Organizations trend to use scrum and understand agile values rely on Scrum Master to show them the way. Scrum Master coaching not only scrum teams but also organization’s leadership.
When we take on a leadership coaching role as a scrum master, we can prepare ourselves by developing competencies that will enable us to guide and support the leadership team effectively. Here are some key competencies and examples of how can Scrum Master coach the leadership team:
1. Establish Commitments
Scrum Master can help leadership team develop clear commitments to the agile transformation by facilitating discussions and workshops that help leaders articulate their goals and expectations. We can also help leaders define success metrics and set up accountability mechanisms to ensure everyone is committed to the promises.
Example: Scrum Master can facilitate workshop where leadership team identifies its top priorities for the agile transformation and creates a shared vision for success. They can then work together to define specific, measurable goals and establish a system of regular check-ins to track progress.
2. Engage in Conversations to Create Breakthroughs
Scrum Master can coach the leadership team on engaging in conversations within teams that create breakthroughs and lead to continuous improvement. We can help leaders identify areas for their own growth and learning, and support them in finding ways to overcome obstacles and challenges.
Example: Scrum Master can coach leadership team on how to have open, honest conversations within teams that promote active listening and constructive feedback. We can help teams develop skills for asking powerful questions and creating a culture of curiosity and continuous learning.
3. Designing an Invented Future
Scrum Master can help the leadership team design an invented future by facilitating discussions that help the team define a clear vision for the future of organization. We can also help the team create a roadmap to get there, identifying key milestones and defining success metrics.
Example: Scrum Master can facilitate workshops in which leadership team members work together to create a visual roadmap for the future state of organization. Consider using tools like story mapping and value stream mapping to identify the key steps and milestones needed to achieve the vision.
4. Creating a Culture of Accountability
An effective Scrum Master, as a leadership coach, must create a culture of accountability within the organization. It’s crucial to encourage team members to take ownership of their tasks and work collaboratively with other team members. By holding themselves accountable, team members can create a sense of ownership, pride, and motivation in their work. This is where a Scrum Master can play a pivotal role in ensuring team members work together, are accountable, and promptly produce results.
Example: Scrum Master can leverage retrospectives to discuss challenges and celebrate achievements. During discussions, team members can openly discuss their challenges, concerns and develop solutions collaboratively. This encourages transparency and accountability, leading to higher levels of engagement and commitment.
5. Promoting Openness and Vulnerability
An effective leadership coach needs to promote openness and vulnerability within the organization. Leaders must be willing to share their vulnerabilities and failures to build trust and create a safe environment where team members feel comfortable expressing their concerns and challenges.
Scrum Master can encourage leaders to adopt this approach by facilitating open discussions during meetings and encouraging leaders to share their experiences. For instance, we can start by sharing your own vulnerabilities and failures, which will help build team trust. This creates a safe environment for team members to share their concerns and challenges, which can be addressed collaboratively.
6. Challenging Established Thinking
An effective leadership coach must challenge established thinking and encourage leaders to think outside the box. This involves questioning assumptions and challenging conventional wisdom to encourage creativity and innovation. Scrum Master can be crucial in promoting this approach by facilitating brainstorming sessions, enabling leaders to share their ideas, and challenging established thinking.
Example: Scrum Master can facilitate brainstorming session, encourage team members to develop new ideas and approaches to tackle challenges. By challenging established thinking, team members can also develop innovative solutions that can help drive the organization forward.
7. Facilitating Behavioral Change
Finally, an effective leadership coach must facilitate behavioral change within the organization. As a leadership coach, nurturing behavioral change involves understanding the client’s needs, active listening, asking powerful questions, providing constructive feedback, creating action plans, and accountability. By using these techniques, we can help clients identify and address the behavioral patterns that may be holding them back from reaching their full potential and help them become more effective leaders.
Isabel Leung and Howie Sung are the co-founders of The Agile Eagle, the premiere Scrum, and Agile training and coaching organization.
Join Isabel and Howie in a Professional training course: https://theagileeagle.com/category/professional-training.
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