In today’s fast-paced business environment, leaders cannot achieve their vision alone—they need the collective strength and engagement of their teams to succeed. Teams function best when they have ownership in decision-making, along with the necessary conditions of safety, trust, and relevance of objectives. Decisions made by leaders without team involvement are less likely to succeed than those made through consultative and collaborative processes.
As we face increasing diversity, rapid change, and evolving expectations from younger generations, traditional top-down leadership approaches no longer work. Millennial and Gen Z workers value co-creation and emotional engagement over rigid hierarchies. Involving teams in creating a shared vision, making decisions collaboratively, and taking collective action is a more effective and sustainable approach. The logic behind the “what” and “why” is clear, but the critical question is “how” to achieve this.
Collective vs. Individual Visioning
The concept of collective visioning is not new. Carl Jung introduced the idea through his theory of the Collective Unconscious, suggesting that this unconscious mind is not a negative space but rather one that holds higher intelligence for both individual and group guidance. Jung’s ideas resonate with Eastern spiritual traditions, where individual actions are always aligned with the collective good, a concept known as dharma in Hindu and Buddhist philosophy.
Since Jung, several thought leaders have expanded on the concept of collective involvement in decision-making. Carl Rogers with his Client-Centered Therapy, David Cooperrider with Appreciative Inquiry, and many others have demonstrated that when individuals are part of the decision-making process, both organizational outcomes and individual satisfaction improve significantly. This idea has been reinforced by research like Google’s Project Aristotle and Patrick Lencioni’s work on the functions and dysfunctions of teams.
The Power of Team Co-Creation
Individual involvement in team decision-making operates on multiple levels:
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Misalignment Between Individual and Collective Vision: Individuals often create their own mental models of success that can conflict with the collective goals of the organization. If team members are not involved in shaping the vision, misalignment is almost inevitable. Practices like the Japanese ringi system show that involving all team members in decision-making may slow the process initially but leads to faster implementation because everyone is fully committed.
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Harnessing Group Synergies: Well-managed teams often produce better outcomes than individuals working in silos. For example, the US auto industry struggled when departments like marketing, design, and manufacturing were isolated. It wasn’t until these groups began working collaboratively that the industry regained its competitive edge.
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Building Real Connection: When facilitated well, teams develop emotional connections that elevate performance from good to great. This personal connection is critical to driving successful outcomes, as it builds trust and shared commitment.
Making Groups Work as Teams
In my experience, teams thrive under the following conditions:
- They work towards a shared, emotionally compelling objective.
- They act in a state of real personal connection and trust.
- They leverage their individual strengths, supported by appreciation.
- They share experiences, stories, and metaphors that build a sense of ownership.
- They feel in control of a co-created solution.
Achieving psychological safety is critical for ensuring that team members are comfortable contributing their full selves to the process. When team members feel safe to communicate openly and when diversity is respected, they are more likely to innovate, collaborate effectively, and support one another. The Forward Focused Coaching Process helps establish these conditions by fostering systemic awareness, encouraging collective ownership, and ensuring alignment between the team’s efforts and organizational objectives.
The Forward Focused Coaching Process
Organizations often face challenges that require collective action—whether it’s planning a project or navigating a transformation. The Forward Focused Framework helps teams work together toward a clear, defined outcome. This process blends established coaching methodologies like the GROW model and Appreciative Inquiry’s 4D process (Discover, Dream, Design, Deliver), while emphasizing systemic awareness and alignment. The Forward Focused Framework comprises four key stages:
1. Defining Outcomes of Change
The first stage involves defining what part of the system needs to change and what success looks like. This step ensures that all team members are aligned with the broader organizational goals and understand the specific outcomes they are working towards. By establishing clear, measurable outcomes, the team sets the foundation for a focused and impactful transformation.
2. Exploring Learning and Discovery
In this stage, the team engages in learning and exploration, gaining new insights into the challenges and opportunities at hand. This is a time for creative thinking, where team members share their knowledge, discover new perspectives, and explore future possibilities. By fostering systemic thinking, the team gains a deep understanding of both individual and collective contributions, which is crucial for making informed decisions.
3. Acting on Awareness
After gathering insights, the team moves to action. In this phase, they identify practical steps and develop actionable plans that are aligned with the system’s broader needs. This is where ideas take shape into concrete strategies, ensuring the team takes ownership of the change process and commits to executing it within the systemic context of the organization.
4. Facilitating Growth
The final stage focuses on enabling long-term growth. Teams reflect on their actions and outcomes, ensuring that their efforts not only drive immediate results but also foster sustained development. This stage ensures that the change process leads to continuous improvement and learning, helping both the organization and its people grow.
Facilitating Effective Teams
To be successful, teams must not only work toward a common goal but do so in a way that is aligned with the broader organizational system. Success is achieved when the team is able to:
- Create real connections and score high on trust, respect, communication and diversity to achieve psychological safety.
- Foster diverse communication that values all perspectives.
- Maintain awareness of organizational priorities.
- Communicate positively and constructively.
- Take ownership and responsibility for delivering superior results.
- Balance creative out-of-the-box thinking to inform practical building of solutions.
This is where the Forward Focused Framework excels. It helps teams remain connected to the system at every stage, ensuring that their decisions and actions align with the larger organizational context. Real connections, built on trust and respect, along with open communication and diverse perspectives, create the conditions for psychological safety, where innovation and collaboration can flourish.
Systemic Awareness and Alignment
Throughout the Forward Focused Coaching Process, systemic awareness is the guiding principle. Teams are encouraged to think holistically, understanding how their actions impact the larger organizational system. By maintaining this alignment, teams avoid isolated decision-making and ensure that their efforts contribute to the overall success of the organization.
Key Takeaways
The Forward Focused Framework is more than just a tool for creating vision or action plans—it’s a philosophy that empowers teams to think collectively, act systemically, and grow continuously. By fostering emotional engagement and collective ownership, this framework not only drives immediate results but also enables long-term, sustainable change.
Incorporating these principles into team coaching creates an environment where both individuals and organizations thrive. The framework emphasizes the importance of aligning individual goals with systemic outcomes, ensuring that every change contributes meaningfully to the organization’s success. Through defining outcomes of change, exploring learning and discovery, acting on awareness, and facilitating growth, the Forward Focused Framework sets the stage for sustainable, impactful transformation.
