As a follow on to the previous post this week from the Agile Coaching Institute’s Agile Coaching Bootcamp, I also wanted to share some thoughts on coaching agile teams – the second half of the course. These are the ideas that emerged:

 

Personal Commitments

I will recognize that curiosity is the antidote for judgment so that I approach issues by questioning rather than jumping to conclusions.

I will always look for one step towards better so that I focus on positive measures to make change.

I will design and facilitate exercises that create and explore a human system so that the team understands themselves and each other.

I will continue to press on my growing edge so that I can develop as a person and agile professional.

I will identify when aspirational values differ from practiced values so that I can help teams close the gap.

I will teach along the teaching-learning power curve and move through traditional learning, accelerated learning, and transformational learning so that I create and engaging, dynamic, experiential learning environment.

I will ask for impact feedback from students so that I apprehend how my teaching made them feel and adjust accordingly.

I will focus on level II and level III listening and mentally shift my “listening muscle” so that I focus on the coachee.

I will use powerful questions that allow the space for coaches to explore issues so that they discover steps toward action and change.

I will reflect on the agile coaching competencies so that I can increase my capabilities in each area and better serve as a coach.

I will understand where I am being reactive over creative so that I can manage anxiety and create positive change with an outcome creating orientation. I will focus on the creative competencies of relating, self-awareness, authenticity, system awareness, and achieving over the reactive dimensions of controlling, complying, and protecting.

I will use safe porting to acknowledge new territory and hold the conversation when time is restricted or interrupted so that teams or coachees feel safe with a break in a coaching conversation.

I will use mentoring in the arc of a coaching conversation with discretion so that I help coaches discover he solution.

I will listen in level II, ask powerful questions, and avoid giving advice so that I remain firm in my coaching stance and honor the coachee’s ability to be resourceful.

I will recognize opportunities or mentoring conversations over coaching conversations and how to differentiate between them so that I can serve others.

I will focus on working with people at an edge by honoring the familiar, teaching about the role shift, and asking powerful questions so that they can successfully adopt a new mindset.

I will practice pivotal conversations with my colleagues so that I have a polished approach before engaging my target audience.

I will use the teaching formula (10 x 24 x 7) so that I activate, review, and do an accountability check with students.

I will focus on all four quadrants – mindset (“I”), practices and roles (“it”), relationships and roles (“we”), and environment (“its”) — so that my teams have high impact conversations.

I will teach teams conflict dynamics model(s) so that they can manage conflict and develop skills necessary to act in constructive ways.

I will recognize that passive conflict responses like delay response, adapting, and reflective thinking are still constructive so that I am not reactive but rather creative in conflict management.

I will help teams to develop conflict protocols as part of their team norms so that they are equipped with tools and language to mange conflict.

I will design team startups (liftoffs) or resets with all four quadrants in mind so that I consider all aspets of the team and their environment.

I will design meetings for interaction, not just for talking so that collaboration can emerge.

I will develop my coaching stance so that I have a purposeful way to approach clients.

I will prepare coaching agreements so that I respect and develop a coaching relationship with clients.

 

I am so excited to take these new skills and ideas back to my teams.

 

Until the next iteration . . .