Key Considerations: Ethics, Trust and Metrics

Beyond the phases and levels of the coaching process, there are cross-cutting considerations that are fundamental to the effective and ethical practice of Agile Coaching.

These include the personal integrity of the coach, an understanding of the organizational context in which he or she operates, and the appropriate use of metrics to guide and evaluate progress.

Trust is the foundation of the coaching relationship, and this is built on the coach's values and habits.

The structure of the organization will significantly influence how agility and coaching can be applied.

Finally, metrics, if used correctly, provide valuable information, but must be handled with care to avoid counterproductive effects.

Coaching Commitments, Values and Habits

An effective Agile Coach operates from a strong ethical and personal framework.

Their primary commitment is to further the goals of the coachee or team, acting as a guest who shares knowledge and respects the learning process of the other, recognizing that they do not know everything.

The core values that guide their performance include respect, courage, transparency, collaboration and humility.

These values are manifested in key habits such as leading by example, maintaining emotional and work balance, and defining a realistic and sustainable pace.

They also involve taking care of verbal and non-verbal language, acting as a servant leader and being in a continuous process of learning about oneself.

The Importance of Organizational Structure

The organizational context greatly influences the application of agile coaching.

Traditional bureaucratic or functional structures often present challenges such as departmental silos, rigid hierarchies and slow decision making, contrasting with the desired characteristics of agile organizations.

Organizations that adopt Agile tend to follow principles such as the Law of the Customer (external focus on customer value) and the Law of the Small Team (autonomous, cross-functional, collaborative teams).

In addition, they implement the Law of the Network (transparent and fluid communication across the organization, often facilitated by structures such as Scrum of Scrums).

The coach must understand the existing structure to adapt their approach and help navigate friction that may arise during the transition.

Measuring Progress and Results

Metrics are important tools in agile coaching, but should be used with purpose and caution.

Two main levels can be considered: people development and level of adoption (how individuals and teams are growing in their mindset and application of agile practices) and organizational results (the tangible impact on the business, such as profitability or speed of delivery).

Specific examples include measuring practice implementation, Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS), competency development, profitability, delivery velocity and quality (e.g., defect rate).

It is crucial to define what you are looking to measure and ensure that metrics are focused on improving work and not blaming people, to avoid the phenomenon of "gaming metrics", where data is manipulated to appear to meet objectives without real improvement.

Summary

There are fundamental cross-cutting considerations for effective coaching practice. These include the integrity of the coach, the organizational context and the use of metrics.

An effective coach operates from a strong ethical framework, based on values such as respect, transparency and humility. Lead by example.

Metrics are important but should be used with caution. They should focus on improving work and not on blaming people.