The best coaches introduce new ways of working that help teams collaborate and solve difficult problems in fresh ways, from the early stages of a project to launch and beyond. Listed below are 5 key success factors that define the most successful Agile coaches:
- Earn the trust of the team: The best Agile coaches will listen, observe, and understand what the team is trying to achieve. They speak the team’s language and understand their pain points.
- Be on the hook with the team: An Agile coach helps articulates what success looks like and is accountable with the team in delivering valuable outcomes. It’s not enough for teams to become more Agile; the ultimate goal is to deliver more value for the business. Agile is an enabler, not an end in itself. The coach needs to be rewarded for the same outcomes as the team
- Be patient: Top coaches develop the team’s capabilities in areas where they can deliver the most value. They give a team a taste of what success looks like and get them to see the value in doing things differently.
- Be a doer: Coaches don’t just sit on the sidelines and give advice. They act as a consultant and get things done: handle the prep for an inception workshop, help the team interview customers to develop a better customer journey workshop, or serve as a great project manager to make the design sprint go smoothly.
- Be a connector: They don’t have all the answers and don’t try to solve all the problems. Instead, they become a trusted advisor by connecting the team with the resources they need to be successful.