How to Hire an Agile Coach
@JASONLITTLE | LEANINTUIT.COM

OK, WHAT THE HELL?
Job Description:
• This role is to provide direct coaching and support to programs, projects & teams that are standing up, actively planning, and executing using an Agile operating model that is being developed and adopted by <GROUP>.
• The Senior Agile Delivery Coach will provide leadership in the definition of the agile blueprint and plan for delivery entities in the area of agile organization design; enablement of best practices that includes successful on-boarding,
training, implementation and deployment of accelerated delivery principles for projects within <GROUP>. The Senior Agile Delivery Coach will provide direct support to the larger (Tier 1 & 2) programs while supporting indirect and SME
support through the team of Delivery Coaches to the balance of the <GROUP> portfolios.
Must Have Skills:
• Minimum 5+ Years’ experience in an Agile delivery/transformation/training/coaching role
• Minimum 5+ Years’ experience in large organizational transformations
• Proven experience in coaching agile software development and/or delivery teams with regard to helping organizations adapt to an agile methodology and mind set.
• Someone with a passion for agile, pragmatism about what agile looks like during a transformation; and a genuine commitment to helping people and organizations get better at what they do.
• Hands-on experience and previous accountability for delivery outcomes using Agile practices.
• Significant experience working with Agile methodologies, (Scrum is key)
• Prior experience in Software development and exposure to modern technologies (Strong software development background)
Must Have Soft Skills:
• Be an effective communicator at all levels, in both structured and non-hierarchical, informal structures
• Strong negotiations skills and ability to create ‘win-win’ outcomes.
• Outstanding customer service attributes both internally and externally
• Problem Solving / Analytical Thinking Skills
• Strong political savvy and sensitivity to cultural diversity
• Willingness to confront and be confronted
• Ability to work successfully with other strong egos
• Expertise in Training, Mentoring and Coaching
Nice To Have:
• Certified or Equivalent Experience in at least one Agile Delivery Methodology (CSM / CSP / CSC /PMI-ACP / SAFe )
• PMP or Prince2 Practitioner designations an asset
• Experience in DevOps is an asset
• Client’s Experience
Practice Management:
• Decisive coaching and mentoring of teams around client's <method> Delivery methodologies
• Facilitate definition & sharing of accelerated delivery best practices through informal communication channels and/or formal training sessions
• Support the on-going modification and implementation of a new Target Operating Model for agile delivery
Portfolio Governance:
• Work with the executive team and key project stakeholders to facilitate portfolio planning sessions for fiscal and on-going portfolio planning
• Support the changes required to project delivery and governance roles to affect a more delegated authority at the project team level
• Provide input in the development and maintain ongoing the portfolio reporting that accurately reflects the project health and financial status of agile projects
• Evolve the center of excellence governance process by providing insights from the active programs / projects
Program/Execution:
• Consult on agile model specifics that apply to the unique attributes of large programs, including organizational design around a product enabled delivery approach.
• Show the way - enable and maintain processes and communication to support geographically distributed delivery for agile
• Work with team members and team lead to facilitate risk-based prioritization sessions for iteration planning
• Support team through work list preparation (reduction to smallest part), and estimation techniques (Planning Poker)
• Execute Workshops and Leadership Seminars
Deliverables:
• Creation of the agile blueprint for large programs and dedicated LOB through intake engagement and discovery approaches in partnership with business and TS leaders.
• Strong direction and guidance towards the achievement of the target Agile operating state for programs and LOB.
• Agile enabled delivery teams
• In-team active coaching
• Mentoring on agility including junior coaches within Agile CoE
• Engagement / Initiation support
• Value and Benefits Realization through agile enablement
• Health Checks and Risk Monitoring
• Governance Design
kick ass developer
agile mindset
coach teams on our
prescriptive method
Willingness to confront and
be confronted?
work with executives
evolve governance process
mentor/train coaches
team-level process
coaching
evolve agile transformation
roadmap
any certification please!

MIGHT I SUGGEST?

