DEV3L on Coaching Agile Teams
Tags: agile, coach
Published: 2021-06-23 18:59:59

---
title: DEV3L on Coaching Agile Teams
published: true
description: The term Agile Coach has been used to describe a myriad of roles within the Software Development space - anywhere from a Scrum Master, Project Manager, to an agile curious Technical Lead. Coaching Agile Teams by Lyssa Adkins is the definitive book on what truly makes an Agile Coach.
tags: agile, coach 
cover_image: https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/awkweo8gkn91salqpnv8.jpeg
---

The term **Agile Coach** has been used to describe a myriad of roles within the Software Development space - anywhere from a Scrum Master, Project Manager, to an agile curious Technical Lead. *Coaching Agile Teams: A Companion for ScrumMasters, Agile Coaches, and Project Managers in Transition* by [Lyssa Adkins](https://twitter.com/coachagileteams) is the definitive book on what truly makes an **Agile Coach**.

---

![](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/xga53x7ehqlpav42jbb0.png)

Coaching a full-time job for agile coach, and part-time job for all leaders

Constantly need to reawaken and refocus

`Take it to the team`

# Ch1 - Will I Be A Good Coach

![](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/zarsu0wyz4lcz5jg3zik.jpeg)
Agile is sufficient, coaching deepens it

Agile exposes the dirt - sunlight is the best disinfectant

40% Doing, 60% Being - a agile coach models agile all the time!

Time and budget remain constant, only scope is flexible

**Native Wiring**:
- Read room
- Care for people over products
- Cultivate curiosity
- People basically good
- Act in the moment
- Thirst for learning
- Excellence worth pursuing
- Intolerance for "way we do it here"
- Messiness is expected
- Risk being wrong

`Find your voice`

**Journey to Coach**

![](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/4nl4rtxuc2b0dlngfazz.jpeg)

# Ch2 - Expect High Performance

Quest for high performance moves away from the hamster wheel - autonomy, mastery, purpose #drive

High performance is a journey towards something better - next right thing

`Lead by believing`

**High Performance Tree**, roots as values - team kick off technique

![](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/j2pk1ij76l3p2z75mhd8.jpeg)

# Ch3 - Master Yourself

Coaching starts with you, but *it's not about you*

When you coach, `bring yourself`

Start with self, identify growing edge

![](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/awkweo8gkn91salqpnv8.jpeg)

Identify **Conflict Resolution Style**

Use **Nonviolent Communication** - *for leaders there is no such thing as a trivial comment*

Practice your **Servant Leadership**

Grow your **Emotional Intelligence**

Master yourself in the moment

Master higher levels of listening

# Ch4 - Let Your Style Change

**Shu-Ha-Ri**

![](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/fgasqstt21jcaue4g5ma.jpeg)

The student is the teacher, the teacher is the student

**Agile Coach Styles**:
- Teaching
- Coaching
- Advising

![](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/u182arzmwukvyjkjpcri.jpeg)

# Ch5 - Coach as Coach-Mentor

**Achievements**:
- Astonishing results
- Healthier growing teams
- Help individuals next step

Coach team at beginning and end, then individuals in the middle

Be present, *coach out loud as*

**Tone**: loving, compassionate, uncompromising

Meet them half step ahead of where they are - one on one agile coaching

Guarantee safety - Psychological Safety as a Prerequisite #modernagile

Open with observation or invitation

# Ch6 - Coach as Facilitator

Coach creates container, team creates content

`Their meeting, not mine` - focus, wander, attention

**Self-sufficiency** is the goal

Help them *see*

## Agile Ceremonies

**Stand up** - commitment and coordination

**Sprint planning** - know work, fresh start, shared goals, focus

**Sprint review** - true up, show and tell, feedback, ask for help

**Retrospective** - inspect and adapt, how, do better 

# Ch7 - Coach as Teacher

![](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/johccxb8f1m0gv5efdye.jpeg)

Learn about process, team, and work - **GO**

Understand teams current agile aptitude, then reinforced core competencies

Break ice for the team, but don't spend all day - more success task orienting team over relationships

Create a **Shared Vision** that engages on multiple levels - individual, team, company

![](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/xy580yyncdbhpup90n6d.jpeg)

Create team norms, aka **Working Agreements** - values, social, logistics, and conflict resolution

Work ahead - envision, backlog, get going

Constantly teach agile roles - PO, Manager, Coach

![](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/gwoldu8613v9uglm1aae.jpeg)

# Ch8 - Coach as Problem Solver

Do not inflict help on team - let them learn to solve own problems - empower

`Doing something for someone else, is doing something too someone else`

It's the team's commitment - take the problem to the team

Don't go looking for problems, address them as they arise

**Rubric**:
- problem
- pause
- take to team
- allow team to act, or not

**Problem Levels**:
- process
- performance
- team dynamics

Run health checks - **Agile Team Dynamics**

When problems arise, get some space - sleep on it - reaffirm agile process that can solve

[Agile Manifesto](https://agilemanifesto.org/) and [Principles](https://agilemanifesto.org/principles.html) are the source

Reveal the system to itself #orsc

`System is organic, not mechanistic`

# Ch9 - Coach as Conflict Navigator

**Escalation Path Conflict Model**

![](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/jl7rpmjzl8lvysrait7i.jpeg)

- hear complaints
- feel energy
- observe language

Teams often can self navigate up to level three - self organization

**Response modes**:
- analyze
- structures
- reveal

Don't carry complaints for team, have individuals address other party directly when possible

**Intervention Steps**:
- have you shared with party?
 - dry run?
- would it help if I go with you?
 - when/where
 - dry run?
- may I tell party on your behalf?

`No anonymous complaints`

Boost positivity to negativity ratio - at least three good to bad

# Ch10 - Coach as Collaboration Conductor

**Cooperation or Collaboration**
- Collaboration: greater sum parts
 - emergence
- Cooperation: sum parts
 - smooth transitions

Collaboration built upon cooperation

**Collaboration Behaviors**:
- speak unspeakable
- build up
- here all voices
- nurture collaboration intimacy
- faith in emergence
- get unstuck
- play seriously together

Human beings first, then work mates

`Make sure all voices heard`

When muscle is built, go conductorless

# Ch11 - Agile Coach Failure, Recovery, and Success Modes

**Failure Modes**:
- spy
- seagull
- opinionator
- admin
- hub
- butterfly
- expert
- nag

Recover - replace fear with trust

**Success Modes**:
- magician
- child
- ear
- heckler
- wise fool
- creeping vine
- dreamer
- megaphone

Practice, awareness, next right thing

# Ch12 - When Will I Get There

No finish line, keep learning and integrating skills

**Skills**:
- instilled agile practices
- started up agile team
- coach 1x1
- coached team
- coach po
- coached outsiders
- coach change
- instigated paths to performance
- accepted their ideas
- mastered yourself
- model agile values and principles
- navigated conflict
- self-path of growth
- started giving back

Measure self as leader, not manager

`Only you know when you have arrived`

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Reference Journal Events: [Start](https://twitter.com/dev3l_/status/1390468571046813698), [Finish](https://twitter.com/dev3l_/status/1393661317811220481)