This assessment is for you to take to see where you are on your journey to becoming an agile coach. Everyone is in a different place. We believe you are the best person to judge where you are right now, and where you want to be in a certain amount of time.
About The Assessment
We have broken the large topic of being an Agile Coach into 5 main areas. Each of these areas are split into 3 sub-areas which can contain a number of related topics. Below are the 5 main areas, and their sub-areas, as well as example topics in each area.
The topics below are just examples and by no means a definitive list, since the world of agile coaching is large. However, we expect that most topics should fit into one of the 5 areas we have chosen.
Coaching
Theory – coaching contracts, the 9 modes
Skills – listening, detachment, feedback
Tools – Motivation Game, Listening Game, Feedback Models
Facilitation
Facilitating – planning, distributed sessions, large scale
Formats – open space, lean coffee, ideation
Techniques – dot voting, brain writing, timelines
Knowledge
Agile Frameworks – Scrum, Kanban, XP, Lean, Scaling
Practices – technical practices, Product Owner techniques, Scrum Master practices
Tools – online tools, physical tools
Self
Work/Life Balance – time management, personal Kanban, productivity
Satisfaction – autonomy, mastery, purpose
Growth – networking, learning, community
Training
Activities – posters, ball toss, feedback wall
Delivery – room setup, planning, size
Methods – Training from the back of the room, mentoring, lecture based
Skill Levels
To assess your own level for each sub area we will be using Shu, Ha Ri in this assessment.
At the Shu level: you are learning the basics and just starting out. You might be going to training, reading or trying out some tools and techniques for the first time.
At the Ha level: you have actively practiced and used tools and techniques and are starting to discover how to use things together and blend ideas from various places.
At the Ri level: you are able to create new techniques and tools, and are largely led by your mind and heart. You are able to move beyond rules, but still align with the intended principles and values.
Complete Assessment
Step 1: Download the assessment sheet and print it out.
[button link=”https://growingagile.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/AgileCoachAssessment.pdf” type=”big” color=”green” newwindow=”yes”] Download[/button]
Step 2: For each sub area on the assessment sheet, draw a dot for where you feel you currently are. Once you are done, connect all the dots with a line in one colour (orange in the picture below). Also fill in today’s date at the top of the sheet.
Step 3: Now think about when you want to revisit this assessment. It could be in 2 weeks, 3 months or even 1 year from now. Fill in this date in the “Date to review”. Think about where you would like your skills to be on that review date, and draw new dots on the assessment sheet. Connect these dots with a different coloured pen (green in the picture below).
Step 4: Take a look at the areas with the biggest gap between where you currently are and where you would like to be. Pick between 1 and 3 items as your top priorities and label them in the Top 3 row. For a short duration (< 1 month), we recommend only selecting 1 area to focus on.
Step 5: For each of your priorities fill in an action plan for yourself in the blocks at the bottom. State what you want to achieve, how you plan to do it, and when you are going to do it. The more specific you are the more likely it will actually happen. Try not to plan on starting 3 things at the same time, rather spread them out.
Step 6: Now put this somewhere visible so that you will be reminded of your plan regularly.