Concepts
It sets the framework for the relationship between the coach and the team, establishing clear expectations, responsibilities, and the scope of work. The need for such an agreement becomes even more important when working with multiple Scrum teams. This article will delve into the process of establishing a coaching agreement for one or multiple Scrum teams.
I. Understanding the Coaching Agreement
Before drafting a coaching agreement, it’s essential to understand what it encompasses. It is a formal understanding that sets boundaries, clarifies coach’s roles, states the intended outcome, and specifies metrics for success. The agreement ensures a clear communication channel between the coach and the team and keeps everyone on track.
Typically, a coaching agreement might include parameters like:
- Goals and Objectives: What is expected from the Scrum Teams and what they want to achieve.
- Scope of Work: Clear definition of the coach’s role and responsibilities.
- Duration: Time frames for each stage of the project and the entire coaching period.
- Confidentiality: Ensuring that sensitive information stays private.
- Measurable Metrics: Outlining benchmarks to check progress.
II. Creating a Coaching Agreement for Single Scrum Team
A coaching agreement becomes a valuable tool when dealing with a single Scrum team. Besides enabling the alignment of skills and competencies, it also supports team building and managing conflicts. Following are steps to create a coaching agreement for a single Scrum team:
- Understand Team Needs: Start with a workshop or one-on-one discussions to define the goals, objectives, and potential roadblocks.
- Define Roles: Clearly outline what the coach will do. It may include training, mentorship, facilitating stakeholder interaction, etc.
- Establish Protocols: Define communication processes, meeting cadence, and conflict resolution mechanisms.
- Set Metrics: Align the coaching objectives with measurable parameters.
III. Managing Multiple Scrum Teams
Managing multiple Scrum teams require different strategies due to the increased complexity. Here’s a process to create coaching agreements with multiple teams:
- Individual Team Assessment: Understand the unique needs, strengths, and weaknesses of each team.
- Setting Overall objectives: Despite individual team goals, establish overarching objectives that bind all the teams.
- Role Definition: The coach’s role will extend to synchronizing across teams, improving inter-team communication, and managing dependencies.
- Establish Global and Individual Metrics: Set metrics for each team and overall progress.
IV. A Comparative View
To understand the difference between handling a single Scrum team and multiple teams, let’s consider this comparison:
| Single Scrum Team | Multiple Scrum Teams | |
|---|---|---|
| Role | Coach works primarily as a single team facilitator | Coach works as a coordinator between multiple teams |
| Goals | Specific goals relating to that particular team | Overarching objectives unifying all teams |
| Metrics | Based on individual team progress | Based on individual team and total progress |
In the Certified Scrum Professional for Developers (CSP-D) exam, understanding the nuances on creating a coaching agreement is an important aspect. It’s not just about knowledge; it’s about practically applying these concepts to create a high-performing Scrum environment. Remember, a coaching agreement not only provides a roadmap to accomplish set goals but also mitigates potential challenges by addressing them proactively in the agreement.
Answer the Questions in Comment Section
True/False: A coaching agreement generally aims to outline responsibility, expectations, and framework for the coach and team to work effectively.
- True
- False
Answer: True.
Explanation: The coaching agreement provides clarity on roles, responsibilities, expectations, and modes of communication between the coach and the team. It helps in defining the framework and the principles by which they’ll work together.
Multiple select: In a coaching agreement, what are typically discussed?
- a) team goals
- b) each team member’s personal leagues
- c) terms to deal with impediments
- d) the coach’s favorite color
Answer: a, c
Explanation: The focus of a coaching agreement is on professional aspects. It generally includes team goals, methods of achieving these goals, and strategies to deal with impediments and possible risks. Personal matters or preferences of the team members or coach are irrelevant.
Single selection: Who primarily develops the coaching agreement?
- a) Scrum Master
- b) Development Team
- c) Product Owner
- d) The Coach
Answer: d) The Coach
Explanation: The Coach is primarily responsible for developing the coaching agreement, as the agreement is designed to outline the roles, expectations, and objectives between the coach and the team.
True/False: The coaching agreement should always be kept secret from the rest of the organization.
- True
- False
Answer: False.
Explanation: Transparency is a core Scrum principle. While the agreement does not need to be shared indiscriminately, it should be accessible if there’s a valid need to see it.
Single selection: Which of the following is not part of the coaching agreement?
- a) Confidentiality provisions
- b) Conflict management provisions
- c) Role and responsibilities of the coach
- d) Personal hobbies of the team members
Answer: d) Personal hobbies of the team members
Explanation: Personal hobbies are not typically part of a professional agreement such as this. It focuses more upon the work that needs to be done, and the way to handle conflicts and personal issues if they arise in a professional context.
Multiple select: What tools may be included in the coaching agreement?
- a) Retrospectives
- b) Dashboards
- c) Video games
- d) Communication tools
Answer: a, b, d
Explanation: The coaching agreement may include various tools necessary for facilitating effective coaching. These can include Retrospectives for reflecting, dashboards for maintaining visibility, and communication tools.
True/False: The coaching agreement can change throughout the course of a project.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Agreements may need to change in dynamic environments as the needs of the team or the objectives of the project evolve. Hence flexibility is necessary.
Single selection: Who signs off on the coaching agreement?
- a) Scrum Master
- b) Coach
- c) All team members
- d) Sponsor
Answer: c) All team members
Explanation: A coaching agreement is between the coach and the team. Therefore, it is important that all team members sign off on the agreement to ensure everyone is on the same page.
Multiple select: The coaching agreement should include provisions for:
- a) Regular review and feedback
- b) Dealing with conflicts
- c) Termination criterias
- d) Disciplinary action
Answer: a, b, c
Explanation: The coaching agreement should include provisions for feedback and review systems, dealing with conflicts, and specific criteria under which the agreement might be terminated.
True/False: The coaching agreement is only relevant for the initial stage of a project.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: The coaching agreement is relevant throughout the term of the coaching relationship. Hence, it remains important robust beyond just the initial stages of a project.
Thanks for this insightful post on creating a coaching agreement with multiple Scrum teams. Really helpful.
How do you handle conflicts that arise between different Scrum teams when setting the coaching agreement?
What are the key points you should definitely include in a coaching agreement for a Scrum team?
Appreciate the guidance! It’s always challenging to create a one-size-fits-all agreement.
How can I measure the success of a coaching agreement with multiple Scrum teams?
How detailed should the coaching agreement be?
This blog post is very useful. It clearly outlines the important steps!
What happens if a team doesn’t follow the coaching agreement?