Book Notes from 'Coaching Agile Teams' By Lyssa Adkins
Agile Coach Failure,
Recovery, and Success Modes
- I have categorized common
failures and successes as ways of operating or Modes.
- Failure and success modes.
- As I fell into traps less and
less, the teams I coached got 'inexplicable' better results.
Agile Coach Failure Modes
- The Spy : spends just enough
time observing the team to pick up on topics.
- The Seagull : swoops in at
stand-ups, poops all over the team.
- The Opinionator : expresses
opinions often - gets attached to them
- The Admin : undermines team
ownership by becoming an unnecessary middle man
- The Hub : acts as the center
of the universe for communication between team members.
- The Butterfly : flits around
from team to team, landing just long enough to impart a pearl of wisdom.
- The Expert : gets so involved
in the details of the teams work
- The Nag : helpfully 'reminds'
the team to start stand-up, update the storyboard, complete the tasks they
committed to.
- We all act out these modes or
ones similar to them.
- None of these failure modes
yields devastating consequences when done infrequently, but when done
consistently, they can sap the teams ability to self-organize - this is
devastating.
- The center of anything is the
wrong places for a coach to be.
Where Do Failure Modes Come
From?
- Failure modes arise when a
coach's ego or continuous partial attention are in play.
- When I thinking runs
unchecked, it easily turns into I centeredness.
- Behind all this I thinking
lurks fear: fear that the team really wont know the right way to go and
fear that they will fail or not be good enough.
Recover from Failure Modes
- A way to avoid or at least
recover from the failure modes is simple and difficult: replace fear with
trust.
- Put trust in the people on
the team.
- To make more room for trust,
pay attention to what's actually happening on the team and what's trying
to happen.
- Trust + attention = good
coaching (or at least the foundation that makes good coaching possible)
- Here are a few things you
might try to take steps in that direction
- Cultivate Mindfulness
- Anything to help you
cultivate mindfulness helps avoid failure modes.
- Learn to be fully present
with teams.
- Presence and self-awareness
let you notice when a failure mode has taken hold
- Tune in to what the team
needs rather than what's going on inside of you.
- Get Curious
- While observing the team as
it works - get curious about what is going on.
- With trust and attention
back on board and curiosity bringing you a clear picture of what's going
on with team - failure mode doesn’t stand a chance
- Get a Broader View
- Come back to the teams
shared vision - what they said they want to be together.
- Get a broader view is a
standard coaching skill called - meta-view
- Pair with Others
- We teach team members to
pair with one another because 'two heads is better than one'
- Practice Success
- The things you notice
improve the teams ability to self-organize and get work done.
- Pay attention to other
coaches, and shamelessly steal their success modes.
Agile Coach Success Modes
- The Magician : asks questions
and voila!
- The Child : genuinely wonders
why?
- The Ear : hears everything
but gives people room to grow
- The Heckler : keeps it fun
and light.
- The Wise Fool : asks the dumb
questions
- The Creeping Vine : makes
small moves that pull them back to the core of agile
- The Dreamer : bravely gives
voice to possible futures waiting to be created.
- The Megaphone : makes sure
all voices are heard.
Practice, Practice
- Getting good at agile
coaching means practicing - and failing.
- Maybe noticing the failure
modes in you coaching is enough to change for you right now.
- Remember that bad habits and
attitudes are contagious.
A Refresher
- Failure modes arise but need
not consume your coaching.
- To combat failure modes -
increase trust and attention.
- Notice and name success modes
in yourself and others.
- Know where you are and take
the next step. There is only practice.