A self-assessment tool for leaders and managers
When a team stops performing at its full potential, the instinct is often to act quickly: reorganize, hire, reset objectives, or increase control. Yet in many cases, the issue is neither structural nor technical. It is managerial, relational, or strategic.
Strategic team coaching addresses exactly this level. It is not about “fixing” individuals, but about realigning a team around a shared vision, effective ways of working, and a high-performing collective dynamic.
Below are 10 concrete signals that indicate strategic coaching could become a key lever for your organization.
1. Goals are clear… but results fall short
When priorities are well defined and plans are in place, yet execution remains disappointing, the issue rarely lies in the strategy itself. It is more often found in interactions, decision-making, and the team’s ability to work together effectively. Strategic coaching helps uncover these invisible blockers and restore a results-driven dynamic.
2. Decisions are slow or constantly challenged
If every decision triggers lengthy debates or passive resistance, this often signals a lack of clarity around roles, governance, or leadership. Coaching helps teams clarify accountability and streamline decision-making processes.
3. Tensions are increasing, even over minor issues
Recurring tensions, unspoken frustrations, or latent conflicts are never insignificant. They drain energy and distract the team from its priorities. Strategic coaching provides a safe framework to address these issues, rebuild trust, and prevent deeper conflict.
4. Meetings are frequent but unproductive
When meetings multiply without clear decisions or tangible progress, the issue is not scheduling—it is collective functioning. Coaching helps redefine rules of engagement, improve the quality of dialogue, and turn meetings into effective steering tools.
5. Employee engagement is gradually declining
A drop in energy, motivation, or initiative often reflects deeper misalignment. People do their jobs, but without enthusiasm or long-term commitment. Strategic coaching works on purpose, ownership, and recognition—key drivers of sustainable engagement.
6. Change is perceived as a constraint rather than an opportunity
In times of transformation, resistance often stems not from unwillingness, but from uncertainty and lack of psychological safety. Coaching creates space for dialogue, clarifies stakes, and reframes change as a collective project rather than a top-down mandate.
7. Silos are strengthening and collaboration is deteriorating
When functions protect their own territory at the expense of overall performance, organizational effectiveness suffers. Strategic coaching helps rebuild bridges, clarify interdependencies, and strengthen cross-functional collaboration.
8. The manager carries too much… or too little
An overburdened, exhausted manager—or one who is overly hands-off—often reflects an imbalance in leadership posture. Team coaching supports managers in shifting from “super-doer” to facilitator, while helping the team assume greater responsibility.
9. Key talents are questioning their future
When high-value contributors express doubts, disengage, or consider leaving, it is often already a warning sign. Strategic coaching acts upstream by restoring clarity, development opportunities, and a sense of direction.
10. Successes are neither celebrated nor leveraged
A team that moves from one project to the next without recognizing achievements or extracting lessons will eventually burn out. Coaching helps establish feedback, recognition, and collective learning rituals—essential for long-term performance.
How to use this self-assessment
If you recognize several of these signals, your team likely does not lack skills, but rather alignment, coherence, and collective clarity.
Strategic coaching is not a comfort solution. It is a targeted investment to:
- restore performance dynamics,
- secure transformation initiatives,
- strengthen collective leadership,
- and deliver sustainable results.
Our approach to strategic coaching at Mushroom
At Mushroom, we see strategic coaching as both a business and human performance lever. Each engagement is tailored to the team’s real challenges, culture, and objectives.
Because a high-performing team is not one that works harder,
but one that works better—together and over time.