What is Agile Coach
Agile coach: The individual is an agile expert who provides guidance for new agile implementations as well as existing agile teams. The agile coach is experienced in employing agile techniques in different environments and has successfully run diverse agile projects. The individual builds and maintains relationships with everyone involved, coaches individuals, trains groups, and facilitates interactive workshops. The agile coach is typically from outside the organization, and the role may be temporary or permanent.
― Scott M. Graffius, Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change
FAQ
What are the differences between Scrum Master and Agile Coach?
In general, they are very similar roles, as they are both responsible for implementing agile thinking and practices. The main difference is in the scope, experience and impact:
- Scrum Master works in one team, knowing all the team members and the project through and through. Agile coach is more independent and works with multiple teams and / or management;
- Agile Coach focuses more on implementing agile working methods in the organization rather than supporting team members;
- Agile Coach has 5+ years of experience working with various agile frameworks (Scrum, Kanban, SAFe);
- Agile Coach works closely with Scrum Masters, these two roles complement each other on the journey of agile transformation.
What is Agile Coach role and responsibility?
- Make the different teams and individual employees aware of their strengths and weaknesses so that they can develop towards an Agile mindset.
- Promote a healthy group dynamic by offering the teams new tools and techniques.
- Allow teams and activities to work together effectively, for example by implementing the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe).
What is Scrum?
Scrum is an agile development framework that divides large processes into small pieces to increase efficiency, and relies on effective teamwork and high value creation.
Scrum is widely used as a software development methodology, enabling product creation with maximum creativity and efficiency.
What are Scrum Values?
- Courage – The Scrum Team members have the courage to do the right thing and work on tough problems
- Focus – Everyone focuses on the work of the sprint and goals of the Scrum Team
- Commitment – People personally commit to achieving the goals of the Scrum Team
- Respect – Scrum Team members respect each other to be capable, independent people
- Openness – The Scrum Team and the stakeholders agree to be open about all the work and the challenges with performing the work
https://guntherverheyen.com/2013/05/03/theres-value-in-the-scrum-values/
Agile Coaching Competency Framework
Agile Coach should be an expert in different fields, including technical and classic coaching areas. The framework below visualises the most essential competences grouped into four main sections. An Agile Coach should have at least one competence in each quadrant.
See more: https://dandypeople.com/blog/agile-coaching-in-a-nutshell/
It doesn’t matter how good you are today; if you’re not better next month, you’re no longer agile.
- Mike Cohn, Agile trainer and author
