how to hire an agile coach

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

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Page 1: How to Hire an Agile Coach

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

Page 2: How to Hire an Agile Coach

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 • PIRs / Lessons Learned

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!

Page 3: How to Hire an Agile Coach

MIGHT I SUGGEST?

Page 4: How to Hire an Agile Coach

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

Busi

ness

IT

C-Level

SVP of something

VP LOB 1

Director

Mgr

Page 5: How to Hire an Agile Coach

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

Busi

ness

IT

C-Level

SVP of something

VP LOB 1

Director

Mgr

Page 6: How to Hire an Agile Coach

WHY?

C-Level

Various Resources

SVP Delivery

VP LOB 1 VP LOB 2 VP Tech

Program Mgr Director

QA Mgr Dev Mgr Mgr

Director

Busi

ness

IT

C-Level

SVP of something

VP LOB 1

Director

Mgr

Objective: Make pilot team in LOB 1 more

agile.

Page 7: How to Hire an Agile Coach

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

Busi

ness

IT

C-Level

SVP of something

VP LOB 1

Director

Mgr

TEAM LEVEL COACHES

MULTI-TEAM, MANAGEMENT, PROGRAM LEVEL COACHES

EXECUTIVE LEVEL COACHES

Page 8: How to Hire an Agile Coach

THE FIRST COACH?

http://www.jamesshore.com/Agile-Book/the_xp_team.html

Page 9: How to Hire an Agile Coach

COACHING ECOSYSTEM

ACI

ICF

IAC Results

GROW

Popular “Coaching” Frameworks

- principles - masteries - frameworks - MUCH more rigor - multi-year credentials - (see notes for links!)

CTI

Page 10: How to Hire an Agile Coach

ACI FRAMEWORK

Page 11: How to Hire an Agile Coach

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!!!!

Page 12: How to Hire an Agile Coach

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!”

Page 13: How to Hire an Agile Coach

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”

Page 14: How to Hire an Agile Coach

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”

Page 15: How to Hire an Agile Coach

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…”

Page 16: How to Hire an Agile Coach

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…”

Page 17: How to Hire an Agile Coach

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…”

Page 18: How to Hire an Agile Coach

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!”

Page 19: How to Hire an Agile Coach

YOUR ARCHETYPE

MethodologyBigotGranolaEater

PragmatistZealot

TeamPlayerDisruptor

IntelectualCoach’sCoach

not at all like me yup, that’s me

Dear Chris: yes I’m aware of the 100+ cognitive biasesthat show why this can’t be accurate. Did you catch the other

problem?https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cognitive_biases

Page 20: How to Hire an Agile Coach

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

Page 21: How to Hire an Agile Coach

FINDING A COACH

WHERE WILL YOUR COACH PLAY?

Organization

Executive

Management

Team/Project

1

Page 22: How to Hire an Agile Coach

FINDING A COACH

WHAT SKILLS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT?

2

Page 23: How to Hire an Agile Coach

FINDING A COACH

WHAT DO YOU EXPECT?

3

Page 24: How to Hire an Agile Coach

MATCHING YOU AND YOUR COACH

what you want what they’re offering

4

Page 25: How to Hire an Agile Coach

INTERVIEWING AND DECIDING

5 Visualizeyourcandidate’sprofiles

decidewhattradeoffsyou’llmake

lettheteaminterviewthecandidates

hire3foraweektoauditionthem

alwaysstartwithanexitstrategy

Page 26: How to Hire an Agile Coach

CHOOSE A STAR!

Let’shelpsomeonefindacoach

Onepersonistheclient

Othertablemembers,helpthemcreateaprofileforwhatthey’relookingfor

**Ifyou’reanAgileCoach,createyourownprofile(coachesdon’tparticipateattables!)

Page 27: How to Hire an Agile Coach

LET’S DEBRIEF

Tellthegroupyoursituation

Describetheprofileyouthinkyou’relookingfor

AgileCoaches:showyourprofile,givefeedback

Page 28: How to Hire an Agile Coach

MORE INFORMATIONhttp://leanintuit.com/downloads

http://www.slideshare.net/LucaMinudel/leanagile-coach-selfassessment

http://coachingcocktails.com/

https://itsunderstood.com/agile-training/new-coach-circles/