows that Team coaching is generally more effective than group coaching in business settings, particularly for improving team performance, communication, and conflict resolution.
Improved Team Performance: Team coaching has been shown to improve team performance through better communication, decision-making, and conflict resolution (Peters and Carr, 2013; Traylor, Stahr and Salas, 2020).
Interpersonal and Communication Benefits: Empirical studies and case studies indicate that team coaching results in significant interpersonal and communication benefits, which are crucial for team effectiveness (Peters and Carr, 2013).
High-Performance Teams: Leadership group coaching can create high-performance teams by establishing trust, promoting constructive conflict resolution, and enhancing commitment and accountability (Vries, 2005).
While group coaching can lead to durable changes in leadership behaviour and is cost-effective for knowledge acquisition, team coaching offers more comprehensive benefits for team dynamics and performance.
References
Vries, M., 2005. Leadership group coaching in action: The Zen of creating high-performance teams. Academy of Management Perspectives, 19, pp. 61-76. https://doi.org/10.5465/AME.2005.15841953
Peters, J., & Carr, C., 2013. Team effectiveness and team coaching literature review. Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice, 6, pp. 116 - 136. https://doi.org/10.1080/17521882.2013.798669
Traylor, A., Stahr, E., & Salas, E., 2020. Team coaching: Three questions and a look ahead: A systematic literature review. International Coaching Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.53841/bpsicpr.2020.15.2.54
Losch, S., Traut-Mattausch, E., Mühlberger, M., & Jonas, E., 2016. Comparing the Effectiveness of Individual Coaching, Self-Coaching, and Group Training: How Leadership Makes the Difference. Frontiers in Psychology, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00629