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I’ve been asked the question above a couple of times lately, along with “why should we engage one?” – here’s my answer in a nutshell.

An Agile Coach is akin to the coach of a sports team.  They don’t play on the field (generally the coach is not a member of the delivery team) but need to completely understand the rules of the game and what a team needs to be successful.  They need to have a deep understanding of the Agile values, principles and practices, understand how creative knowledge-workers are motivated, how teams form and how to build a culture of professionalism and craftsmanship.   To be a coach is to care more about the team’s outcomes and results than about one’s own ego – I am only successful if the teams I coach achieve their own success.

Unfortunately the rapid take up of Agile approaches has resulted in a need for more coaches than are generally available in the market, and as with any successful new initiative there are charlatans and fakirs out there ready to take on a coaching role without having an understanding of the deep human dynamics, interpersonal skills and deep experiential knowledge of what makes Agile successful.  “In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king”.

Agile coaching is far more than being able to facilitate a retrospective or provide guidance on building a burn-up chart.  Agile coaching requires a deep concern for the team, as individuals and as a cohesive group, and the ability to help others achieve their full potential.  The goal of the coach should be to make the team self-sufficient, effectively working themselves out of a job.

The coach questions the team’s practices advise on ways to adapt their process, holds the mirror up so the team is forced to examine their approach and continually encourages them to do better.

So, who would become a coach – someone who sees their role as being to help others achieve their best, one who cares about the outcomes of project delivery, someone who understands organisation dynamics,  understands interpersonal relationship models and motivation factors, who is able to bring to bear experience in the project/product realm (a doer, not just a thinker) and someone who is trained to support and guide others.  Good coaches are first born, and must then be made – intuitive understanding is not sufficient, a coach needs to know why they know things and be able to articulate those things in a way that others can learn and apply.  Coaching is definitely not a role for everyone – many will be unsuited or disinterested in the role, but for those who are suited to the role it will be a wonderfully fulfilling and enjoyable adventure helping others achieve greatness.

Posted by Shane Hastie