Book:
| | | |  | | Coaching Agile Teams
A Companion for ScrumMasters, Agile Coaches, and Project Managers in Transition| Author: Lyssa Adkins | | Pages: 352 | Published: 2010 | | Publisher: Addison Wesley | ISBN: 0321637704 | 
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| | | | Topics: People & Teams / Project Planning / Project & Team Management
| | Description:
As an agile coach, you can help project teams become outstanding at agile, creating products that make them proud and helping organizations reap the powerful benefits of teams that deliver both innovation and excellence.
More and more frequently, ScrumMasters and project managers are being asked to coach agile teams. But it's a challenging role. It requires new skills—as well as a subtle understanding of when to step in and when to step back. Migrating from "command and control" to agile coaching requires a whole new mind-set.
In "Coaching Agile Teams", Lyssa Adkins gives agile coaches the insights they need to adopt this new mind-set and to guide teams to extraordinary performance in a re-energized work environment. You'll gain a deep view into the role of the agile coach, discover what works and what doesn't, and learn how to adapt powerful skills from many allied disciplines, including the fields of professional coaching and mentoring.
| | Keywords: Software Development / Agile Development Practices
| | | | | Review by John Snuggs john.snuggs@capitalone.com
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"Coaching Agile Teams" is a guide for agile team leaders. In many ways, it acts as a mentor and, borrowing a part of the subtitle, a companion.
The author has a style focused on the people who make up an agile team. She presents an approach that leverages increased individual contributions to create team and business results. There are references to specific agile techniques in the book; however, these techniques are presented within a framework of how you can employ coaching to develop people. If you are looking for a handbook on XP, Scrum, or DSDM, you will need to look elsewhere. The author includes references to help you find more information and maintains a focus on how a coach behaves. The book is most appropriate for people experienced with a development methodology who want to enhance their ability to influence individuals, teams, and organizations to adopt those techniques.
My favorite part of the book is in a series of chapters with titles that begin with "The Coach as ..." I found the "Coach as Facilitator" and "Coach as Coach-Mentor" to be particularly insightful. I found the information to be a good re-grounding of my understanding with a fresh perspective. It reminded me of the importance of developing the product owner to be able to be individually successful and, consequently, enabling the team to be collectively successful.
Finally, the author includes a roadmap for continuing to develop well beyond simple skill mastery, covering such important topics as when I will be able to consider myself "complete" as an agile coach. Her answer (and mine) are not surprisingly unspecific.
I really enjoyed this book and will continue to reread it as a fuel to drive my personal and professional development.
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