Coaching,Served 2 WaysSport coaching learning applied to agile
Dan Brown@KanbanDan
Coaching Served 2 Ways #AgileManc @KanbanDan
Who am I?
Dan Brown
@KanbanDan
I’m a Kanban Coach & Teacher
I’m a Licensed RFU Rugby Coach
Coaching Served 2 Ways #AgileManc @KanbanDan
Coaching Served 2 Ways #AgileManc @KanbanDan
What’s all this aboutI took the RFU Coaching Course
I expected to hear a lot about Rugby
Instead we learned about PrinciplesThe Coaching ProcessValuesComplexityDeveloping People & their skillsSkill Acquisition Loops, switches, penetrators, blitzes, drifts, scrummaging (OK some of it was about rugby)
Coaching Served 2 Ways #AgileManc @KanbanDan
“Knowing and understanding the principles … Is the cornerstone of successful coaching”
Coaching Served 2 Ways #AgileManc @KanbanDan
The principles are different
But the point is the same
The Principles are the foundation we build on
Does your coaching strategy align to the principles you are teaching?
E.g. “You can’t “Gantt chart your way to agile”It wouldn’t match the principles we are coaching
“Knowing and understanding the principles … Is the cornerstone of successful coaching”
Coaching Served 2 Ways #AgileManc @KanbanDan
The Coaching Process
RFU: Plan – Do – Review
Agile: Inspect and Adapt
Systems thinking: Plan – Do – Check – Act
Lean Startup : Build – Measure – Learn
Kanban: Validated Learning, Kaizen
Cynefin: Probe – Sense – Respond
Coaching Served 2 Ways #AgileManc @KanbanDan
Coaching styles
TellCoach makes decisions & tells team what to do
SellCoach decides, and persuades team that it’s the right thing to do
AskCoach outlines situation and invites suggestions
DelegateCoach sets the problem and lets the team decide how to solve it.
Prescriptive
Mentoring
Coaching
Non Directive
Safety
New to this
More experienced
Experts
Rugby Agile Situation
Coaching Served 2 Ways #AgileManc @KanbanDan
Plan
“Remember: Planning is essential, plans may change” – RFU coaching manual
Or as Eisenhower put it
“plans are useless, but planning is indispensable”
Align your plan to your long term goals
Be flexible – things will happen which require changes to plan or intended outcomes
Coaching Served 2 Ways #AgileManc @KanbanDan
Example Plan: “Attack from lineout Slice, 13 flat 12 deep”
Session Set up
Session focus area
Overview“Whole-part-whole”
approach
Detail of “part”
Values targeted
Skill focus
Reflections of how it went - Retrospective
Coaching Served 2 Ways #AgileManc @KanbanDan
Review
Always review your session with the team and fellow coaches.
Did it align to goals (personal and team)
What went well, what went not so well
What would you do differently
How does this affect plan for next session?
Coaching Served 2 Ways #AgileManc @KanbanDan
Values
TREDSTeamworkRespectEnjoymentDisciplineSportsmanship
“Values cannot be imposed and need to be agreed in order for people to abide by them”
Coaching Served 2 Ways #AgileManc @KanbanDan
Complexity
I was surprised when I realised Cynefin worked for Rugby too
Coaching Served 2 Ways #AgileManc @KanbanDan
Complexity
I was surprised when I realised Cynefin worked for Rugby too
In Rugby League, Coaching is mostly prescriptive“Do what I say or get off the park!”
In Rugby Union we coach players to make intuitive decisions instead
Why?
Coaching Served 2 Ways #AgileManc @KanbanDan
Coaching that Develops People - not just players
The 5CsCompetence SkillsConfidence Self WorthConnection Building bonds with othersCharacter Fairness, Sympathy, EmpathyCreativity Find your own solutions
Sky TV’s “School of Hard Knocks” is a great example
Coaching Served 2 Ways #AgileManc @KanbanDan
Skill Acquisition
3 stages of Skill Acquisition:Cognitive (understanding)Associative (practice)Autonomous (automatic)
Coaching Served 2 Ways #AgileManc @KanbanDan
Coaching Philosophy
Maintains clarity, direction and focus in the way you coach
Helps you align your behaviours with your values
Your philosophy will evolve with you
Dan’s coaching philosophy To Learn and Share. No-one knows everything.To be Open and Transparent.Challenge things, be prepared to be Disruptive.Coach Situationally – seek out the Context.Foster and encourage work to be a Fun and Happy place.Be Fair and encourage fairness in others.Be Helpful to everyone.Above all, make a Positive Difference
Coaching Served 2 Ways #AgileManc @KanbanDan
Update
I now have a new and all encompassing philosophy
“Simplify and Inspire in a Fun and Safe way. Always be Positive, Open and Transparent”
Coaching Served 2 Ways #AgileManc @KanbanDan
Philosophy Vs Principles
Agile, Kanban and Rugby each have their own principles
Principles are determined by others, and we either subscribe to them or not
Philosophy is personal to us
Philosophy is how we apply the principles
Coaching Served 2 Ways #AgileManc @KanbanDan
Meet Joe EhrmannJoe was a defensive tackle in the NFL in the 70s and 80s
Now he’s a coach, author and speaker
Coaching Served 2 Ways #AgileManc @KanbanDan
The big 4 questions
Joe thinks all coaches should have answers to these questions:
Why do you coach?
Why do you coach the way you do?
How does it feel to be coached by you?
What does success look like?
Coaching Served 2 Ways #AgileManc @KanbanDan
Psychology
This is Bill Beswick – I met him at an RFU coaching day
He’s the England Rugby team sports psychologist
He’s a world leader in his field
Let me tell you a little story…
Coaching Served 2 Ways #AgileManc @KanbanDan
CultureA successful team rarely relates to talent
The coach is responsible for creating the right environment
The right environment relies on the coach understanding the importance of continuous personal development and defined coaching philosophy
The vision must be clear and agreed
The coach should be able to facilitate, establish and demonstrate core values and leadership within the team
Coaching Served 2 Ways #AgileManc @KanbanDan
All Black Culture“No D*ckheads” – Wanau
The All Blacks select on character as well as talent
“Sweep the sheds” – Humility Before leaving the dressing room they literally sweep upNo-one is too big to sweep the floor
“Leave the jersey in a better place” - StewardshipThis responsibility creates a compelling sense of higher purpose
“Champions Do Extra” ethosfinding incremental ways to do more in the gym, on the field, for the team
“Keep a blue head” - PsychologyRed Head – panicked, off task, unproductive stateBlue Head – optimal, on task, productive state
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Coaching,Served 2 WaysQ&A
Dan Brown@KanbanDan