Team Coaching

Agile Team Coaching is at an intermediate level, focusing on a specific work unit, typically up to 16 people.

Unlike business coaching, which addresses organizational strategy and culture.

Team coaching focuses on improving the performance, collaboration and agile capabilities of a cohesive group working towards a common goal (such as delivering a specific product, service or outcome within a project or program).

This type of intervention is more direct and tangible than business, with stages typically lasting between 2 and 12 weeks.

The coach works closely with the team and their immediate leaders to implement practices, improve processes and foster an agile mindset at the group level.

Focus on Team Capabilities and Value Delivery

The primary goal of team coaching is to enhance the intrinsic capabilities of the team so that they can operate more agile and effectively.

This includes strengthening their ability to self-organize, collaborate efficiently, apply agile practices (such as Scrum or Kanban), solve problems and make decisions.

The ultimate goal is to enhance their ability to consistently and sustainably deliver value.

The coach helps the team identify their strengths and weaknesses, optimize their internal processes and adopt a continuous improvement mindset, always with a focus on effectively delivering results that meet customer or business needs.

Key Steps in Each Phase

Similar to business coaching, the team-level process follows the phases of preparation, execution and closure, but with a more localized approach:

Preparation:

• Identify specific team needs and capabilities.
• Create partnership with direct team leaders.
• Identify the most timely and appropriate agile practices and tools for the team.
• Define specific objectives and key outcomes for the coaching process with the team.
• Establish clear agreements on process and expectations.
• Build trust with the team through initial training, facilitation and active listening.
• Establish coach presence with the team.

Execution:

• Provide coaching and mentoring at key moments during the team's work.
• Review actions and results on an ongoing basis with the team.
• Use active listening, articulate observations, create awareness and help design actions and commitments.
• Perform field accompaniment, observing and supporting the team in their day-to-day work.
• Facilitate the removal of impediments identified by the team.
• Help develop key competencies within the team.
• Facilitate measurement and evaluation of commitments and results.

Closing:

• Measure the objective and final results achieved by the team, communicating them honestly.
• Facilitate the creation of agreements for the sustainability of the improvements achieved.
• Define and agree on next steps for continuous improvement of the team.
• Formally close the coaching cycle and thank for the participation.

Summary

Agile Team Coaching focuses on a specific work unit. It seeks to improve the performance, collaboration and agile capabilities of the group.

The main objective is to improve the intrinsic capabilities of the team. It seeks to enhance their ability to self-organize and deliver value in a sustainable way.

The process also follows the phases of preparation, execution and closure. It includes building trust, providing coaching and mentoring, and facilitating the removal of impediments.