Authors: Astrid Vermeer and Ben Wenting
This booklet is a sequel to another booklet by the same authors: “Self-managing Teams in Practice,” written for the coach of the team(s). The author ensures that the book can be read from at least two viewpoints: as a description of the team coach’s position in the organization and how they can approach their work on one hand. On the other hand, with a slanted eye, this work can be read as an elaboration on how to engage in team building. Indeed, the coach repeatedly questions the teams, and they must find solutions themselves, work together on collaboration.
The first chapter discusses the relationship between the self-managing organization and the coach. What stands out are pitfalls for the coach, such as being tempted to take the lead, confronting the control freak within yourself, and the danger of becoming a pleaser.
To assist the Coach, extensive work is done on developing the SIM: the Solution-Focused Interaction Method. This is “initiated” in the second chapter. There, some emphasis is placed on the so-called five points of attention: the goal, the position, the method, the approach, and the time. These five points strongly evoked a sense of kinship between coaching and change management. But then in a way where everything must come from the team, not imposed.
In a third chapter, the authors discuss the caution a coach must exercise regarding giving advice. Many coaches seem not to favor this and continue to work with counter-questions.
Chapter four is about facilitating conflicts. Very important here is gut feeling about simmering conflicts. This is probably the most important chapter given the amount of ink flowed into it. A lot of good advice is given, and a serious pitfall for me is when part of the team calls for your help. Also, the human aspect of partiality.
Chapter five discusses meeting techniques, where you as a coach are asked to facilitate. Then, chapter six covers a collection of coaching situations that seem lifelike.
The common thread throughout the story, which also indicates a form of continuous team building that the coach works on, is that 90% of the work consists of making the teams self-reliant. What is not stated is whether a good coach should eventually make themselves redundant.