[Name] [ID]

Agile Methods & the Agile Coach

Evaluate the role and effectiveness of the Agile coach in facilitating an organization’s
transition to an Agile development method.

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Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to explore the role that Agile coaches play in making the
adoption of Agile Methods convenient and effective in organizational settings. It makes use of
research data and information available through secondary sources. The data were analyzed in
light of the concepts studied throughout the course to reach meaningful conclusions regarding
the topic. It was seen that Agile Coaches not only help by implementing agile methods but also
help in making the organizational culture familiar with the practice by training employees and
aligning cultural values with the system. With Agile methods gathering popularity among the
world, it is important to acknowledge the importance of agile coaches in understanding the
dynamics of the system with respect to its implementation in an organization. The study
includes data from prior studies that reinforce the importance that agile coaches hold when it
comes to easing the organization and integrating the system in a manner that would ensure
proper functioning for a longer period of time. The study explores the challenges faced by the
business world in regard to their systems while highlighting the importance that Agile coaches
hold in integrating newer systems in a way that helps ensure effectiveness and efficiency in an
organization.

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Introduction

The purpose that this study serves in the educational domain is to implore the effect of
organizational cultures on the use and deployment of agile software while shedding light on the
value that Agile Coaches hold in the world, especially in an organizational setting. It is seen that
the culture of an organization is directly related to the different aspects that are associated with
it, therefore, system development is heavily reliant on this variable. Over the course of recent
years, we have seen agile software gain great popularity, especially among those who are
regular practitioners and software analysts. It is believed that agile methods are a practical
adaptation of the system development manifestations that people had decades ago. From
characteristics that allow for greater turbulence and flexibility towards the world evolution of
organizations, agile methods are seen to be paced appropriately to these changes (76). There
have been rather differing views with regard to the relationship that is present between the two
variables, however, the fact of the matter remains that the problems that are identified to exist
due to the incompatibility of these two factors remain as the prevailing threat to many
organizational setups. With the recent attraction towards agile methods, there was a need for
agile coaching in order to adopt the new updating systems. From conferences being held
regarding the topic to adopting systems into organizations, the idea of agile coaching was
gaining popularity.

The paper would focus on information and arguments provided in previous studies available
online to formulate the discussion part of the research. It will include tables, figures, and data
that would help formulate the basic structure of the arguments, upon which information studied
in the course would be applied to conclude the paper. Furthermore, it focuses on studying and
analyzing the organizations that have Agile Coaches to understand the qualities that they have
and to judge how effective these qualities were in achieving the purpose that they aim to serve.

Discussion

Adopting the agile system does not merely include the use of the system in terms of
implementation but it is also characterized by the uniformity that the organization is required to
show towards the processes and values of the software development process. It is seen that
organizations often lack the technical labor that is required to effectively implement the practices
and processes of the agile method. Most organizations pick and choose between the practices
that they want to imply from the agile method coining the term “a la carte” agile adoption
(Hovorka & Larsen, 2006).

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According to a study that took place in 2010 by Version One, among 91 countries, 4770
participants took part in the survey. They narrowed down the reasons for the agile projects
failure to be (State of Agile Development 2010):

Inexperience with agile methods

Disconnection between the culture of the company and agile values
Company apprehensions to adopt new practices
Lack of support from management
Insufficient training

