What Kind of Agile Coach does Your Team Actually Need?

[Evan Fishman - Rally for Jira]

The best Agile Coaches don’t stick to just one style.

They adapt, shifting their approach based on what the team actually needs.

Here are four key stances they tend to move between:

The Teacher - Sharing knowledge about Agile principles and practices to help teams understand and implement their methodologies. This stance is all about building that foundational understanding.

The Mentor - Providing guidance based on experience to support individual growth, both personally and professionally, within the Agile framework. Mentors help team members navigate their unique journey.

The Facilitator - Enabling productive collaboration by ensuring meetings and processes run smoothly to achieve team goals. This stance keeps the team moving forward together.

The Coach - Unlocking a team's potential by asking powerful questions and encouraging self-discovery and problem-solving. This stance empowers teams to find their own solutions.

Agile Coaches don’t lead with a rigid playbook.

They read the room, adjust, and meet teams where they are, helping them grow, adapt, and thrive.

If you're an Agile Coach yourself, which stance do you find yourself in most often?

[Pálvölgyi János]

I'm not an agile coach, but I think the things you describe perfectly describe the role of a good scrum master.

[frankie_medina]

All these hats fit on a scrum master at one point or another, from my experience supporting multiple teams at time with varying skills/knowledge. However, I don't often enough take time to reflect on them. Thank you for sharing and bringing the idea top of mind.