The Agile Coaching Profession

Agile SoCal 6/15/14Roger W. Brown, Certified Scrum Coach

What is Coaching?Coaching is a relationship in which one person is primarily dedicated to serving the long term development of effectiveness and self-generation in the other.

- Doug Silsbee

Service

Learn

Change

Grow

What Tools Does a Coach Have?

Mechanics Soft Skills LeadershipTools Questions AdviceModels Listening GuidanceFrameworks Facilitation Discovery

What is an Agile Coach?A person with expert knowledge of one or more areas related to Agile Software Development

who understands the difference between coaching and consulting

and has coaching competenciesand a coaching mindset

applied in service to personal and organizational improvement towards greater success through agility.

Source: I made this up!

What Is Agile Coaching?Agile Coaching is an engagement with an organization during which you are performing one or more of the following activities:• Applying Agile practices in an organization to help it reach its stated

objectives• Assessing team(s) and organization(s) for effectiveness in applying Agile

principles and practices• Mentoring others in Agile principles and practices• Advising and consulting with organizations and leadership on Agile practices• Facilitating team(s) and groups to achieve higher quality collaboration and

enable greater results• Developing team, leadership and organizational agility through guided self-

discovery and growth• Challenging the organizational and leadership status quo and enabling an

agile cultureSource: Adapted from the Certified Scrum Coach ™ Program

Why Do Companies Hire Agile Coaches?

• Deep Knowledge of Agile• Broad Experience• Impartial Perspective• Access to Resources• Coaching Competencies• Reinforced Learning

http://www.agilecoachjournal.com/index.php/2009-10-15/scrum/the-value-of-an-agile-coach/

Coaching Competencies

Coach

Role Model

Leader

Mentor

Advisor

Business Person

Counselor

ICF Core CompetenciesA. Setting the Foundation

1. Meeting Ethical Guidelines and Professional Standards2. Establishing the Coaching Agreement

B. Co-creating the Relationship3. Establishing Trust and Intimacy with the Client4. Coaching Presence

C. Communicating Effectively 5. Active Listening 6. Powerful Questioning7. Direct Communication

D. Facilitating Learning and Results 8. Creating Awareness 9. Designing Actions 10. Planning and Goal Setting11. Managing Progress and Accountability

Certified Scrum Coach Competencies

1. Assess - Discovery & Direction2. Facilitate - Focus & Alignment3. Balance - Coaching & Consulting4. Educate - Awareness & Understanding5. Catalyze - Leadership & Organizations

Organization

Multi-Teams

Departments

Team

Self

Community

Profession

Scope of Service

Organization

Multi-Teams

Departments

Team

Self

Community

Profession

Specialty Areas

Product Ownership

PortfolioAgile Beyond ITLean Startup

XPDevTools

Structure

Scaling

R&D

Culture

Learning

DevOps

Lean UX

Distributed Agile

Agile TransformationLeadership

Team Dynamics

Lean

Mentoring

Presentation

Training

The Coaching Mindset• Service• Awareness• Relationship• Client Growth• Personal Growth• Holistic/Systems View

Agile Coaching Business Models

• Full-time Internal Agile Coach• Internal Agile Coach with another role • Agile Coach in an Agile Coaching Company• Agile Coach in an IT consulting company• Independent Agile Coach

Each has it’s own opportunities and challenges

Compensation

The Job Market as seen through

GlassDoor.com 6/5/2014

Contribute: bit.ly/rwbacsurvey

Consultant or Coach?

Acme Consulting

Agile Transition Plan for New Co.

- Buy tool AcmePlan ™- Rename PMO to Agile Office- Create Teams using HugeAgile™

Scaling Framework- Embed 4 of our coaches- 1 Day training for PMs and Tech

Leads- 1 page Executive Training Manual- Call me

Acme Coaching

Agile Transition Plan for New Co.

- Why are you doing this?- How will you measure progress?- How do you do it now?- What is your company culture?- Who are the decision makers,

leaders, Agile proponents?- How will we choose pilots?- What have you done so far?- When shall I check back?

www.AgileCoachPath.org

Professional Coaching

Certifications

Accredited Schools– Results Coaching Systems (neuroscience)– CoachVille (online, game-based)– Presence-Based Coaching (mindfulness)– Coaches Training Institute (Co-Active Coaching )– Organizational and Relationship Systems (* Teams)– Many Others

Agile-Specific Certifications

International Consortium for Agile • Certified Professional in Agile Coaching (mindset)• Certified Professional in Agile Team Facilitation

(facilitation)• Certified Expert in Agile Coaching• Enterprise Agile Coaching Track

Scrum Alliance• Certified ScrumMaster• Certified Scrum Professional (coaching emphasis)• Certified Scrum Coach (enterprise)

Coaching Tools

Facilitation Games• InnovationGames.com• www.tastycupcakes.org• GameStorming.com• Thiagi.com

Coaching• Appreciative Inquiry• Learning Organization• Systems Thinking

Assessment• Competing Values Framework• Schneider Culture Model• Satir Change Model• Learning Organization

Personality Models• Myers-Briggs Type Indicator• DISC• Kolbe• Herrmann Brain Dominance

Instrument

Engagement Models• X-Model of Employee

Engagement• Responsibility Process

Complexity Models• Influence Diagrams• Cynefin• Spiral Dynamics

Educational Resources

• IC Agile Learning Objectives• www. AgileCoachPath.org• Agile Coaching Institute• ICF Schools• Esther Derby Associates• DonaldEGray.com• Rothman Consulting Group• 3PVantage• AgileCoachPath.org• Problem Solving Leadership• Agile Alliance Conference• Scrum Alliance Gatherings• Scrum Alliance Certified Scrum Coach

Retreats• AgileCoachCamp.org

Books

The Human Side of Agile: BrozaCoaching Agile Teams: AdkinsCollaboration Explained: TabakaAgile Coaching: DaviesThe Mindful Coach: SilsbeeCo-Active Coaching: WhitworthLeadership Agility: JoinerLeading Change: KotterFearless Change: RisingTeamwork is an Individual Skill: AveryCrucial Conversations: PattersonRadical Management: DenningJoy, Inc.: SheridanBehind Closed Doors: Derby and RothmanQuiet Leadership: Rock

The Agile Coaching Profession

© 2014 Roger W. Brownroger.brown@agilecrossing.comwww.agilecrossing.comwww.agilecoachjournal.com