Agile Coaching
Have you ever found yourself at a crossroads, where a single decision could redefine your career? That was me in the spring of 2014, as I transitioned from leading a high-stakes modeling & simulation team supporting the Intelligence Community to embracing the role of Agile Coach full time, thanks to a nudge from a mentor who believed in me.
That nudge was an invitation to attend the Agile Coaching Institute's 5 day bootcamp of agile coaching and team facilitation, a roller-coaster ride of learning and self-discovery. Imagine a place where your beliefs are not just challenged but turned upside down and at the same time you’re gaining confidence through practicing new skills. I felt a true calling to supporting others through coaching. The journey wasn't just about collecting certifications; it was about rewriting my professional narrative.
Agile Coaching
I believe agile coaching is a comprehensive role that transcends mere knowledge of agile methodologies. It requires a deep understanding of change management, a commitment to continuous improvement, and the ability to work effectively with people at all levels of an organization. Agile coaches play a crucial role in guiding leaders, teams and organizations through the transformation process, ensuring that agile principles are deeply embedded into their culture and practices, leading to more adaptive, innovative, and customer-focused ways of working.
What a good Agile Coach brings to the table
We’ll start first with an image because I’m a visual person and you might be too. The Agile Coaching Competency Model is a comprehensive guide that outlines the key skills and knowledge areas essential for effective agile coaching.
Practitioner First: Before becoming a coach, I was in the trenches myself, from learning agile as a project manager at Dell to being a scrum master on groundbreaking projects. These experiences laid the foundation for my coaching approach.
Consultant and Collaborator: Yes - agile coaching includes consulting. Effective coaching involves guiding teams, leaders, and organizations through technical, business, and transformational mastery.
Facilitator: Whether it's turning meetings from mundane to productive or leading strategic offsites, facilitation is key to the agile coaching role. One of my favorite sessions was planning a 3 day offsite for a CMO and his leadership team. They wanted to define their strategy and outcomes for their digital marketing transformation and tackle the challenges the changes would bring. As their facilitator I interviewed each leader to get their input to the agenda and desired outcomes, I designed a session based on their context and goals, facilitated the 3 days, and then followed up with a summary of the offsite. A good facilitator prepares, delivers and follows up after the engagement.
Individual and Team Coach: The international coaching federation defines coaching as “a creative and thought provoking process that helps clients reach their full potential.” I believe that holding space for leaders and teams to explore their goals and potentials is one of the best gifts I can give them. Growth happens in the coaching journey and it leads to a person’s ability to thrive.
Teacher: Training adults means being skilled at conveying concepts in a meaningful way including tailoring the approach for more than one modality and based on learner context. At Google I had to adjust my training strategy on the fly many times while delivering Agile Mindset and Scrum courses because the learners had such a diverse background of skills and experience. I find it vital to complement a bit of theory with a lot of practical application so that learners walk away feeling confident to experiment with what they learned.
Mentor: As a mentor, I will ask questions and listen to understand context and goals, and then provide relevant options without any attachment and that are in service to you and your growth. I will not provide mentoring on topics where I have no experience or knowledge.
Lead. Grow. Thrive.
This mantra encapsulates the essence of my coaching. As we journey together, we'll lead with empathy, grow through challenges, and thrive by adapting and innovating. My path to coaching has been both a personal and professional transformation, and I invite you to join me in this continuous journey of improvement.
