Contact: Are you ON or OFF?
The difference between teams that collaborate and teams that co-exist
Episode 4 of the Teams Transformed podcast
Teams Transformed is the podcast for courageous coaches, curious leaders, and anyone passionate about unlocking the true power of teams. Hosted by TCS Founder and Senior Faculty Georgina Woudstra and Allard De Jong, listen to explore transformational insights on how to coach teams with presence, depth, and emergence, diving into not just the tools, but the art of team coaching itself.
About this Episode
Georgina and Allard dive deep into one of the most fundamental principles of emergent team coaching in episode four of Teams Transformed. They explore the ethereal yet essential concept of "contact" - that intimate connection that makes the difference between teams that truly collaborate and those that merely coexist.
Listen as they unpack what it means to be "energetically available" to one another and how the simple question "How met do you feel?" can transform team dynamics. This episode moves beyond traditional team development approaches to examine how real transformation happens not through future-focused planning, but through the quality of presence and awareness we bring to this very moment.
Through personal reflections and practical insights, Georgina and Allard reveal how contact, presence, and the here-and-now become the foundation for all meaningful team work, and why most teams never access their true potential because they're simply not "switched on" to each other.
Key Themes Explored
The Intimacy of Contact
Georgina and Allard explore contact as more than connection. Rather, it's what happens at the boundary between people. They discuss how you can feel when the "contact switch" is on or off, and why this energetic availability is essential for any collective work to happen.
Here and Now vs. There and Then
The episode examines the difference between traditional team development (talking about ground rules to use later) and emergent coaching (experimenting with those ground rules right now). They explore why transformation happens through present-moment awareness rather than future-focused planning.
The Quality of Being Met
A central theme explores how team members can learn to truly see and hear each other. Georgina and Allard discuss interventions like asking "How met do you feel?" and why feeling seen might be one of the most beautiful and rare experiences in team work.
Field Theory in Practice
The hosts delve into how our environments shape our behavior, using examples of how we show up differently in various contexts. They explore how teams can learn to sense and work with the invisible forces that influence their collective dynamics.
The Paradoxical Theory of Change
Georgina and Allard examine how real change flows from deepening awareness of what exists now, rather than trying to fix or improve things. They discuss why staying with present experience often leads to more natural transformation than action-planning approaches.
Key takeaways
🔗 Contact as Foundation: Real teamwork requires energetic availability - being fully present and open to what's emerging between team members, not just focused on individual agendas.
🎯 Here and Now Focus: Transformation happens in the present moment through awareness and experimentation, not through future-focused planning or talking about what should happen later.
👁️ The Power of Being Seen: Creating opportunities for team members to truly see and hear each other can be transformational . Asking "How met do you feel?" opens new possibilities for connection.
🌍 Field Awareness: Teams exist within invisible fields that shape behaviour. Learning to sense these environmental influences is crucial for understanding team dynamics.
🔄 Paradoxical Change: Change flows more naturally from deepening awareness of what actually exists rather than trying to force improvements or solutions.
⚡ Process Over Content: While teams focus on tasks and outcomes, the real work happens in the quality of contact and presence they bring to those conversations.
Why listen?
For coaches, leaders, and anyone working with team dynamics, this episode:
Demystifies emergent coaching by exploring the fundamental principles that make collective work truly collaborative rather than just coordinated individual effort.
Provides practical interventions with specific questions and techniques for helping teams move into greater contact with themselves and each other.
Explores the inner game of team development by examining how presence, awareness, and energetic availability become more powerful than structured activities or frameworks.
Offers a different paradigm for team work that moves beyond task-focused efficiency toward transformation through present-moment awareness and authentic connection.
About your hosts
Georgina Woudstra is the Founder and Senior Faculty of Team Coaching Studio, an ICF Master Certified Coach (MCC) with over 20 years of experience. Georgina is recognised globally as one of the leading lights in team coaching and was among the first coaches to receive ICF's Advanced Certificate in Team Coaching.
Allard De Jong is a seasoned leadership development expert with two decades of experience solving organisational 'people problems' and accelerating leadership development. He brings a unique perspective on transformative inquiry and divergent thinking to team coaching practice.
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