Coaching Approaches

Unstructured Agile Coaching

Unstructured agile coaching provides a tailored approach to resolve current challenges and address issues in the moment and as they are happening. This may relate to some tension experienced with how a team is working, or needing deeper insights into the current ways of working. Several formats for coaching conversations include:

• Executive Coaching - To enable leaders in an organisation to understand how they can support an eco-system within which teams can thrive
• One to One Coaching - To enable individuals to understand the principles and practices of agile, challenge their perspectives and encourage them to grow and evolve
• One to Many Coaching - To enable groups or teams to understand the principles and practices of agile, challenge their perspectives and encourage team ownership of their agile transition

Philosophy of Agile Coaching

The current philosophy of agile coaching that is used is based upon the "ShuHaRi" concepts of Japanese learning models which have been used in martial arts for example. (N.B. These ideas can also be roughly translated in PinYin Chinese as Di Ren Tian.)

Shu – “Obey” or Di – “Earth”

At this level, the student is expected to imitate the sensei and follow tradition. This may involve practicing the same basic steps until an intuitive understanding is achieved when the steps are no longer mechanical in nature and are used with a fluid and intuitive understanding of the steps.

Coaching this level may include training such as working through a number of iterations using the Scrum or Kanban frameworks in a simulated project environment such as with the Lego City / Island simulations for example, mentoring and one to one and one to many coaching in addition to practical use of agile techniques.

The content at this level may include agile practices predominantly with some reference to the underlying agile values and principles.

Ha – “Detach” or Ren – “Human”

At this level, the student is expected to have an intuitive understanding of the basics and may begin to develop their own “style” and begin to detach from traditional approaches with creative application of standard techniques.

Coaching this level may include one to one coaching with deep socratic questioning and active listening techniques, whiteboard work with a many to many coaching approach with a group of similar students at the same level.

The content at this level is less about the agile practices, but more about applying the agile principles and values to real life situations often with open ended discussion. Systems thinking and servant leadership may well begin to form at this level.

Ri – “Separate” or Tian – “Heaven”

At this level there are no analogies or stories. The student may well be alone in their own understanding, and they may not have a defined technique anymore. The student is unbounded and has separated with tradition to pursue new and novel approaches.

Coaching at this level may take the form of active discussion or research with feedback and further study sought.

The content may well be beyond the existing agile content available and beyond the perceived boundaries with new and novel approaches described.