Most of the reasons that are identified with regard to the failure of the agile method are related
to roles of guidance, sustainability, and the organizational culture’s coping mechanism with the
system development. These are factors that fall under the domain of Agile Coaches. The value
of an Agile coach can be determined by taking the difference between the expenses that are
burdened when they are hired from the benefits that they provide throughout the duration of
their service. Although the theoretical calculations of the value of Agile Coaches remain an
issue that is under empirical ambiguity with regard to the financial and non-financial cost-
bearing aspects, it is important to acknowledge the intrinsic value that holds in terms of their
efforts toward a culture, especially in terms of deploying Agile methods. What agile coaching
aims to achieve is to help individuals in adopting agile methods and transform their perception
of system development. The main fundaments of Agile system development are teamwork and
emphasis on team performance which eventually contribute to the success of software
development. Agile coaches might serve organizations as per the demands that they have; as
permanent or temporary employees. They are mostly hired through the methodology adoption
stage making their job contract based on temporary periods. However, they are an essential
part of an agile team. They oversee the implementation, and sustainability of Agile methods
while ensuring that the adoption lives to be long-term in nature. Moreover, they help the entire
organization in coping with the culture shift. As mentioned afore, one of the main reasons
identified for the failure to agile methods was how the organizational culture finds it hard to
remain compatible with the new system. Agile Coaches help the organization adapt to the
changes by training them in the different issues that might arise and educating them regarding
the solutions that they would be required to imply. Furthermore, Agile coaches provide proper
training to the Agile team and employees regarding the use of the system and the different
scenarios that they might have to face. They also help bridge the differences that might exist
between the system and the core values of the culture. It is important that Agile Coaches are

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used to aligning these values because they would do so in a way that would ensure that the
system is easy to comprehend yet remain true to its fundaments. Without a complete
understanding of the fundaments of the Agile Method, it is difficult to shift away from traditional
practices that are tried and tested, therefore, Coaches help make the shift easy and effective in
the sense that the company adopts the system while understanding its importance and
distinguishing factors as per their needs.

Figure 1: The roles that Agile coaches play in an organization (Richard Hoedeman €“,
n.d.)

To fit the roles that Agile Coaches play, they are categorized into three types; Technical
coaches, process/management coaches, and non-directive coaches. The first type is one where
the specialists are directly linked with the developers. They are required to have a great
experience with integration and coding abilities because their job description pertains majorly to
the skill sets required when dealing with dev teams. The second type, process coaches, are
directed toward the management of the implementation of the system in terms of establishing
management hierarchies and overseeing the whole implementation and adoption of the method
by both the culture as a whole as well as individual employees. Lastly, the non-directive
coaches are those who cater to the employees on a more individual level by solving agile-
related problems and solving their ambiguities regarding the method. Furthermore, the role that
Agile coaches play for an organization can be tailored with regard to the needs of the
organization. For example, some might require coaches with greater technical abilities whereas,
others would want them to be more supportive throughout the embracing process that the

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employees have to go through. Some might even require them to consult the implementation
and adoption process as for their business. Agile coaches draw on their own experience in
project management, IT, and other relevant industries to determine what would be beneficial for
the company. It's critical to concentrate on the foundations and establish an agile framework
approachable to everyone because some employees may not be familiar with it. Since they are
required to constantly collaborate directly with staff members from all levels of the organization,
including leadership, they need to have excellent interpersonal and communication skills if
they want to succeed as an agile coach. It's likely to be challenging to persuade certain
employees to use the agile technique. In these situations, you'll need to understand how to work
within the corporate culture to support the achievement of the organization's objectives.

instruct agile teams in the technique

Develop standards and requirements for the agile

Employee education on the agile approach should be

provided

assist teams in using agile software and technologies

Promote buy-in from stakeholders and employees

The figure above displays the different responsibilities that entail the role of Agile Coaches when
it comes to adopting Agile methods into their system development. These include; instructing
agile teams in the technique, developing standards and requirements for the agile, Employee
education on the agile approach should be provided, assisting teams in using agile software and
technologies, and promoting buy-in from stakeholders and employees (White, 2021).

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(Soundararajan et al., 2012).

There are many measures whereby the effectiveness of Agile Coaches can be measured. In
light of the Framework previously mentioned, we evaluate the "goodness" of an agile method by
(a) determining its suitability, (b) determining the organization's capacity to provide the
environment necessary for the way to be implemented, and (c) determining the method's
efficacy. The effectiveness of three agile methods—XP, FDD, and Method A—had been
investigated. The agile methodology that most accurately captures the agile ethos is XP. An
organization engaged in agile software development now employs Method A, a modified version
of XP. FDD is marketed as an agile approach that combines traditional software engineering
concepts with agile ideals and is designed for medium- to large-scale systems development. It
was seen that XP is more effective at achieving its goals than either FDD or Method A, while
Method A is more effective than FDD at achieving its goals. These early findings are in line with
our observations, but they still require independent verification by subject matter experts (SMEs)
(Soundararajan et al., 2012).

