An NHS mid-sized operations team was struggling with multiple challenges: high staff absence, frequent turnover of team leaders, difficulty recruiting new members, and notably low morale. These issues created a fragile team environment, affecting daily operations and overall performance.
What emerged from our Team RQ assessment with the team was a lack of clear, shared identity and struggled with decision-making processes. Communication was strained, and tensions frequently went unaddressed, leading to unresolved conflicts. A key underlying problem was a difference in formal contracts among workers. This difference eroded trust and damaged the psychological contract within the team.
The coaching process began with careful contracting to clarify goals and create a safe space. Early sessions focused on exploring and co-creating a shared team identity, helping members connect around common purpose despite ongoing disruptions. Throughout the coaching journey, an emergent approach allowed the team to navigate challenges as they arose, adapting session content based on real-time needs and dynamics. The team practiced making different types of decision processes together. They reflected on how stepping back from conflict had been contributing to unresolved tensions. Together, they acknowledged that handling conflict was a shared responsibility, not just the leader’s role.
As trust grew and the team developed stronger internal cohesion, and morale improved. Shared ownership of conflict and decision-making fostered a healthier psychological contract. Over time, the team’s collaboration and resilience strengthened so significantly that they went on to win a national award for teamwork, transforming what had been a fractured group into a high-performing team.