Systemic Team Coaching
Systemic Team Coaching (STC) is a methodology for developing teams, pioneered by British academic and practitioner Peter Hawkins. Unlike traditional team coaching, which often focuses on relationships and performance within the team, STC considers the team as part of a wider organizational and stakeholder system. The approach aims to enhance not only internal dynamics but also the team's capacity for collective leadership, stakeholder engagement, and sustainable value creation.[1]
Origins and development
Peter Hawkins, Professor of Leadership at Henley Business School, first articulated the approach in his book Leadership Team Coaching: Developing Collective Transformational Leadership (2011).[2] He and colleagues such as John Leary-Joyce and Hilary Lines later expanded the framework in practice guides and case studies, notably Leadership Team Coaching in Practice.[2]
The model is used globally in leadership teams, boards, and cross-functional groups, and has been adopted by organizations offering training and accreditation, including Renewal Associates and the Academy of Executive Coaching (AoEC).[3]
Definition and key features
Hawkins defines STC as:
“a process by which a team coach works with a whole team, both when they are together and apart, in order to help them improve both their collective performance and how they work together, and also how they develop their collective leadership to more effectively engage with all their key stakeholder groups to jointly transform the wider business.”1
Key features include:
- Emphasis on both internal team relationships and external stakeholder connections.
- A focus on collective leadership rather than reliance on a single leader.
- Use of both in-team and between-meetings coaching interventions.
- Attention to sustainability through ongoing learning and reflection.
The Five Disciplines Model
A central framework in STC is the Five Disciplines of High Value-Creating Teams, developed by Hawkins:[1]
- Commissioning – Clarifying the team's mandate from stakeholders
- Clarifying – Defining roles, responsibilities, and collective goals
- Co-creating – Establishing how the team collaborates internally
- Connecting – Managing relationships with external stakeholders
- Core Learning – Engaging in reflection and continuous improvement
These disciplines are interdependent and non-linear, providing lenses through which a team's effectiveness can be assessed and developed.
Training and accreditation
Accredited training programs in STC are offered internationally, including practitioner certificates and diplomas through the Academy of Executive Coaching and Renewal Associates.[3] Training emphasizes systems thinking, stakeholder engagement, and developing the capacity to coach both the team and its connections with the wider environment.
Applications
Systemic Team Coaching has been applied in sectors including finance, healthcare, higher education, and public service. Case studies describe outcomes such as improved stakeholder alignment, greater adaptability, and enhanced collaboration.[2] In healthcare, for example, team coaching has been studied as a way to address systemic challenges and improve team resilience[4]
Critiques and limitations
Scholars and practitioners have debated the scope and limitations of systemic approaches.
- Conceptual critiques: Paul Lawrence (2021) argues that systemic perspectives in team coaching are often defined in multiple, sometimes conflicting ways, which can create ambiguity for practitioners.[5]
- Complexity and scope: Critics note that the approach demands significant time, stakeholder involvement, and coach expertise, which may limit scalability.[5]
- Evidence base: While qualitative case studies are common, empirical research remains limited. A 2024 integration of leadership and team coaching research noted the need for more rigorous, quantitative, and longitudinal studies of outcomes.[6]
- Worldview challenges: Coetzee (2023) critiques dominant coaching worldviews and calls for greater coherence in systemic strategies, situating STC within this debate.[7]
Publications
Key works on STC include:
- Hawkins, P. (2011, 2017). Leadership Team Coaching: Developing Collective Transformational Leadership. Kogan Page.
- Hawkins, P. (ed.) (2014, 2021). Leadership Team Coaching in Practice. Kogan Page.
- Leary-Joyce, J. & Lines, H. (2017). Systemic Team Coaching. AoEC Press.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Hawkins, Peter (2014). "Systemic Team Coaching and the Five Disciplines Model" (PDF). Global Team Coaching Institute (PDF).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2
Hawkins, Peter (2014). yes, ed. Leadership Team Coaching in Practice. London: Kogan Page. Search this book on
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Book Review: Systemic Team Coaching - AoEC". www.aoec.com. Retrieved 2025-09-19.
- ↑ Castillo, GF; Salas, E. (2023). "Can Team Coaching Provide Healthcare the Remedy It Needs?". Behavioral Sciences. 38 (2): 377–387. doi:10.1080/13561820.2023.2285030. PMC 10922443 Check
|pmc=value (help). PMID 38019103 Check|pmid=value (help). - ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lawrence, Paul (2021). "Team Coaching: Systemic Perspectives and their Limitations". Philosophy of Coaching. 6 (1): 52–82.
- ↑ Castillo, G.F.; Salas, E. (2024). "How to Make an Internal Team Coach: An Integration of Leadership, Team Training, and Team Coaching Research". Behavioral Sciences. 14 (6): 452. doi:10.3390/bs14060452. PMC 11200866 Check
|pmc=value (help). PMID 38920784 Check|pmid=value (help). - ↑ Coetzee, M.E. (2023). "Problematising Current Coaching Strategies from a Worldview Perspective: Towards Systemic Coaching Strategy". South African Journal of Industrial Psychology. 49 (1).
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