Future of Work Part 2: Reinforcing the Sense of Team

Nov 11, 2024 | Coaching and supervision, Future of Work, High performing teams, Team development, Thought leadership

As a follow-up to our previous post on Future of Work trends, KDVI Research Associate Alicia Cheak delves into a particular trend that caught her attention: performance management practices shifting from controlling employees’ work to empowering and enabling teams and people (McKinsey, 2023), and with it, a parallel evolution in corporate coaching from individual to team coaching (CCL 2021).

As organisations become more distributed and interdependent, there is greater reliance on teams and inter-teams to accomplish common objectives. And that requires teams that know how to align their focus, purpose, and priorities and work together to accomplish shared objectives. High-performing teams come in different shapes and sizes, but they are likely to be characterised by a variety of consistent factors, including a strong foundation of trust and mutual respect, the permission to challenge and make mistakes, and a sense of autonomy and responsibility. Team members feel pride and energy for their work, take ownership of their performance, and go the extra mile for their teammates (Gallup 2023).

But high performing teams don’t just happen. And one of the biggest barriers can be overcoming dysfunctional working relationships between members. Although individually skilled and competent, team members may struggle to communicate effectively, resolve conflict, or build commitment. Interpersonal relationships could be the issue. Politics might be at play. Someone in the team might dominate the agenda and energy. These factors can result in teams that are locked in rituals and routine ways of behaving that undermine critical reflection, powerful discussions and effective decision making.

These challenges are further magnified by the surge in remote work. When team members are spread across different locations and/or time zones, the traditional ways of team building and creating a cohesive team culture to collaborate and deal with problems are more challenging.

The impact of team coaching

In the coaching sphere, we are witnessing a similar shift. According to CCL’s Future of Corporate Coaching (2021), corporate coaching experience is shifting to one that blends “coaching and mentoring; professional development and strategic dialogues; individual focus with team engagement”. While business coaching used to be focused on senior leaders, we’re now seeing an increased demand for team coaching that explores the interdependencies between people, teams, departments, and business units.

Team coaching recognises that leadership is a social process and a shared responsibility. If a team can tune it to the explicit (what it does) and implicit dynamics (why they do what they do), potential is unleashed. And this is where a psychodynamic approach can help, allowing teams to take a step back from their hectic working lives, resolve confront constructively and build relationships based on trust and mutual respect (Kets de Vries, 2005, Ward et al, 2014). In an increasingly dynamic and ambiguous business environment, the ability to reflect, communicate, and quickly resolve problems as a team can be a significant competitive advantage.

Our Group Coaching Practicum gives experienced coaches and leaders the tools they need to learn and sharpen their understanding of psychodynamic-systemic group coaching, but also to live it – working together to experience the process required for personal and collective change. 

To find out more on Alicia’s thoughts, follow her on LinkedIn.

Oriane Kets de Vries:

Oriane Kets de Vries is CEO and owner of the Kets de Vries Institute. She leads a global team of coaches, consultants and educators dedicated to developing reflective, emotionally intelligent leaders and cultivating workplaces where people can thrive. In her faculty role, she draws on extensive experience designing and directing leadership programmes for senior executives, contributing her expertise in psychodynamic coaching, organisational culture, and transformational leadership development.

Oriane has served as consultant, coach, and programme director for clients including Pictet, Deutsche Bank, Merck, UBS, Mishcon de Reya, and Engie, and she has taught on open-enrolment programmes with leading institutions such as Cambridge Judge Business School, Oxford Saïd, INSEAD, ESCP, ESMT and CEDEP. Her interests centre on the human side of leadership, particularly identity, creativity, entrepreneurship and gender dynamics. She holds an MBA and Executive MA in Coaching and Consulting for Change from INSEAD, has trained at the Harvard Kennedy School, and brings more than a decade of professional experience in creative and entrepreneurial industries into her work with leaders.

Manfred Kets de Vries:

Manfred Kets de Vries is a pioneering authority in leadership development, coaching, and organisational change. He is a founder and director of the Kets de Vries Institute (KDVI) and served as Distinguished Clinical Professor of Leadership Development and Organisational Change at INSEAD. With academic credentials in economics (University of Amsterdam), management (MBA and DBA, Harvard Business School), and psychoanalysis (trained in Canada), he brings a uniquely interdisciplinary perspective to leadership. His work bridges management theory and clinical insight, establishing him as a global thought leader in executive coaching and transformation. At INSEAD, he founded the Global Leadership Centre and led the flagship programme The Challenge of Leadership for 31 years. He also served as scientific director of Coaching and Consulting for Change, an 18-month Executive Master’s programme that has shaped over 3,000 senior leaders and executive coaches worldwide. He has advised and coached senior executives at global firms including Goldman Sachs, BP, Shell, Unilever, McKinsey, and Volvo. A prolific author of over 60 books and 400 articles, his work appears regularly in The Financial Times, The Economist, and Harvard Business Review. Recognised by Le Capital, Wirtschaftswoche, and The Financial Times as one of the world’s top 50 management thinkers, he is widely regarded for advancing more human-centred approaches to leadership.

Yulia Chupina:

Senior Adviser (Luminary) at Accenture and executive coach with over 12 years of board experience. Formerly a banker and McKinsey consultant, Yulia has led banking transformations in digital, agile, organisational change, and talent development. Her coaching spans the finance, tech, and consumer goods sectors, blending technological insight with emotional intelligence to guide leaders through transformation. Recently, she advised BBVA on agile methodologies and senior talent development. Influenced by thought leaders such as Manfred Kets de Vries and Gabor Maté, Yulia brings an analytical, reflective approach to leadership. She has lived and worked across the UK, Spain, the US, and Russia.

Elizabeth Florent:

Elizabeth has worked closely with Manfred Kets de Vries for many years and has served as a Senior Lecturer and Research Fellow at INSEAD. Her extensive background in leadership development spans organisational consulting, executive coaching, and academic research. She holds advanced degrees in Organisational Development and Clinical Organisational Psychology and is a certified Coaching Supervisor through the Tavistock Institute. Her doctoral research explored experiential domains in executive education, and she has authored or co-authored numerous academic articles, case studies, and books on leadership and organisational dynamics. Elizabeth led the development teams behind KDVI’s diagnostic instruments, including the GELM, OCA™, and ITI. Drawing on her diverse training and global experience, she brings deep cross-cultural insight to her work with leaders worldwide. Originally from California, Elizabeth has made France her home for over 30 years.