individual coaching for team success

Individual Coaching for Team Success

Sarah E. Welch, CSM, PMP

WHAT IS COACHING?

What is Coaching?

Challenging, QuestioningInstructing, Supporting

Formal Informal

WHY COACH INDIVIDUALS?

WHEN TO COACH TEAMS VS. INDIVIDUALS

When to Coach Teams

• Retrospective items• Overall process improvements• General communication• Issue/opportunity is team wide• Conflict

When to Coach Individuals

• Conflict• Helping a lower performing team member• Sensitive issues—like hygiene. Eek!• Onboarding a new team member• Strengthening an emerging leader

Preparing to Coach

• Prepare yourself• Practice on yourself• Establish a coaching relationship– Trust– Care– Authority

• School yourself (field trip!)

HAPPY & PRODUCTIVE EMPLOYEES

MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDSSelf-actualization

Esteem

Love/Belonging

Safety

Physiological

$

MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDSSelf-actualization

Esteem

Love/Belonging

Safety

Physiological

C

Gallup Study*Over 25 years of research

Interviews with thousands

* First, Break All the Rules

I KNOW WHAT IS EXPECTED OF ME

flickr.com/photos/amanky/

TOOLS & EQUIPMENT TO DO MY WORK RIGHT

I GET TO DO WHAT I DO

BEST EVERY DAYflickr.com/photos/catdonmit/

I HAVE RECEIVED PRAISE IN THE LAST 7 DAYS

U. S. Navy

at workSOMEONE AT WORK CARES ABOUT ME flickr.com/photos/benjamingolub/

SOMEONE ENCOURAGES MY DEVELOPMENT

* obligatory motivational poster picflickr.com/photos/alanenglish/

MY OPINION COUNTSflickr.com/photos/benjamingolub/

MY COMPANY’S MISSIONMAKES MY JOB FEEL IMPORTANT

Mark

MY CO-WORKERSARE COMMITTED TO

DOING QUALITY WORK

flickr.com/photos/slworking/

I HAVE A BEST FRIEND AT WORK

I HAVE ABEST FRIEND

AT WORK

Leah

I HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN & GROW

flickr.com/photos/samcatchesides/

TEAM DYSFUNCTIONS AS SYMPTOMS

A high performing team doesn’t finish a story and doesn’t say anything about it until almost

the end of the sprint

Why?What do we coach?

Sprint after sprint, stories worked on by one particular developer

have been rolling at the last minute.

Why?What do we coach?

A team member jumps from story to story but doesn’t finish.

Why?What do we coach?

A top developer brings a magazine to a sprint planning session.

Why?What do we coach?

A team member withholds information from the team that they need to complete their work.

Why?What do we coach?

Team members constantly interrupt each other.

Why?What do we coach?

A team member has a series of unexplained absences.

Why?What do we coach?

A team member clips his nails during a team meeting.

Why?What do we coach?

A team member is intoxicated at work.

Why?What do we coach?

A team member explains even very simple things to his/her teammates.

Why?What do we coach?

Coaching Methods

• Casual drop-bys• Scheduled sessions• Reminders in meetings• Suggested training• Forward relevant articles• Encouragement• Be available – constantly remind your teams

that you’re there to help

Coaching Phrases

• “I noticed that it went well when you…”• “I’ve noticed that you’re more stressed than

normal. What’s going on? Can I help?”• “I’m not sure if you noticed, but I think you

upset Fred during our standup this morning.”• “I know we’ve been having trouble with X. I

read this blog post where a team tried A,B,C. What do you think?”

COACHING TOOLS

Team Goals & Needs

Engineering Practices• Wants to try pairingCommunication• Needs to use email alias more often• Work on not interrupting each otherUser Stories & Planning• Make smaller stories• Better prepare for planningNeeds• More reliable builds• Better organized product backlog

Individual GoalsTeam Member Goals Notes

Josh Needs to understand & live team empowerment

Seems very stressed lately, need to make sure he stays at a sustainable pace

Camille Need to work on not letting perfect get in the way of done

I’ve worked with Camille on setting quality expectations up front. I’m hopeful for improvements this sprint.

Jaime Jaime’s part time, so I’ve had a hard time getting to know her—especially since she’s quiet. I need to work on that.

Nick Work on test strategy more upfront

Has been stepping up as a team leader the last two sprints—love to see that

Working with Others to Coach

• Meet with your team members’ managers• Talk about the goals, things you’re noticing• Ask if there’s anything you can help with• Don’t be afraid to ask for them to hold off on

an issue if you’re working it• Make sure some of it’s positive• When? At least sprintly. ASAP if it’s a big issue.

Coaching To Coach

• Encourage self-management• Grow an emergent leader• Help more experienced team member feel

valued• Get help in areas where others have more

experience

COACHING

Challenging, QuestioningInstructing, Supporting

QUESTIONS?

Sarah E. Welch, CSM, PMP@sarahewelchsarahewelch@gmail.com