Mutual goals as essential for the results of team coaching

Background: Facilitated by an external coach, team coaching has been introduced as a method to increase team competency, effectiveness, and learning mainly at the middle manager level (named coachees). However, team coaching also has some pitfalls which will be explored in this chapter.
Intervention: A 13 month team coaching intervention focusing on team safety-related competences, effectiveness, and learning was conducted in three department teams (team X, Y and Z) in a medium-sized Danish company (Company A). However, at the end of the intervention results between the three teams varied. Team Y solved 72% of the coaching tasks and started an additional 15%. Six out of seven success criteria for the intervention were fulfilled and the last criteria partly fulfilled. In team X, the equivalent results were 45% safety tasks completed and 25% started. Here, two success criteria were fulfilled, four partly fulfilled and one not fulfilled. Due to organizational changes, team Z was excluded from the project half-way through the intervention.
Lessons learned and possible solutions: Mutual goals among the team members are identified as important for the success of team coaching. Moreover, organizational changes can interrupt the implementation of team coaching interventions. Clear communication and resolution of conflict s are essential for the process and results of team coaching and should be integrated into the theory of team coaching.