WHERE PEOPLE THINK COACHES WORK
C-Level
Various
Resources
SVP Delivery
VP LOB 1 VP LOB 2 VP Tech
Program Mgr Director
QA Mgr Dev Mgr Mgr
Director
Business
IT
C-Level
SVP of
something
VP LOB 1
Director
Mgr

WHERE COACHES ACTUALLY WORK
C-Level
Various
Resources
SVP Delivery
VP LOB 1 VP LOB 2 VP Tech
Program Mgr Director
QA Mgr Dev Mgr Mgr
Director
Business
IT
C-Level
SVP of
something
VP LOB 1
Director
Mgr

WHY?
C-Level
Various
Resources
SVP Delivery
VP LOB 1 VP LOB 2 VP Tech
Program Mgr Director
QA Mgr Dev Mgr Mgr
Director
Business
IT
C-Level
SVP of
something
VP LOB 1
Director
Mgr
Objective: Make pilot
team in LOB 1 more
agile.

DIFFERENT SKILLS NEEDED
C-Level
Various
Resources
SVP Delivery
VP LOB 1 VP LOB 2 VP Tech
Program Mgr Director
QA Mgr Dev Mgr Mgr
Director
Business
IT
C-Level
SVP of
something
VP LOB 1
Director
Mgr
TEAM LEVEL COACHES
MULTI-TEAM, MANAGEMENT, PROGRAM LEVEL
COACHES
EXECUTIVE LEVEL COACHES

THE FIRST COACH?
http://www.jamesshore.com/Agile-Book/the_xp_team.html

COACHING ECOSYSTEM
ACI
ICF
IAC Results
GROW
Popular “Coaching”
Frameworks
- principles
- masteries
- frameworks
- MUCH more rigor
- multi-year credentials
- (see notes for links!)
CTI

ACI FRAMEWORK

THE METHODOLOGY BIGOT
Strengths: knows their method inside
and out, knows how to apply it and
probably has lots of stories and
anecdotal evidence.
Weaknesses: dismisses ideas from
other methods, can become defensive
when their method is attacked or
misused.
Natural Habitat: Can be observed at their native <method> conferences
and trolling people on their <method> specific Linked In forms
Spotting One: number of times they say their method of choice in the
interview. Answers most questions with how their method works.
Challenging them: Tell a story where their method didn’t work and what
happened or how they’d work in an environment that uses multiple
methods.
That’s not how <method> works, you’re doing it wrong!!!!

THE GRANOLA EATER
Strengths: cares deeply for people,
brings more than ‘agile’ tools, extremely
thoughtful, deliberate, warm and caring.
Weaknesses: may not have a thick
enough skin for enterprise coaching, or
hostile environments.
Natural Habitat: The local hemp or organic food store.
Spotting One: Can become preachy at times, is EXTREMELY offended by
this slide. (sorry!) 8-D
Challenging them: The organization has decided to layoff 100 people, 12
of which are on teams you coach, what would you do?
“you need to build a learning org so we can all learn and share!”

THE PRAGMATIST
Strengths: well read, brings well-
rounded tools/ideas from multiple
disciplines, well connected to many
different communities.
Weaknesses: may confuse you with too
many options, may seem egotistical
due to their knowledge, will complain I
missed something in this preso
Natural Habitat: Multi-discipline conferences, re-posting IFL Science
posts on Facebook.
Spotting One: number of times they suggest ‘non-agile’ tools/ideas,
answers most questions with ‘it depends’, and/or answers questions
with stories.
Challenging them: Ask how they operate in a highly regulated
environment with established standards.
“here’s something I saw at another org, it might just work for you”

THE ZEALOT
Strengths: cares for people, firmly
believes in the Agile Manifesto,
courageous, inspiring at times, courage
of convictions
Weaknesses: may lash out when
values/principles aren’t enacted, unable
to budge from ‘their view’ of what Agile
is.
Natural Habitat: Trolling Linked In forums telling everyone their wrong.
Also tweeting out how wrong I am during this preso. (make sure to take
me!) 8-D
Spotting One: Gets preachy when challenged about ideas that contradict
the agile manifesto, may have a messiah complex, might walk out of this
preso after reading this. (sorry!) 8-D
Challenging them: Ask them what they’d do in a harsh environment, or
toxic culture that needs time to transition and “just can’t” follow the
values/principles yet.
“agile is mindset. You can’t DO Agile, you have to BE Agile”

