If your business is moving to new software, methodology, or hiring new staff members, you may want to consider the benefits of agile coaching. Agile coaches can make the transition easier for you and help you and your colleagues work as a team as you embrace new practices. Before you make your hiring decision, here are some things to think about.
Hiring the Right Agile Coach
If you’re looking for an agile coach to improve your company, it is important that you select the right individual. Agile coaching can be a beneficial investment for your company so you need to narrow down your choices and find the coach who can lead your team to professional success. By now, you are probably aware that working with Agile principles results in fast and efficient delivery. There are several Agile methodologies to choose from including XP, Scrum, and Kanban, so you’ll need to know which one will work best for your company to achieve the best results.
Are you looking for quick results? Are you striving for more flexibility? Do you want to offer better products and services to customers? If you answered yes to any of these questions, there’s a good chance your IT business could use the assistance of a qualified agile coach.
Keep in mind that Agile coaching will also bring about a cultural shift in your company. This means you’ll have to be more transparent with your team members and certain projects will gain more visibility within your organization.
When you’re interviewing an agile coach, it’s crucial that the coach has a clear understanding of all the details concerning your business before you hire him/her.
The Role of Agile Coaches
In a nutshell, agile coaches assist businesses in changing and rethinking the methods they use for professional development. The coach will address issues like team collaboration and workflow practices.
Agile coaches have several roles and apply their knowledge of the industry to help your company achieve the best results.
Agile experts, Esther Derby and Don Gray, state that there are nine main roles that Agile coaches must fulfill to benefit the businesses they serve.
Here are each of the roles in more detail so you can determine if you need an agile coach on your team.
Counselor
Counselors listen to and evaluate issues and create a safe professional environment to make Agile a success.
Facilitator
Agile coaches are facilitators and encourage conflict resolution and schedule meetings to improve colleague relations.
Reflective Observer
As a reflective observer, the agile coach will watch and analyze interactions between your team and provide an objective take on things you may not have noticed.
Coach
Of course, coaching is part of the agile expert’s job. This is not the same as mentoring or teaching since coaching helps you and your team unlock your leadership skills by asking thought-provoking questions. The coach is also there to provide support as you make professional transitions.
Teacher
If the agile coach sees there is a lack of knowledge on a certain subject within your company, the coach will take on a teacher role or reinforce certain principles that you and your colleagues may be struggling with.
Technical Advisor
If your team is experiencing technical difficulties, agile coaches provide technical guidance to help you deal with IT issues promptly.
Example
The agile coach helps your team adopt new methods and practices. He/she leads by example and helps to ease any doubts or fears team members may have about getting started with new in-office systems.
Hands-On Guide
An agile coach will lead you step by step so you’ll learn how to handle new systems or workplace practices with ease. This can ease the nervousness that some employees may feel when operating new systems in the office.
Partner
Finally, an agile coach works as a part of the organization. However, it is important to remember that the agile coach is not responsible for your company achieving company goals. The coach is there to influence and guide you so you can meet your objectives.
Now that you know what it takes to hire an agile coach, keep a few things in mind. Remember that a lot of people call themselves agile coaches these days so the coach you choose should have professional experience and recommendations from Agile communities.
