Georgina Woudstra explores power and authority in teams and its significance in team coaching
In today’s dynamic and interconnected business landscape, effective teamwork is vital for organisations to thrive.
Team coaching plays a pivotal role in enhancing collaboration, communication, and overall team performance. However, one critical aspect often overlooked is the significance of power and authority within teams. Understanding and harnessing power and authority can significantly impact the success of team coaching.
In this article, I’ll delve deeper into the significance of power and authority for teams, and team coaches.
The dynamics and significance
Power and authority are interrelated concepts that influence team functioning. Power refers to the ability to influence others and make decisions, while authority is the legitimacy granted to an individual based on their position or expertise. In teams, power and authority can be distributed in various ways, such as hierarchical, shared, or task-specific.
- Hierarchical structures often exist in traditional organisations, where decision-making power resides with higher-ranking members.
- Shared power structures, on the other hand, distribute decision-making authority across the team, fostering a sense of ownership and inclusivity.
- Task-specific power structures allocate authority based on expertise and knowledge, ensuring the right people lead in their respective areas.
Team coaching is a powerful tool that aims to enhance collaboration, improve communication, and drive team effectiveness. Understanding power and authority structures within teams enables coaches to identify potential challenges and design interventions that address them effectively.
Here’s how:
1. Assessing authority structures
Coaches need to understand the team’s existing authority structures. This includes identifying formal leaders, power dynamics, and communication patterns. This assessment helps coaches gain insights into how authority structures may be influencing team dynamics and performance. It also becomes more apparent what decisions in relation to the team coaching need to be made by the leader, and which can be made by the team as a whole.
2. Facilitating dialogue
Coaches can use this understanding of authority structures to facilitate open and honest dialogue within the team, encouraging team members to discuss their experiences with the existing authority structure, share their perspectives, and collectively explore possibilities for improvement.
3. Establishing clear roles and responsibilities
Coaches can support the team in understanding individual strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. With defined roles, team members know exactly what’s expected of them, reducing confusion and enhancing overall productivity.
4. Improving decision-making
In a team, decisions need to be made promptly and effectively. Authority structures ensure that decision-making is streamlined, preventing unnecessary delays and conflicts. Team coaches can leverage this structure to empower the appropriate individuals to make decisions, fostering ownership among team members.
5. Leadership development
Authority structures provide a platform for leadership development within teams. Coaches can support the team leader (or leaders) to provide the leadership needed to build a strong foundation for future success where the team’s capacity to collaborate effectively increases over time.
6. Empowering team members
Effective team coaching involves empowering team members to take appropriate ownership and contribute actively to the team’s success. Coaches can support the development of leadership skills within the team, encourage shared decision-making, and foster an environment where authority is earned through competence and expertise.
Conclusion
Power and authority play a fundamental role in team dynamics and can significantly impact team performance and collaboration. Recognising and understanding
these structures is vital for effective team coaching. By addressing power imbalances, promoting collaboration, and leveraging expertise, coaches can guide teams towards higher levels of performance and success. Team coaching, combined with a deep understanding of power dynamics, equips teams to navigate challenges, embrace diversity, and unlock their true potential.
- Georgina Woudstra, MCC, ACTC, is the founder and principal of the Team Coaching Studio, and organisation founded to provide a pathway to mastery for team coaches.
- www.teamcoachingstudio.com