This is the Safari online edition of the printed book.

The Provocative and Practical Guide to Coaching Agile Teams

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.

Coverage includes

• Understanding what it takes to be a great agile coach

• Mastering all of the agile coach’s roles: teacher, mentor, problem solver, conflict navigator, and performance coach

• Creating an environment where self-organized, high-performance teams can emerge

• Coaching teams past cooperation and into full collaboration

• Evolving your leadership style as your team grows and changes

• Staying actively engaged without dominating your team and stunting its growth

• Recognizing failure, recovery, and success modes in your coaching

• Getting the most out of your own personal agile coaching journey

Whether you’re an agile coach, leader, trainer, mentor, facilitator, ScrumMaster, project manager, product owner, or team member, this book will help you become skilled at helping others become truly great. What could possibly be more rewarding?

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 6 Ratings

Love the Shu Ha Ri Model - 2010-07-28
Reviewer Rating:
This is a very helpful resource for Agile coaches. Some of the principles are old hat for students of leadership but the packaging is fresh and relevant to Agile teams. The most useful section for me is Agile Team Stages; I love the Shu Ha Ri model:

"One good model for mastering anything (if that's possible) comes from martial arts. A martial arts student progresses through three stages of proficiency called Shu Ha Ri. Shu: Follow the rule. Ha: Break the rule. Ri: Be the rule. These stages also describe Agile teams as they first practice and then get good at Agile...A team can be in one or all of these stages simultaneously...Each person on the team inhabits one or more of these stages simultaneously, too..."

The most common mistake I see Agile teams making is bending the rules before mastering the rules--what we call ScrumBut. "We do Agile Scrum but..." can get your team and your project in all kinds of trouble. This book will help you get back out.

Good stuff, and recommended for new and experienced Agile coaches.

Great Book on the practice of being a Scrm Coach! - 2010-07-28
Reviewer Rating:
From the time that I received this book I have not been able to put it down. When my train arrives at my home station, I really do not want to put the book away. Really great practical knowledge which is due Lyssa Adkins' personal experience in the world of Scrum. Thanks Lyssa for the great book!

A top pick for any agile coach - 2010-08-14
Reviewer Rating:
Lyssa Adkins' COACHING AGILE TEAMS: A COMPANION FOR SCRUMMASTERS, AGILE COACHES, AND PROJECT MANAGERS IN TRANSITION offers a fine guide to coaching agile teams, offering agile coaches insights needed to create a productive software engineering environment. From evolving a leadership style to staying engaged, this is a top pick for any agile coach.

Coaching at its best!! - 2010-06-21
Reviewer Rating:
I've had the fortune to talk with Lyssa and she even helped some folks at my office and it has greatly improved my own coaching. Now I can have the Lyssa reference right at my desk whenever I need it. I know this book will get worn very quickly as I and other coaches here use it thoroughly. The book is full of great practical ideas you can use right away. If you want to improve your coaching skills this is a must read and reference.

A Special Coach - 2010-06-06
Reviewer Rating:
I've had the fortune to work with Lyssa and it has greatly improved my own coaching. I am excited to now have this reference at my finger tips. It is a fresh reminder of what will help me be successful as I work with different teams. I now have her experience here with me, a true companion for my work.

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