5 Biggest Traps for Agile Coaches

1.     Not Coaching the System

In an organizational context, which most Scrum Masters, Agile Coaches, and change agents find themselves in, individual (1:1) coaching rarely is effective. In these contexts, the coaches need system awareness, system thinking, and systemic coaching experience and skills to coach groups, teams, leaders, and organizations.

2.     Not confirming your Value

I’ve been on a rampage about this trap for a few years. You could say communicating, showing, or demonstrating your value as a coach, but I prefer confirmation. That is, each coach periodically meets with their key sponsors, looks them in the eye, and explore/confirms the value they are providing.

3.     Thinking that you’ve “Arrived”

I’ve seen many coaches who, once they put on the label of Agile Coach, Organizational Coach, or Enterprise Coach, they stop learning and growing. In essence, they think they’ve arrived. Nothing could be further from the truth. And, I would argue, that arrivalism leading to mediocrity as being one of the core drivers for the challenge we’ve seen in the market in 2022-2024.

Gustavo Razzetti has written a complimentary article focused on the Arrivism Trap.

4.     Only practicing Professional Coaching

This is another aspect that I’ve been railing about for several years. The easiest way to put it is: If the only tool you have is a hammer, then everything looks like a nail. While professional coaching has a place within Agile Coaching, it should not be your primary competency in personal development or use. If it is, then become a “Life Coach.”

5.     Minimal Self-Mastery (EQ, self-awareness, humility)

Many coaches lack self-awareness and system awareness. This leads to them navigating organizations with a narrow lens which is usually out of touch with reality and too focused on “Agile.” I think of Self-Mastery as developing your inside-out coach and presence. In other words, how well are you—walking your talk?

Good News

I guess the good news is that in the future, market conditions will winnow out the Agile Coaches who are caught in these traps. But it makes me sad that it’s come to this.

I’m also quite disappointed in the life coaches who joined the Agile Coaching bandwagon. Many of them are still “hanging on” to a thread trying to convince themselves and their clients that Agile Coaching is synonymous to life coaches who have little to no direct domain experience.

Part of my sadness is that nearly all these folks are good people. They’ve just chosen to engage a profession with insufficient skills and experience.

Wrapping Up

By the way, if anyone reading this wants to know what “good looks like” in Agile Coaching skills and competencies, I’d suggest referencing my Extraordinarily Badass Agile Coaching book and Comparative Agility’s Agile Coaching PI assessment.

Stay agile, and Badass my friends,

Bob.