We work with Agile teams and practitioners of all levels – from the early adopter gurus to those just getting started. And, regardless of your level of experience or expertise, all projects can benefit from help from time to time. We are often asked, “Do I need an Agile coach?” This post will explore the […]
We work with Agile teams and practitioners of all levels – from the early adopter gurus to those just getting started. And, regardless of your level of experience or expertise, all projects can benefit from help from time to time.
We are often asked, “Do I need an Agile coach?” This post will explore the need for Agile coaching on new or existing teams, as well as what to look for when seeking a coach.
In short, Agile coaches can help new or established teams for a short, medium, or long duration.
For teams that are new to Agile, implementing Agile without a coach is often challenging. Organizations who invest in Agile training, but expect teams to implement Agile immediately, are often unsuccessful because the teams lack the experience necessary to apply the principles learned in training to their existing projects.
Not only does this result in a wasted investment, it often also slows the momentum of a team who is excited about Agile, but sees that it falls flat after training. For these teams, a coach is necessary to help establish the Agile mindset and reinforce the principles and practices learned in training.
On existing teams, every team will inevitably come across barriers they don’t know how to solve, especially as their teams grow and the scope of their work evolves.
The best way to fix those barriers is to bring in an outside, impartial perspective. A coach who is flexible and experienced can address specific challenges faced by teams in short durations. You can engage with a coach to get coaching for a day, a sprint, or a greater length of time to help a team work through barriers and challenges.
The better a coach is able to understand your environment, the better poised they will be to help you modify your Agile practices to suit your needs. We recommend looking at three things when considering hiring a coach:
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