Effectively supporting teams in change

According to Tuckmann, new teams go through 5 development phases: They start at forming, i.e. the group meets, first connections are made, the participants orient themselves and look for their respective roles. This process is often accompanied by misunderstandings and “friction”. With the conflicts, the storming phase begins. During these discussions the common values (Norming) develop, the basis for the now following work phase (Performing). At the end of the project, the parting (adjourning) takes place.
Every team finding goes through these phases. Targeted team coaching taking this model into account can decisively support team finding. Managers can use the 5 development phases according to Tuckmann as a guide in order to set the optimal intervention at the right time.

In order to bring teams along in change processes, it is important to awaken and maintain the intrinsic motivation of team members. To do this, you have to know and correctly assess the values and needs of the employees in the team. Misjudgments on this important point can be avoided by asking team members directly about their values and needs in a specially defined setting.
Approaches to stimulating intrinsic motivation in the team can be, for example, conveying the joy of learning and personal development, or creating transparency about the meaning of change processes. The more closely the incentives are aligned with their personal expectations, the more likely employees are to accept the demands placed on them.
This requires good communication and “inspirational leadership” on the part of managers. In the face of ongoing transformation, the point of goal achievement is often difficult to articulate. This makes it all the more important to communicate the vision and the “why” of the changes and to clearly show employees what this means for them in concrete terms.

Basically, all coaching methods that promote soft skills such as empathy and communication skills also improve teamwork.
More important than the selection of individual coaching methods is that as many employees as possible participate in the coaching process. Completely digitized coaching solutions offer the decisive advantage of being able to be scaled quickly and easily, while maintaining a uniform methodological focus and quality.

Initial studies, such as those by Prof. Dr. Mathias Allemand of the University of Zurich, show that digital coaching is just as effective as personal coaching. This is consistent with the findings of a 2021 meta-study on the effectiveness of digital psychotherapy.
Digital employee coaching can also reach more people in the company than personal one-on-one coaching. This makes it possible to coach entire teams, and when a digital coaching app is used throughout the company, the corporate culture is positively influenced.

Coaching positively influences the mental and psychological health of the participating employees.
Whether classical or in digital form, coaching promotes the ability for self-reflection and self-direction and thus increases the resilience of each individual in the team. With improved self-awareness, the ability to manage oneself is also built up – resulting in a decrease in subjectively perceived stress.
Coaching helps employees to cope better with the demands placed on them and thus makes a valuable contribution to promoting health in the company. However, coaching can neither replace a specialist diagnosis nor psychotherapy.