Great teams cultivate a culture that encourages internal coaching. People on these teams don’t hold back; they are not political and they do not miss opportunities to get better.

If you are lucky enough to participate in such a team, you know how great it feels. It is one of the most joyous and fulfilling experiences you can have. Executives from our coaching seminars tell us about the excitement of working with winning teams that develop a coaching culture. These teams make them better professionals and help them to continue to grow and develop.

We all get inspired when witnessing a sports team that is moved by something greater; wherein, the individual players surrender to become part of a greater whole that amplifies their individual contribution.

What are the characteristics of a strong coaching culture, where each person is ready to coach and be coached by everyone else on the team? They are the same characteristics of winning teams:

1. Unified vision and purpose
2. Willingness to change
3. Love of learning and growth
4. Great humor
5. Fanaticism about collaboration and improvement
6. Focus on the team output, not on roles
7. No defensive in the face of learning
8. Fast recovery and resiliency
9. Celebrating success and celebrating learning from mistakes
10. Low on ego, high on results

© Aviv Shahar