Technical Agile Coaching

"Yet another coach" or vital addition on the way to high-performing teams?

"We have Scrum Masters, Agile Coaches, Team Coaches, and now Technical Agile Coaches? Is there actually still somebody around who works productively?" I hear you say. But let me explain.

The idea for my interpretation of a "Technical Agile Coach", which subsequently will be referred to also as TACo, came to me when I first heard of Samman Technical Coaching, a coaching technique developed by Emily Bache. The main idea is simple - as part of a development team, a TACo works together with the entire team and individuals on improving their agile software engineering skills.

These skills include, but are not limited to: eXtreme Programming, Refactoring, Testing and Test-Driven Development, identifying and solving Code Smells, software design like Hexagonal or Clean Architecture, Event Sourcing, CQRS, strategic and tactical Domain-Driven Design, EventStorming, Story Writing & Slicing, effective Aggregate- and Monolith/Microservice-sizing, and many more. Teams have typically heard of these topics, but because there are so many things a modern software engineer needs to know (frameworks etc.), understandably, they do not always have the time and energy to invest in these methodological topics as well as much. Yet, they are key to effectively develop software.

Practices are taught in 1 - 2 hours called Learning Hours, which can be bi-weekly, weekly, every other day, daily, or even more frequently, depending on the need. Practices should be introduced depending on the interests and needs of the entire team. During Ensemble - or Pair Programming sessions, small groups or team members can address their interests and potentials for improvement individually. There is no obligation - every team member decides for themselves how much involvement they want with the TACo.

A TACo, on the other hand, can step-by-step help building up these skills on the job, while the team is productively developing software. By the end of a mandate, the understanding and skills of the team will have significantly broadened. Compared to singular (multi-day) workshops with little retention, continuously practicing technical software development skills is more likely to form long lasting habits.

A TACo a Day keeps the Doctor away

However, a TACo does not only address technical skills. A development team can technically excel, yet be riddled with unresolved internal problems and external pressures that can destroy all the good work done so far.

As such, technical agile coaching is an effective approach to identify and address the actual, underlying blockers of a team. As part of the team, a TACo feels the internal quarrels and outside pressures, but because they are not immediately involved in productive work, they are in the unique position to address issues without being directly affected. As a consultant to the team, a TACo may point out potentials for improvement, but the team is free to decide to pursue them (immediately) or not.

"Technical Agile Coach" is also not a typical "leader" role. There is no hierarchical structure in place as the TACo is neither above nor below, but besides a team's and an organisation's hierarchy. Any team member from junior to senior over PO to ScM can seek inputs from a TACo without fear of influencing their career in any way. Anything mentioned in personal conversations is handled confidential unless team members want actions to be taken.

Of course, this does not imply that a TACo should ignore pressing issues like mobbing or company-harming practices! On the contrary, due to their unique position, they are able to identify and address such issues even earlier within the team and provide guidance or get input from outside without escalating the entire situation out of proportion.

Best TACo Recipe

Overall, technical agile coaching is not an imposed, top-down approach. Neither is it a "visit, fire and forget" approach, where a TACo only shows up for some workshop without any investment in the team and then leaves again. It requires both a high degree of technical understanding, hard programming skills, but also the abilities to "feel the room" effectively, avoid position taking, and adapt one's manners according to each individual team member. TACos enable the team to work better individually and collectively.

The highest value of this role comes from the deep involvement within the team, while being detached from outside influences and pressures. TACos should therefore always be treated as separated from the hierarchical organisation of a company, as an incorporation into it would defeat the purpose of the role.

As a young role, its effectiveness cannot be put into numbers yet. But the close involvement of a TACo within a team with a steady focus on identifying root causes of problems and developing a team-tailored set of possible solutions, should logically lead to a more effective outcome than one-time workshops or presentations with only little team involvement.

Additionally, this role provides an interesting career opportunity for any developer that does not want to pursue a purely low-level, technical path, but at the same time does not want to leave the technical aspects behind entirely in favour of a classic leadership role, either. It involves skills from all the different roles, from Scrum Master to Agile Coach to Developer to Tech Lead and Architect and even PO, as well as a high degree of social skills. It's for skilled generalists who are interested in various topics and the global picture.

Furthermore, TACos are connected throughout the company and can bring in required skills from outside the team if needed. They should best be deeply connected outside of the company and internationally as well to always stay up to date and be able to exchange and learn from various other experts, approaches, views and ideas.

It's more than a job, it's a calling.

If you want to learn more about my approach on technical agile coaching, just DM me, e.g. on Linkedin. If you want to exchange with a TACo for your team’s specific needs, we at Codeartify are happy to take on the challenge as well! See you soon!