When It Comes to Team Coaching, Bring a Sharp Axe

Sharpening the Axe Before Wielding It

There’s an old adage—attributed to Abraham Lincoln, but let’s be honest, who really knows who said it? Some say it was six hours, some say five, and the exact math is up for debate. But what’s not up for debate is the truth in these words: “Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I’ll spend the first four sharpening the axe.” When it comes to coaching teams, this wisdom couldn’t be more relevant.

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As a team coach, a lot of your work—arguably the most challenging part—is the preparation before you even step into the room. You’re not just coaching individuals; you’re coaching a collective, each person bringing their own experiences, motivations, and expectations to the table. And before you can harness the power of the team, you need clarity. That means working closely with the team sponsor to get crystal clear on objectives, expectations, and potential roadblocks. Without this upfront investment in preparation, you risk jumping into the process without the structure necessary to guide the team effectively. The foundation you lay before the first session will determine how smoothly the process unfolds, ensuring that every team member can fully engage and contribute to the shared goal.

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High-performing teams don’t emerge from rushed agendas or surface-level conversations. They’re built on a foundation of alignment—on purpose, goals, and ways of working together. Without that upfront investment in clarity, even the most talented teams risk splintering under pressure.

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As a coach, your role is to guide the team through this critical alignment process. It’s not glamorous, and it’s often slow. But it’s essential. When you sharpen the axe before swinging it, the team’s collective impact becomes powerful, precise, and sustainable.

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The Importance of Alignment

Alignment is the foundation of team performance. Without it, teams may:

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• Pursue conflicting priorities.
• Waste energy on miscommunication or redundant efforts.
• Struggle to hold each other accountable.

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Research by Katzenbach and Smith in The Wisdom of Teams shows that teams with clear alignment around purpose, goals, and roles perform better, collaborate more effectively, and experience greater job satisfaction. Alignment isn’t just about agreeing on tasks—it’s about forging a shared understanding of why the team exists and how they will work together to achieve their goals.

What Are You Here to Accomplish?

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Before diving into tools or strategies, every team needs to answer one fundamental question:

What are we here to accomplish?

This might seem obvious, but it’s often where teams get stuck. People come to the table with different assumptions, priorities, or unspoken expectations. Without bringing those to light, misalignment can fester beneath the surface.

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Steps to Establish Alignment Upfront

1. Define the Team’s Purpose

Every high-performing team begins with a clear and compelling why. Purpose isn’t just a mission statement; it’s the north star that guides decisions, inspires effort, and connects the team’s work to a larger impact.

Coaching Tip: Ask reflective questions like:

• “What’s the thing we’re building that’s bigger than any one of us?”
• “What would it feel like to succeed, not just look like?”

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2. Set Clear Goals

Purpose sets the direction, but goals create the milestones. Effective goals are specific, actionable, and aligned with the team’s purpose.

Coaching Tip: Encourage the team to prioritize a few high-impact goals rather than scattering their focus across too many objectives.

Ask:

• “What’s the real win here?”
• “If we could only get one thing right, what should it be?”

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3. Clarify Roles and Responsibilities

Ambiguity around roles is one of the biggest sources of tension in teams. People need to know not only what’s expected of them but how their role fits into the bigger picture.

Coaching Tip: Instead of job titles, focus on contributions.

Ask:

• “How do you see your role in helping the team win?”
• “Where do you bring the most value?”

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4. Establish Ways Of Working

Teams thrive on trust and respect, but these don’t happen by accident. Ground rules create the psychological safety needed for open communication, productive conflict, and shared accountability.

Coaching Tip: Ground rules aren’t about control, they’re about freedom to do great work.

Ask:

• “What do we all need to feel safe, heard, and challenged?”
• “How do we call each other up, not just out?”

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Sharpening the Axe: Why the Alignment Phase Is Worth the Time

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It’s tempting to skip these conversations and jump straight into action—especially when deadlines loom. But skipping alignment is like chopping at a tree with a dull axe: you’ll work harder, accomplish less, and wear out the team in the process.

Investing upfront in alignment saves time and energy in the long run. A well-aligned team:

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• Communicates more effectively.
• Handles conflicts constructively.
• Stays focused on shared priorities.

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As the saying goes, “Measure twice, cut once.” The upfront work of alignment is the measuring phase—it ensures every swing of the axe is purposeful and effective.

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Tools to Facilitate Alignment

1. Team Charter

Create a living document that outlines the team’s purpose, goals, roles, and ground rules. This becomes the team’s operating manual.

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2. Visioning Exercise

Use visualization to help the team imagine their ideal state.

Ask:

• “If we were absolutely thriving, what would that look like?”
• “What would we be most proud of six months from now?”

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3. Feedback Loops

Establish regular check-ins to revisit alignment and course-correct as needed.

Ask:

• “What’s working, and what’s not?”
• “What’s one tweak that would make a huge difference?”

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High-performing teams don’t just work harder—they work smarter. And the smartest thing any team can do is pause, sharpen their axe, and align around a shared purpose before diving into action.

As a coach, your greatest contribution might not be in solving their problems but in helping them sharpen their focus, their goals, and their ways of working.

Because once a team is aligned, they’re unstoppable.

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