The Recipe for Botched Agile Adoptions
Here is a sure-fire way to virtually guarantee a failed adoption of agile or Scrum: Simply have an authority figure, preferably the CEO, announce with great fanfare to the entire organization that we are "going agile". To really make sure you definitely create a colossal train wreck of truly epic proportions, be sure to specify a hard date, the date when the ...
The Evils of Agile Coaching
Bob Marshall is a organization consultant and student of thinkers like Deming, Argyris, Ackoff and others I read. I like Bob because he is an genuine irritant. He has a rebel heart. Bob might look a bit like Charles Manson. Don't let that fool you. He is a prolific writer and some of the things he writes require a certain level ...
The ICF Code of Ethics
Let's get real. The International Coaching Federation has a Code. See it here. This document and the wording in it as written is inadequate for Agile Coaches in my view. It is missing a key set of keywords. The ICF wrote a generic Code. It is not intended for the Agile Coaching specialty. Agile Coaching probably was not ...
Agile Coaching, Client Learning, and Money (Part 1)
Is client learning inversely proportional to short-term coaching revenue? If the client learns quickly ... and gets to Free Standing Agility (FSA) ... does this reduce or even terminate short-term coaching revenue? I have to say, generally speaking, YES. However, like any good policy, after a delay, being a service-oriented, service-optimized coach is optimal for revenue generation. It ends up making much ...
Free-Standing Agility
The goal of any legitimate Agile Coach is what I am calling Free Standing Agility: Free Standing Agility is that characteristic of a group of people, which allows it to at once identify, and rationally respond to, environmental change. Such changes may be both intrinsic and extrinsic in nature. By definition, Free Standing Agility is free of dependence on anyone who ...
Agile Coaching and the Learning Landscape
In previous posts about Agile Coaching Ethics, I discuss how the lack of clear definitions for Agile and Agile Coaching create opening for all kinds of sorrows and abuses in the role of Agile Coach. Once again, I reiterate: most people doing this kind of work have ...
Agile Coaching Ethics: The Epic User Stories
Agile Coaching Ethics. Hmmm. So, what are the requirements we are seeking to make real here? What are the requirements for the users of a Agile Coaching Code of Ethics? And why do you care? Here are some candidate Epics for your consideration: As an Agile Coach, I want to to understand the ethical boundaries of the profession of Agile Coaching, so I can deliver ...
Agile Coaching Ethics: The Definitions
There is plenty of money to be made in Agile Coaching. Wherever there is money involved in providing counsel and advice, there are ethical considerations to address. When discussing Agile Coaching Ethics,we must first define our terms. The real problem with defining Agile Coaching ethics is the fuzziness of the Agile Coaching role itself. And it is exactly this fuzzy definition for ...
Agile Coaching and Authority
Agile Coaches have broad latitude in how they operate inside a client. The client is bringing the coach in as a trusted adviser. The coach is presumably coming in with a heart of service and a mission to help the client achieve what might be called "free standing Agility". One way to achieve "free standing Agility" for the client is to ...
Toward an Agile Coaching Code of Ethics
Agile coaches usually assist organizations that know very little about Agile. These organizations actively seek authoritative guidance. It is safe to say that in almost all cases, the Client is in a vulnerable position. The client can very easily be taken advantage of. Now, to be very clear: The overwhelmingly vast majority of Agile Coaches in our community genuinely serve ...
