Coaching a team of activists
I have recently taken on a couple of team coaching assignments for activist organisations.
I’d like to share my experience and learning from one particular team. I’m sharing because I think it could help your team. And it’s proving to be some of my most rewarding work ever.
I am supporting a team of young people, 25 to 35 year-olds, who are so passionate about their cause that they have put their lives on hold to be a stand for their cause. They are intelligent, kind, likeable people, who care.
The first thing I noticed about this group is that they are living and working aligned to a deep purpose. They are paid a small amount of money yet they are very committed. Their level of passion and purpose and aliveness inspires me. It is something that I rarely see in the mainstream business world.
Wherever you are, and whatever you're doing. Make sure that you and your team are working for a deeper purpose. In fact, I encourage you to live your entire life on purpose. It is the day that you never ‘work’ again.
The second thing that I notice about this team is that they are working under significant pressure. And with any team that is working under pressure, the team really can benefit from a team development process of some sort to iron out the cracks to improve the dynamic of how they work together. So I noticed myself again having admiration for this young team, having the foresight and desire to have developmental conversations.
The third thing that I noticed about this group, is that there is a level of maturity in the conversations. I find it relatively easy to work with them, and it’s a joy. And the ingredients that have made it so, are:
They have a authentic desire to want to improve individually and as a team
They are able to have open, constructive honest dialogue
They take individual accountability
They have a deep compassion for each other
I hope this little post provides you some inspiration for your own team. I encourage you to find the deep purpose that can be the catalysing energising force at the heart of your team. I also encourage you to have team development conversations, in whatever way in whatever form.
