Team coaching and family business

Abstract

Family business coaching is characterised by a blended approach in coaching. There are growing concerns about which comes first, family or business (Shams & Lane, 2016) and this leads to the critical question – if a team approach in family business can address both a family and their business simultaneously? Team coaching refers to the capacity building of a team, team effectiveness, team values and shared behavioural norms (Britton, 2015). Team coaching explores issues related to individuals in a team as well as a team collectively, as such, team coaching is the most effective intervention for improving family functions and the business functions in a family business. This article aims to highlight the need to explore the positive influence of team coaching to enhance the growth of a family business, and to help improving and maintaining a cohesive family business unit. We have used an example and an integrated team coaching model to justify that team coaching can provide the means to optimise collective talent of a family in a business context. The discussion supports the positive influence of team coaching on a family team’s performance, and that this coaching approach enables a family to increase their collective effort to achieve successful business outcomes.