THE TEAM PLAYER
Strengths: curious, extremely relatable,
strong at establishing great
relationships with teams quickly,
helpful and genuine.
Weaknesses: may ‘go native’ and try to
protect the team, might not be able to
(or interested in) address organizational
barriers due to strong team focus.
Natural Habitat: In their basement writing code or contributing to open
source projects in their spare time.
Spotting One: Goes right into the details of the project or technology
during the interview, wants to meet the team before deciding to join.
Challenging them: How would they operate in an environment where
senior leadership wants standard tools/practices across teams.
“cool! show me what you’re building…what technology are you using…”

THE DISRUPTOR
Strengths: stupidly courageous,
understands interconnectedness of
organizations, fair, takes the bullet for
the team/org, swears sometimes.
Weaknesses: can be disruptive for the
sake of disruption, appears egotistical,
writes offensive coach profiles, tells
brutal truth, swears sometimes.
Natural Habitat: Unemployment office.
Spotting One: challenges everything, asks “why not” instead of
following the status quo, attacks problems head-on, probably has long
hair and wears shirts with funny slogans.
Challenging them: go for it and see what happens.
“let’s try this…better to ask for forgiveness…”

THE INTELECTUAL
Strengths: wicked smart. skilled at
simplifying complex problems, helps
people attach meaning to their
observations through their knowledge
Weaknesses: uses words like
“obsequiousness”, may be long on
theory - short on experience, might
make you feel dumb.
Natural Habitat: Quora.
Spotting One: wears jeans and a sport coat, may or may not be named
Chris, has a nice haircut.
Challenging them: tell a story about how you applied <that theory>
“Coloniality may be thought as an initially imposed epistemology…”

THE COACH’S COACH
Strengths: Upbeat, extremely
inquisitive, authentic, genuine,
empathetic, doesn’t need context to
help coach people through challenges
Weaknesses: might not have worked on
a software team before, may be too
‘coachy’ at times, may not be disruptive
enough when it’s needed
Natural Habitat: A retreat, or top of a mountain.
Spotting One: asks more questions than you do. Uses open ended
questions and deliberate language.
Challenging them: say “stop freaking coaching me and tell me what
you’d do!!!”
“wonderful story! Tell me more about why you think that worked!”

YOUR ARCHETYPE
Methodology Bigot
Granola Eater
Pragmatist
Zealot
Team Player
Disruptor
Intelectual
Coach’s Coach
not at all like
me
yup, that’s me
Dear Chris: yes I’m aware of the 100+ cognitive biases
that show why this can’t be accurate. Did you catch the other
problem?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cognitive_biases

FINDING AND HIRING A COACH
1 Where will your coach play?
2 What skills are the most important?
3 What do you expect?
4 Match 1 - 3 with the candidate
5 Creative interview tips, and how to decide

FINDING A COACH
WHERE WILL YOUR COACH PLAY?
Organization
Executive
Management
Team/Project
1

FINDING A COACH
WHAT SKILLS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT?
2

FINDING A COACH
WHAT DO YOU EXPECT?
3

MATCHING YOU AND YOUR COACH
what you want what they’re offering
4

INTERVIEWING AND DECIDING
5 Visualize your
candidate’s profiles
decide what tradeoffs you’ll make
let the team interview the candidates
hire 3 for a week to audition them
always start with an exit strategy

CHOOSE A STAR!
Let’s help someone find a coach
One person is the client
Other table members, help them create a
profile for what they’re looking for
**If you’re an Agile Coach, create your own
profile (coaches don’t participate at tables!)

LET’S DEBRIEF
Tell the group your situation
Describe the profile you think you’re looking
for
Agile Coaches: show your profile, give
feedback

MORE INFORMATION
http://leanintuit.com/downloads
http://www.slideshare.net/LucaMinudel/leanagile-coach-
selfassessment
http://coachingcocktails.com/
https://itsunderstood.com/agile-training/new-coach-circles/