Development Team

Agile Coaching

The Role of an Agile Coach / Scrum Master

An Agile Coach / Scrum Master brings their wealth of agile software development experience and various methods to the development team. In every agile development team, someone must fulfill the role of Scrum Master, who guides, advises, mentors, and coaches team members. The team can be newly formed with little agile development experience or an already experienced team; only the desire to learn and grow matters.

The goal of Agile Coaching is to elevate the team to a new level of development in terms of efficiency, meaningfulness, and job satisfaction.

A successful Agile Coach completes their work with a specific team within 3-6 months and is no longer needed by the team thereafter. Often, the Agile Coaching service also includes a 1-on-1 mentoring program for Scrum Masters.

Every development team must find its own path to agility, continuously reflecting on and assessing the current situation, and identifying the right areas for further development.

It is important that the assessment is not carried out by an external individual, but that the team evaluates itself and makes its own decisions.

The Agile Coach’s task is to help facilitate the assessment process and guide the development journey.

Agile Coaching Service Description

Mapping the Existing Process

The Agile Coach’s first task is to understand the client’s business objectives and the development team’s workflow. The team can be newly formed or an experienced team aiming to elevate its efficiency to a new level.

I conduct the mapping through interviews with key stakeholders and a workshop involving the entire team.

Objectives of the Mapping Workshop

Map the team’s obstacles, risks, weaknesses, and strengths
Decide which aspects require the most urgent development
Choose which practices to adopt next
Create an action plan for the initial steps
Share experiences and learn
Discover new ideas to implement

The workshop also provides methods and tools for conducting similar assessments independently in the future, thereby fostering continuous development.

Participants in the workshop gain an overview of their team’s current situation on its agile journey and its development opportunities. By the end of the workshop, a concrete action plan is developed, created by the team itself, to which all members are committed.

Selection of a Suitable Development Methodology

Different development teams utilize various agile development methodologies depending on business needs, such as Scrum, Kanban, ScrumBan, XP, or different hybrids. Experienced teams consciously and continuously refine their workflow, constantly progressing in their development.

I help the team select and refine the development methodology that best suits their needs.

Implementation of Action Plan and Best Practices

I introduce the team to best practices, illustrated with practical examples, that form the foundation of an effective development method. We jointly analyze the benefits each practice brings to the team and their current importance to the team.

We integrate best practices and the action plan developed from the workshop, and begin improving the workflow in small steps. During this period, I guide, mentor, and coach team members both collectively and in 1-on-1 meetings.

Coaching Duration and Outcome

The development team coaching period typically lasts 3-4 months. After this, the team will have achieved its initial goals and fully adopted the renewed workflow. At the end of the period, we measure results and celebrate achievements.

Thereafter, the team continues its regular work, where continuous learning and development are now an integral part of the workflow.

A successful Agile Coach completes their work with a specific team within 3-4 months and is no longer directly needed by the team thereafter. Often, the coaching also includes a mentoring program for a new Scrum Master.