POWER COACHINGPUSHING THE BOUNDARIES TO BUILD BETTER TEAMS

CHERIE SILAS, ENTERPRISE AGILE COACH

My Mission: To leave you better than I found

you with each encounter

ALLISON POLLARD, ENTERPRISE AGILE

COACH

My passion is helping people discover their agile instincts and develop their

coaching abilities.

OBJECTIVES

• Identify two coaching anti-patterns

• Embrace the power of challenging teams

• Repair techniques to get coaching back on track

• A pattern to design an alliance for strong partnership

Why we chose this topic9:40

THE SCENARIO

You are coaching a scrum team who is doing sprint planning.

You notice that they are pulling in way more work than they are likely to complete.

Lets talk about anti-patterns…

COACHING ANTI-PATTERNS

Colluding

To come to a secret understanding that has a harmful purpose; conspire

How does the colluder respond?9:42

COLLUDING

• Recognize dysfunctional behaviors and say nothing

• Enable weak commitments and actions

• Remain silent when you should speak up

• Act as the go between in conflict situations

• Enable anti-patterns to thrive

• Ignore the elephant in the room

Break out of the anti-pattern…9:45

ANOTHER LEVEL … DIRECT COMMUNICATION

• Be willing to give direct feedback

• Use impact feedback

• Address problems and concerns directly

• Call out the elephant in the room

• Say what you see, hear, feel, observe (AWGO)

• Be a mirror for the team to see itself

• Reflect when actions and words don’t line up

Break out of the anti-pattern…9:48

ANOTHER LEVEL … CHALLENGE TEAMS

• Notice going around a problem

• Challenge limiting beliefs

• Play devil’s advocate

• Challenge “the way we’ve always done it”

• Address the elephant in the room

• Challenge weak or status quo improvement items

• Confront ”victim” behaviors and perspectives

Another anti-pattern…9:50

COACHING ANTI-PATTERNS

Scrum Police

How does the Scrum Police respond?

POLICING

• Use agile as a whipping stick

• Enforcing the rule-book

• Focusing on outputs

• Managing – not serving the team

• Dictating actions

• Always the expert

• “That’s not agile”

Break out of the anti-pattern…

A BETTER WAY … EMPOWER TEAMS

• The team knows best

• Allow the team to solve its own problems.

• Let them learn through success and failure

• Talk about outcomes not outputs

• Help them understand the why

• Encourage experimentation

• Facilitate from the back of the room

Anti-Pattern Mingle…9:55

ANTI-PATTERN MINGLE

When have I been the colluder?

When have I been the scrum police?

10:003 minute time box

Low ChallengeLow Support

High ChallengeLow Support

Low ChallengeHigh Support

High ChallengeHigh Support

Support

Challen

ge

Sometimes we mess up…10:05

REPAIR BID

Be prepared with a strategy to get the coaching back on track

Statement or action that de-escalates negativity

Can be a gesture, look, joke, question, touch, expression, etc.

Repair Bids …

REPAIR BIDS

• Which feel natural?

• Which wouldn’t work with me?

• What keeps me from making repair bids?

Designed Alliance …10:15

5 minute time box

DESIGNED ALLIANCE - THE COACHING AGREEMENT

• Creates environment for powerful coaching

• Brings clarity to the partnership

• Defines boundaries and expectations

• Creates psychological safety

• Outlines focus and desired outcomes

STORMMES…10:20

A PATTERN – S T O R M M E S

S - Subject

T - Time

O - Outcomes

R – Roles

M – Measures

M – Motivation

E – Environment

S - Start

How can you use this?10:28

How will you use what you learned?

10:34

CONTACT INFO

Allison Pollard

• @allison_pollard

• Allison.Pollard@improving.com

Cherie Silas

• @pastorcherie

• coachcherie@att.net

10:35