How do you enable your agile coachees to self-organize?

1 Establish a clear vision

Before you can expect your coachees to self-organize, you need to ensure that they have a clear and shared vision of what they are trying to achieve, why it matters, and how it aligns with the organizational goals. You can help them by facilitating workshops, meetings, or retrospectives where they can collaboratively define and refine their vision, mission, and values. You can also help them by providing feedback, asking powerful questions, and challenging their assumptions.

2 Foster a safe and trusting environment

Self-organization requires trust and psychological safety among the team members and with the coach. You can foster this by creating a culture of openness, respect, and feedback, where everyone can express their opinions, ideas, and concerns without fear of judgment or retaliation. You can also model the behaviors you want to see, such as admitting mistakes, asking for help, and giving recognition. Additionally, you can help them by resolving conflicts, addressing dysfunctions, and celebrating successes.

3 Provide guidance and support

Self-organization does not mean that your coachees are left alone to figure out everything by themselves. They still need your guidance and support to learn and grow as a team and as individuals. You can provide this by coaching them on agile values, principles, and practices, such as Scrum, Kanban, or XP. You can also help them by facilitating their ceremonies, such as sprint planning, daily standup, or sprint review. Moreover, you can help them by mentoring them on specific skills, such as communication, collaboration, or problem-solving.

4 Encourage experimentation and learning

Self-organization involves experimentation and learning from both successes and failures. You can encourage this by creating a learning mindset, where your coachees are curious, willing to try new things, and open to feedback. You can also help them by providing them with tools, resources, and opportunities to learn, such as books, articles, podcasts, webinars, or courses. Furthermore, you can help them by creating a feedback loop, where they can regularly inspect and adapt their work processes, outcomes, and behaviors.

5 Delegate authority and responsibility

Self-organization implies that your coachees have the authority and responsibility to make decisions and take actions that affect their work. You can delegate this by defining clear roles, expectations, and boundaries for your coachees, and trusting them to do their best. You can also help them by empowering them to choose their own tools, methods, and practices, as long as they align with the vision and goals. Additionally, you can help them by holding them accountable for their results, and providing constructive feedback.

6 Step back and observe

Self-organization means that your coachees are autonomous and independent, and do not need your constant supervision or intervention. You can step back and observe by giving them space and time to work as a team, and avoiding micromanaging or controlling their actions. You can also help them by being available and accessible when they need your help, but not imposing your solutions or opinions. Moreover, you can help them by observing their dynamics, performance, and potential, and providing coaching when appropriate.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?