Companies that want to use Agile processes frequently require assistance to learn and become proficient in the underlying ideas. They hire Agile coaches to assist with the shift because these coaches are specialists in Agile frameworks and can demonstrate to others how to include these frameworks in their day-to-day activities. A job as an Agile coach may be the perfect fit for you if you are looking for a creative profession that combines management and teaching. This article will define the role of an Agile coach, explain what an Agile coach does, describe the steps you may take to become an Agile coach and discuss the compensation and career opportunities for the profession.
Who is an Agile coach?
An individual accountable for developing and enhancing Agile procedures within a group or organization is known as an Agile coach. Agile coaches may either be employees of a company or operate independently as independent contractors. The necessity for an Agile coach is typically recognized when a firm is shifting from its current working practices, such as Waterfall, towards working with the principles of the Agile approach.
Most agile coaches come from backgrounds in project management, product management, information technology, or software development. In most cases, they have a significant amount of expertise working with various Agile approaches, including Scrum, Kanban, and Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe). In addition, they typically have a strong command of coaching and mentoring techniques and can direct and assist individuals in finding the appropriate responses to the issues they face.
What Does an Agile Coach Do?
Agile coaches are the most important in a project to progress and complete the agile methodology. The following is a list of the day-to-day responsibilities that an Agile coach could find oneself performing:
- Develop a strategy and blueprint for implementing the Agile process across multiple teams
- Scrum, Kanban, and SAFe are some examples of Agile frameworks that Agile coaches provide training
- Encourage an environment that is both open and psychologically safe
- Leaders such as Scrum masters, product owners, and executives should explain and practice Agile leadership techniques
- Create a business model or road map for developing future agile procedures
Types of Agile Coaches
As Agile continues to gain traction in the mainstream, there is an increased demand for qualified Agile coaches. There are several certification programs available for becoming Agile coaches for Agile teams. One should select the respective certification based on the skills and experience. Three primary categories of Agile coaches can assist teams and companies with their Agile transitions, and they are as follows:
Agile Team Facilitator
The Agile Team Facilitator works individually with one or more teams and is responsible for establishing and maintaining Agile practices inside the teams.
Agile Coach
Agile Coach works with more than one team and at the organizational level. Engages top management, promotes conversation amongst departments within the company and pushes forward the adoption of Agile across the whole organization.
Enterprise Agile Coach
An agile enterprise coach works at the enterprise level, oversees organizational and cultural transformation, promotes agile approaches at the enterprise level, and teaches executive leadership.
The three categories of Agile coaches above can be further divided based on the requirements and team size. But, the role of the agile coaches is mainly to implement and mentor the agile practices to the team members. Furthermore, we need to understand how to become an Agile coach who can aid project teams.
How to become an Agile coach? (Steps)
Following are the five steps that will take you to become an Agile coach. These steps are in general and apply to any individual who is planning to become an Agile coach.
Obtain a Bachelor’s Degree
Even though there are no mandated educational prerequisites to become an Agile coach, having a bachelor’s degree in a field associated to the job might be quite beneficial. It would help if you gave some thought to gaining academic credentials in the industry in which you wish to work. It might demonstrate to hiring managers that you are familiar with the principles and procedures of their company. A degree in computer science, software engineering, software development, information technology, or project management, for instance, would be acceptable if your goal is to work as a coach in the software development business.
Become an Expert in the Scrum Framework
Scrum is a methodology for Agile development that incorporates the division of teams into particular responsibilities like the following:
- The product owner is responsible for understanding customer needs, aligning the goal of a project with those needs, and working to ensure that the team working on the project fulfills those goals.
- Scrum Master is accountable for ensuring that the team adheres to the Scrum principles and practices, removing distractions, and providing resources to enable the project’s timely completion.
- The development team members are the ones who work on the project and are responsible for its delivery.
Because Scrum is one of the most popular Agile approaches businesses implement, many Agile coaches get their start in the field as Scrum Masters or product owners. Working within this Agile framework at the team level can provide you with the knowledge and understanding you need to comprehend the complexities of Agile methodologies and teams. In addition, studying various online resources, such as Scrum Alliance, can help you become more knowledgeable about Scrum.
After becoming familiar with the foundations of Scrum, you may choose to validate your knowledge by enrolling in the Certified Scrum Master certification program made available by the Scrum Alliance. On the road to becoming an Agile coach, having this accreditation can help you gain useful professional experience that you can put to use. To earn certification, candidates must first participate in a training program and then achieve a score of at least 74% on a multiple-choice exam consisting of 50 questions.
Gain More Experience and Further Training
Most businesses would rather hire or collaborate with Agile coaches with several years of expertise managing Agile projects. Therefore, utilize your Scrum certification to your advantage when applying for entry-level roles as a Scrum master. For the time being, you should keep learning more about Agile by reading books and other resources that are linked to it. You can also learn various other training courses in Agile, such as Agile Extreme programming, Lean, Kanban, Scrumban, Scaled Agile Framework, and Large-scale Scrum.
Make Contact with Agile Professionals
Through networking with other Agile experts, you may be able to develop connections with influential people who may be able to assist you in finding your first job in the Agile coaching field. Look around your area for conferences and seminars on Agile and topics relevant to Agile. Bring business cards with you to these events so you may hand them out to the experts you meet. A vast number of authors, blog writers, presenters, and members of professional organizations such as the Scrum Alliance are also considered to be among the many experts who possess valuable expertise regarding Agile. You might consider contacting them to ask for guidance to start as an Agile coach.
Give some thought to getting Certified in Agile Coaching
While it is not required to become an Agile coach, specializing in coaching and obtaining a certification in that area can set you apart from others in your profession by certifying that you have reached an expert level of expertise. In addition, this certification verifies that you have several years of experience working with Scrum teams and can integrate Agile into departments, projects, and programs.
- Certified Team Coach certification verifies that you have several years of experience working with Scrum teams.
- Certified Enterprise Coach certification demonstrates that you have the skills necessary to implement Agile practices at the enterprise level successfully.
- Agile Team Facilitation certification verifies that you have an awareness of the tools and strategies necessary to put on engaging seminars and meetings that connect with the aims of the participants.
- Agile Coaching certification demonstrates that you know the necessary abilities, methodologies, and tools to become an Agile coach.
- Expert on Agile Coaching certification verifies that you possess the abilities necessary to be an Agile coach and that you are a recognized professional who can assist others in realizing their potential as Agile teammates.
Conclusion
Agile coaches have a major role in transforming an organization to use Agile. It is essential to remember that the transformation effort’s goal is to provide enhanced business outcomes. Agile coaches can benefit project managers since they can assist a project team in resolving challenges with their internal processes and provide essential feedback for improvements to Agile. In addition, an Agile coach can assist with reducing dependencies, which are often beyond the reach of a project manager. Building the necessary expertise to qualify as an agile coach can take considerable time. After that, it is essential to keep aware of basic agile ideas and how they relate to recent project management trends to be informed enough to keep your credentials. It may be accomplished by staying up to date with relevant industry news and publications.
Invensis Learning provides training for various Agile certifications like AgilePM Foundation and Practitioner Certification, Certified Scrum Master, etc. In addition, we offer Interactive instructor-led Agile certification training with a higher passing percentage.
