Bringing Joy to Your Teamwork

by Ircel Harrison

“A leader is coach and counsel, not a judge.” --W. Edwards Deming

When I worked for a large denominational agency several years ago, we were introduced to The Deming Philosophy. Known as Deming's “theory of management” and later the “System of Profound Knowledge,” the approach seeks to empower every member of an organization to be productive and engaged. Deming wrote, “There will be joy in work, joy in learning. Anyone that enjoys his [sic] work is a pleasure to work with. Everyone will win; no losers.”

One of the blessings of this experience was learning how to work together as a team. In fact, this was a time that I felt most productive as a team leader and a team member. Perhaps you are ready for that type of experience.

Summit Coach Training launches a training opportunity for team leaders in August. The initiative is composed of two classes. SCT 302—Coaching Teams: Competencies and SCT 312—Coaching Teams: Practicum. Classes may be taken individually or consecutively.

In SCT 302—Coaching Teams: Competencies, participants will learn how to apply coaching skills to working with teams. How can one use coaching skills for team development, learning, accountability, and adding value? This class begins Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 11:00 am ET/10:00 CT, and will meet four weeks for a total of eight hours. No previous coaching training is required.

In SCT 312—Coaching Teams: Practicum, participants will reflect on their work as team leader or team coach and will be expected to be leading or coaching a team on a regular basis during the practicum class. The class will meet every other week for 8 weeks (a total of 8 hours) beginning Thursday, September 12, at 11:00 am ET/10:00 am CT, and will end on December 19, 2024.

The International Coaching Federation Core Competencies and the ICF Team Coaching Competencies will provide the structure for the courses. Resource is The Coaching Leader: Coaching Groups and Teams (available here); purchase not required.

Each class is $350. A deposit of $75 holds your spot in a class. Registration information is available here.