Agile Notes (No. 12)

Every Friday, I send out an email highlighting a concept relating to Agile/Scrum/Continuous Improvement. Lets get to it….

This week, we start with Notes from the excellent Coaching Agile Teams by Lyssa Adkins. I absolutely LOVE how Lyssa brings her practice of mindfulness and being present into her coaching. Being an agile coach is about listening and communication. Really. Effective. Communication.

Let’s start with the Arc of the Coaching Conversation. The drawing reminds me of Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey. (Bonus picture!)

Every conversation is a journey. That graphic is pretty intense. We could do Notes on every single step. Listen. Bring it back to Agile concepts. DON’T problem solve but guide. Create accountability. Smack the coachee on the butt and send them back out there. :)

I like this approach. It moves us away from a transaction. It moves us to an almost organic flow. But it requires incredible skill to be present and mindful enough to recognize when you are in each step and when you transition to the next. AND to move the conversation through the steps. Start small - venting is easy to recognize.

And if you don’t know about Joseph Campbell and the Hero’s Journey - I strongly recommend you read it/study it.

Thanks for reading. Please, leave a comment. Do you have any coaching tips? Share them in the comments! And, if you think about it, maybe forward this on to someone you know.

I hope you enjoyed this note. Please subscribe and be sure to never miss a Note.