The bulk of businesses was only beginning their agile journeys a few years ago. According to
the 2020 Business Agility Report [Business Agility Report], 36% of firms have been practicing
agility for more than three years, while 9% have been doing so for more than eight. There has
been a significant emphasis on performing the rites and activities in those early years. Given
this, it made sense for agile coaches to place a big emphasis on the teams. A competence
framework for Agile Coaches was developed in 2011 by Lyssa Atkins and Michael Spayed

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[Adkins]. The agile coach can function in a variety of ways, including facilitating, mentoring,
coaching/advising, and teaching, according to the paradigm. It also introduces the three mastery
domains. Agile coaches are experts in a variety of skills and competencies. They might be more
business-oriented on the technical, business, or transformational components, or they can be
more scientific and geared to assist with the technical side. The agile coach becomes more
active in offering advice on the area they specialize in depending on the breadth of the domain
expertise.

According to the study by O’Connor and Duchonova (2014), eight Agile coaches with different
experience levels and employment organizations were taken to assess how effective their role
was in the adoption of the Agile method. It was also discussed whether or not certain
companies should employ certain types of agile coaches. The study looked at the financial and
non-financial advantages and disadvantages of Agile Coaching that were mentioned by all three
categories of respondents, and we evaluated the monetary and non-worth of Agile Coaching. In
order to assess whether or not Agile Coaching is truly advantageous, the overall worth of Agile
Coaching in agile adoption was investigated by contrasting the overall replies from firms that
utilized an Agile Coach and from organizations that did not. The businesses who employed an
Agile Coach saw the adoption as a success and agreed that they would all employ one once
more. In order to embrace agile, they would likewise advise other businesses to hire an Agile
Coach; however, Company 1 "would not propose hiring a full-time Agile Coach if it was their
only talent." On the other side, all businesses that implemented agile without the aid of an Agile
Coach deem the implementation successful. Resultantly, Agile Coaches are thought of as
pricey consultants, according to half of the survey respondents. The scale of the business, the
complexity of its processes, the nature of its industry, and corporate culture are just a few of the
many variables that affect whether a firm should hire an Agile Coach. Considering an Agile
Coach's Contribution to the Adoption of the Agile Method 145. Agile coaches may assist
organizations in adopting agile principles both financially and non-financially. The respondents
felt that an Agile Coach was more advantageous than it was financially expensive. Agile
coaches add value by greatly lowering the likelihood that agile adoption will fail and hastening
the adoption process. The ability to adapt agile techniques to a company's needs and to identify
dysfunctions are further advantages of having an agile coach (O’Connor & Duchonova, 2014).

Furthermore, Due to shared resources and reliance on the outside world, it can be difficult to
attain team liberty in large-scale agile projects. This leads to a lot of communication that is either
unneeded or preemptive. For developers who believe that being interrupted while concentrating

