Agile coaching
How much agility may it be for you?
What does an agile coach actually do?
An agile coach combines agile method know-how and process support competence. In addition, he is a consultant, trainer, sparring partner, mediator, coach (of teams and entire areas) and much more, so a real all-rounder. Many years of work experience are another important quality feature. Topics such as IT knowledge, training, project management, product development or organizational development are in demand here.
With this variety, every agile coach should focus on a few key areas and be aware of them, know the expectations of their customers well and attach importance to intensive clarification of the assignment. Personally, as a freelance agile coach, I focus on accompanying and supporting companies and organizations in their agile transformation. I meet my customers exactly where they are, define realistic goals together and am also involved in the implementation and implementation of specific measures.
A good overview of the different roles of an agile coach shows the expansion of theAgile Coaching Competency Frameworks by Jonathan Kessel-Fell (2019). More information and the diagram can be found in my myBlog post on the topic.
Define agility
“Agile” means first of all “flexible, agile, agile and manoeuvrable“. In this respect, agility is not a new method, but oneattitude and also oneworking method.
In the digital age, the world around us is becoming faster, more dynamic, more turbulent and, above all, more complex. In this context, the acronym "VUCA" is often used.VUCAstands for: volatility (volatility); Uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (ambiguity).
Entire markets and industries are increasingly under pressure, innovations sometimes come literally overnight and the average life cycle of successful companies is becoming shorter and shorter. Companies and organizations in the VUCA world must therefore become more agileto meet the fast-moving, complex challenges of the technological age. More agile in the sense of: more responsive, faster, more dynamic and more adaptable. Because mobile companies that can flexibly adapt to the market and their customer requirements are more successful.
Agility also means in particular theAgility, agility, or mobility of organizations and individualsor in structures and processes. They should be able to deal flexibly with unforeseen events and new requirements and not only react to changes, but also be able to respond to them proactively.
In the corporate context, agility is theDegree of flexible action and the associated adaptability. Statistics show that the agility of companies correlates with their age, with older companies with strict hierarchies being, as expected, significantly more rigid and inflexible in processes of all kinds. (Source: Agile Heroes)
My personal conviction is that agility is no longer a passing fad for technology companies. On the contrary:I am convinced that agility is THE paradigm for companies, managers, teams and also private individuals in the digital age.
The Agile Onion
The term "agility" refers to different levels, which can be represented very nicely with the symbol of the "agile onion".
There is a big and important difference between "doing agile" - i.e. applying agile methods and practices - and "being agile" - the characteristic and ability to be active yourself and to react flexibly to changes.
Through Agile Coaching, I work with my clients on different layers of the onion, for example:
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Training in agile methods such as design thinking, Kanban, retrospectives or practices (Scrum);
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Introduction of agile principles (e.g. network before hierarchy, talents before title, delivery before planning, sense before profit, transparency before secrets)
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Introduction of agile values (focus, openness, respect, courage, communication) or
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Development of an agile mindset (continuous development and iterative learning.).
