1) The document discusses a solution focused approach to agile coaching. It emphasizes asking questions to help clients move to a solution state rather than analyzing problems. 2) Key aspects of solution focused coaching include defining goals, eliciting options and resources, focusing on possible solutions, and using systemic questions to find differences that make a difference. 3) Systemic questions, scales, miracles, and interviews are techniques presented to help coaches and clients envision what is different when the problem is solved and move towards solutions.

1. Solution
Focused
Approach to
Agile Coaching
Pierluigi Pugliese - Connexxo

2. Imagine...

3. Solution Focused:
Asking Questions
- Steve De Shazer, Insoo Kim Berg
et al.
- “All of the Facts belong only to
the Problem, not to its
Solution”
Asking for Solutions is
more efficient than
digging in Problem analysis

4. 1
2. Experience
How? the difference
3. Find path to
solution, backwards
The
Goal
The
Client Problem
1. Move to the solution State

5. The Problem

6. The Solution State

7. Where in Agile?
Team Coaching
1-to-1 Coaching
Daily
Meetings
Sprint
Product
Increment
Demonstration
Product Sprint
and
Backlog Backlog
Retrospective
It’s an attitude when asking questions!

8. Coaching Solution Focused
- Define the goal - Elicit options and
- Ask, don’t suggest resources
- Don’t judge - Focus on possible
solutions
- Wait as much as needed!

9. Systemic - What would be
different?
Questions - What resources did
you use?
Suppose you
- How would you
recognise it?
have achieved - How would other
your goal... people recognise it?

10. Systemic Questions
Find the difference that
makes the difference
and ask about it!

11. What else?
And what else?

12. Circular
Questions
- How would P do it?
- How would P notice it?
- What would P say?

13. Why not why?
- Use the question “why”
sparingly!
- Elicits values
- Promotes problem analysis
- Rationalises the irrational
- Stabilises the status quo

14. Your turn...
- Client wants to solve a
problem
- Coach asks Systemic
questions
- Observers are
timekeepers and
provide feedback
- When problem solved
or time expired: give
feedback
- Exchange roles, repeat

15. Scales 10
Goal
Steps to
Solution
5
Now
Past
Resources
1

16. Miracles
- Imagine... a totally normal evening
- Sleep normally
- A miracle happens and the problem you had is gone
- But you don’t know that, because you were sleeping
- You wake up in the morning: how would you
recognise the problem is gone? How would the
others react?

17. Interviews
- I [the coach] am a journalist of the
[newspaper, magazine, TV, radio,
internet news...]
- I’m here to interview you [the
Client] because you have solved
brilliantly the problem X
- All our listeners/viewers/readers/...
want to know how you did it
- What was the last step to it?
- What was the step before the last?
- What was different since you
achieved your goal?

18. Your turn...
- Client wants to solve a
problem
- Coach asks Scales and
Systemic questions
- Observers are
timekeepers and
provide feedback
- When problem solved
or time expired: give
feedback
- Exchange roles, repeat

19. Imagine...
- Back to the office, you have
used successfully these
techniques
- What did you do differently?
- Where did you apply them?
- How did your colleagues
notice you are now mastering
these techniques?

20. Questions?
Now or email ppugliese [at] connexxo [dot] com

21. Pierluigi Pugliese
Connexxo
www.connexxo.com
blog.connexxo.com
@p_pugliese