Professional vs. Agile Coaching

Agile Coaches—Does the Direction of your Journey Matter?

Agile Coaches—Does the Direction of your Journey Matter?

I had breakfast with my friend and colleague Leon Sabarsky the other morning, and we discussed the common evolutionary paths for many agile coaches. 

We came up with two primary directions if you will—

One is focused on moving from a background in software product development and then adding or emerging your Agile Coaching skills.

Indicators of this direction include—

  • I’ve developed software and products (Developer)

  • I’ve tested those products (Tester)

  • I’ve developed release pipelines (DevOps)

  • I’ve developed architectures and requirements (Architect, Business Analyst)

  • I’ve worked with software product customers and stakeholders (Business Domani)

  • I’ve led a variety of product development teams (Leadership-Management) 

All focused on IT, Technology, Software Products, and Business Agility.

Agile Coaching versus Professional Coaching

Agile Coaching versus Professional Coaching

I think many in the agile community get confused about the difference between Professional Coaching (as defined by the International Coaching Federation or ICF) and Agile Coaching (as explained within the Agile Coaching Competency Framework or Agile Coaching Growth Wheel).

The clarity problem actually begins because the ICF definitions (certifications, competency models, ethics, etc.) are VERY clearly identified. And, since everything is so clearly defined, the many organizations who have ICF training are consistent in approach as well. There’s great clarity when a singular organization forms around a profession to capture its essence and guide its evolution.

The profession of agile coaching, if I can use that terminology, isn’t nearly as clear. It’s fractured, ill-defined, inconsistently agreed on and composed of organizational factions. The two frameworks I mentioned, while aligned, don’t agree on the standard coaching stances that make up Agile Coaching. Nor do any of the leading certification bodies (Scrum Alliance, iCAgile, Scrum.org, or Scaled Agile Framework). As I said, there is some commonality, but there is no way near the clarity that you gain from ICF in Professional Coaching.

The clarity problem is further exacerbated because I believe Agile Coaching is a superset of Professional Coaching. In other words, Professional Coaching is an activity (or stance) that is practiced while Agile Coaching. But it isn’t the only stance.

Even Agile Coaches are Confused