Chapter 8 of Coaching Agile Teams by Lyssa Adkins is “Coach as Problem Solver”. After reading this chapter for the third or fourth time, I think the title should have been “repressing your inner action hero.” That of course would not fit the sequence of chapter titles and would have been too many characters. Kidding aside, many coaches struggle with falling into the trap of solving problems. During my first read of this chapter, my main takeaway was the admonition, “take it to the team.” Teams understand the context they live in better than any coach. They are the ones that are going to have to embrace the solution. Solving any problem for someone makes the solution yours, not theirs which reduces motivation to embrace the solution. Bringing problems to the team and then facilitating is a great prescription but that means learning not to shift into action hero mode.

Part of my issue with coaching other coaches to shout “bring it to the team” is that organizations hire coaches as stealth program or project managers. Their job descriptions make them responsible, which steals their coaching power and replaces it with a need for action. It isn’t that people in this quandary can’t reclaim the coach’s role of empowering people and teams, it is just that it becomes harder and more dangerous. A few years ago, I coached an organization that had run through several agile coaches in less than a year. They wanted a directive coach, an action hero. Using my honeymoon period, when a problem surfaced I took a more reflective approach. Instead of acting, I had everyone sleep on the issue. It was easy to give them time to cool down, but team distribution and messy schedules messy mean that any conversation required scheduling a meeting – which meant finding time the next day. Funny how many “problems” solved themselves or were far more trivial when viewed upon reflection. Anything left over went to the team. Once in the team’s lap, as a coach teaching and facilitation were my superpowers to help decide on acting (or not). 

Taking it to the team does not mean they should or will always have an immediate response. The coach may have to leverage all their roles. Teaching and facilitating are important tools to help position a team to wrestle with an issue. Even recently trained teams often struggle with stand-ups/Daily Scrums (pick your name depending on your framework) in their early formation period. Left to their own devices I have seen teams adopt weekly daily Scrums (yeah…). As a coach, retraining to the purpose of the meeting and how it fits the agile principles is useful to help them identify the core problem and then solve that. In mentoring conversations, I have been asked what to do when a team seems like they are going to make bad decisions.  I have a rule, never let anyone put their hand in a running garbage disposal. I may have adopted this rule after my first read of this book but I can’t remember. When I create a coaching contract with an individual we decide what garbage disposal events they want me to react to. They are rare. Once during a retrospective, I had to step between two team members during a passionate (I am being kind) discussion of why any code had to be reviewed. The respective had to be stopped until the two parties sorted out the root cause of the animosity. Short of deflecting people and teams from unrecoverable problems, it’s their work and it should be their decision.  In tough cases, a coach can use facilitation techniques to put their thumb on the scale. I have suggested experiments to redirect conversations and then let the data guide the team. 

The Team Dynamics survey created by Ellen Braun that the author includes is a great tool to help identify potential team problems. As a coach you will notice, find, and have problems brought to your attention. Having problems is normal, bring them to the team at the time and place that makes sense. Surface immediate problems with a quick question. Problems that can wait become great fodder for retrospectives. In the end, as coaches, we need to repress our all too human urge to solve all the world’s problems and get the people that have to live with the solution involved. Remember that just because you think something is a problem, it might not rise to the level of being important to anyone else. Don’t be afraid of raising an issue but also don’t be afraid to let it go if it is not important to others.

Remember to buy a copy of  Coaching Agile Teams by Lyssa Adkins (SPaMCAST Amazon affiliate line https://amzn.to/38G0ZD3) and read along!

Previous Installments

Week 1: Logistics and Introduction – https://bit.ly/3A1aNTe 

Week 2: Will I Be A Good Coach – https://bit.ly/3nzDAHg 

Week 3: Expect High Performance – https://bit.ly/3Rl4fFf 

Week 4: Master Yourself – https://bit.ly/3zL8t2n 

Week 5: Let Your Style Change – https://bit.ly/3Q8zHWa 

Week 6: Coach as Coach-Mentor – https://bit.ly/3QLcSIi 

Week 7: Coach as Facilitator – https://bit.ly/3AaP5KY 

Week 8: Coach As Teacher – https://bit.ly/3AURGdL