What is team coaching?

Brightside's approach is grounded in Organizational and Relationship Systems Coaching (ORSC), developed by CRR Global.

ORSC treats the team itself—not just the individuals on it—as the client. The focus isn't on fixing people; it's on revealing patterns and giving the group tools to shift them.

In practice, this means exercises that de-personalize sensitive topics, so the conversation becomes "what's happening in this system" rather than "what's wrong with you." It means building empathy through exercises where participants step into a colleague's perspective—not abstractly, but by articulating what they observe and experience from that vantage point. It's a rigorous practice that rarely happens in typical workplace settings. And it means helping the team author its own narrative—not imposing one from outside.

Throughout, the coach offers real-time observations on interactions and dynamics, helping the group see itself more clearly and make conscious choices about how it wants to work together.

Sessions can be conducted online or in person, and range from half-day workshops to multi-month development programs.

Every engagement is tailored to the client's specific objectives. We collaborate closely to design experiences that meet the team where it is.

Sessions typically follow a rhythm: opening, exploration, closing.

We begin with a check-in—each participant shares where they're at, without interruption. This surfaces the emotional weather in the room before we dive in.

The middle is where the work happens. Exercises vary depending on the team's goals, but they're participatory, often physical or visual, and designed to make patterns visible. In person, we work in a circular seating arrangement without tables—using stickies, flipcharts, and physical movement to engage participants fully. Online, we use Zoom along with digital whiteboards and interactive tools to achieve similar engagement.

We close by consolidating: appreciations, commitments, or reflections on what emerged. Participants leave with something concrete, not just a vague sense that "something happened."

Team coaching is distinct from team training, facilitation, and consulting—though it shares elements with each:

• Training transfers information from speaker to listener. Team coaching is participatory: teams learn through self-observation and structured exercises, not lectures.

• Facilitation steers teams toward task completion or problem-solving. Team coaching focuses on the underlying dynamics that affect how the team tackles any task.

• Consulting provides specific advice and directives. Team coaching surfaces insights that help leaders understand their team dynamics and decide their own path forward.

And to clarify: team coaching doesn't involve a clipboard and whistle. Though we're happy to claim Ted Lasso as our industry mascot.

In 2023, the International Coaching Federation (ICF) formally recognized team coaching as a distinct discipline, establishing dedicated accreditation and certification standards.

This matters because it signals that team coaching has matured from an emerging practice into a recognized profession with defined competencies and ethical standards. When you hire a credentialed team coach, you're working with someone trained in a validated methodology—not just someone who's good with groups.