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on work causes them to take longer than required, having someone protect the team from the
exterior environment is vital and relaxing [Moe et al., 2019a]. Leadership skills are largely
needed for this shielding function [Moe et al., 2019a]. With the support of their leadership and
project management abilities, an agile coach may be a strong candidate to fill this function (e.g.,
[Santos et al., 2013, Shamshurin and Saltz, 2019, O'Connor and Duchonova, 2014]. It might be
difficult to run daily stand-up discussions in a manner that enhances the entire team. The
usefulness of daily stand-up sessions is significantly influenced as to how these meetings have
been conducted, claim Stray et al. (Stray et al., 2018). Daily stand-up meetings are frequently
considered to be merely status reporting sessions, adding little to the effectiveness of the team.
Additionally, inefficient meetings may have a detrimental influence on coworker trust and job
happiness. Allowing a chosen group of team members to partake in the duty of leading the daily
meetings is one method to promote leadership capabilities within the agile team and boost the
efficacy of stand-ups every day [Stray et al., 2018]. Both the agile coach and the scrum master
play important roles in enhancing the effectiveness of the meeting. The status reporting meeting
may be transformed into a discussion meeting that is more focused on issue solving and
developing trust between participants with the help of the agile coach and scrum master.
Additionally, the agile coach may educate and assist various team members in developing the
necessary abilities to work efficiently performing the daily stand-up and generally coaching
scrum teams to develop leadership and communication skills, enabling the team members to
successfully perform their responsibilities in shared meeting facilitation. By cleverly bending the
traditional Scrum standards, an agile coach may assist in overseeing, monitoring, and directing
how to make staff meetings more productive. The Scrum master is generally in charge of
leading the daily stand-up meeting, however, occasionally teams will just forego the meeting if
the Scrum master is not there.

Coaches can assist business owners in properly articulating their vision and purpose for the
brand since they are excellent communicators. Teams should be told exactly what needs to be
done and why it is vital. Teams will work with an agile coach who will assist them in learning
from each iteration. Learn from consumer input and quickly incorporate it into the development
of the following version of the good or service. They will also collaborate with teams to develop
a learning system. Learning from mistakes, from consumers, and from the feedback offered by
the procedures and systems in place. That is gaining knowledge through data. Learning from
your research and utilizing it to inform better working practices and improved iterations of the
product or service. Agile coaches may assist business owners in creating a product roadmap
and communicating that roadmap to the teams who will be working on the actual development

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of the product and its features. Entrepreneurs may profit in a variety of ways from coaching and
mentoring provided by an Agile coach. Software development groups and all other parties
engaged in the adoption of agile are trained and developed with the assistance of agile
coaches. The following list identifies the leadership traits, project management abilities,
technical aptitude, and familiarity with agile methodology as the core competencies of an agile
coach. Based on the results, it can be stated that agile coaches are crucial in resolving issues
like change resistance during an agile transition. In agile teams, coaches put their attention on
reducing obstacles to team autonomy and enhancing the value of agile meetings (“A SYSTEMATIC
LITERATURE REVIEW: HOW AGILE IS AGILE PROJECT MANAGEMENT?,” 2021).

Tools, procedures, and practices are simple. It's the necessary shift that makes "going Agile" challenging.
Organizations frequently try to go directly from decision-making to training. This shortcut falls short of
effectively raising public awareness of the significance of the shift. Employees may become frustrated
and push back in response, thinking that they should only endure this "passing trend" until management
reinstates the status quo. However, effective Agile coaches have the charm and empathy needed to
assist teams in seeing the wider picture. Coaches may aid in the establishment of a more enduring
culture of ongoing change and personal development by rephrasing the discussion and assisting each
member in understanding how this change also solves their issues (rather than simply those of their
boss). The majority of organizations are reluctant to change that they don't truly or collectively grasp. In
these situations, an outside force will be necessary to encourage significant advancement. This outside
perspective is free from office politics or established beliefs (such as "that's how we've always done it
here"). In order to advance your firm, your Agile coach must also be mindful of the cultural components
that must be protected while implementing tried-and-true change management strategies (Maleski,
2020).

Conclusion:

Therefore, in light of the discussion mentioned afore, we see that Agile Coaches are very
effective in ensuring the compatibility and easy adoption of the Agile method into an
organization by aligning the company values with the method. Moreover, it helps the employees
to adjust to the changing advancements that are seen in terms of technical departments and
system developments. Furthermore, studies show that Agile Coaches have made the transition
from traditional systems to Agile Methods very convenient. The limitation of this study lies in the
lack of primary research. It is mostly based on personal analysis of existing data and information
sourced in journal articles and research papers

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References

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 Adkins, L. Coaching agile teams. Addison-Wesley, 2010

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 The Business Agility Report, 3rd Edition,  retrieved May 16, 2021

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