The role of an Agile Coach

Abstract

The popularity of using Agile processes is increasing. Agile methodologies are based on Agile manifesto which provides guidelines, that every Agile Framework should follow. There are different frameworks, that have their own sets of rules, but follow the principles introduced in Agile Manifesto. Often companies don’t implement one specific framework but combine many in order to make it work for their specific case and environment. In order to make the transformation to Agile, an Agile Coach could be hired to help to implement the changes. There are many benefits of using Agile Coaching e.g. improvements in teamwork [1], quality of the work, lower costs [2], etc.. The goal of Agile Coaching is to show teams different options how to implement and improve their Agile processes and help them to see, what to do next and also guide them how to take responsibility [3] via [4]. The purpose of the thesis is to examine the role of an Agile Coach, what are the competencies needed in that profession, how does he or she create value, what are the challenges he or she faces while coaching and how are these tackled? The goal of this thesis is to produce a practical overview of the role of an Agile Coach, from different perspectives and gather the findings from coaches working in different environment combined with the knowledge from literature. The outcome of the thesis could be beneficial for people who are interested in that role and want to understand what is needed in order to succeed in this role. For that purpose, a Case study method was used. The main findings are that, the role includes many roles inside of one role and it is hard for one person to master them all. Every coach is a little bit different from others. In order to succeed in this role, one has to know a little about everything, but master some parts of the role. It is important to be self-aware and know what you know and what you don’t know. Since it is a helping role, it is hard to measure the value, since it is a mutual responsibility shared with the coachee, but it is valued more by people who have had personal experiences with coaching.