Pierluigi Pugliese is an "agile coach and software consultant" based in Germany. I'm familiar with agile software development, a method based on the principles first articulated in 2001 in the Agile Manifesto, and "agile coaching" would seem to be a logical extension of these principles:
Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software.
Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer's competitive advantage.
Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale.
Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project.
Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done.
The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation.
Working software is the primary measure of progress.
Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely.
Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility.
Simplicity--the art of maximizing the amount of work not done--is essential.
The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.
At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly.
I see many parallels with coaching embedded in this language, and I love that Pugliese has not only made these parallels explicit but also established a coaching practice focused on supporting teams of agile developers--what a perfect fit.
On April 9 Pugliese gave a presentation on a Solution Focused Approach to Agile Coaching at Agile Central Europe, a gathering of developers in Kraków. I encourage you to review his entire presentation posted at SlideShare, but I've taken the liberty of reproducing the slides that I found most meaningful below. (Note that each slide below links to the original presentation posted on SlideShare.)
This slide reminds me of my post on mentoring, training and coaching--and the fundamental differences that distinguish these disciplines, despite their many similarities:
The description below of "Solution Focused Coaching" resonates deeply with me--every bullet in Pugliese's list is a hallmark of my own approach to coaching:
I fully agree with Pugliese's reluctance to ask "Why?", for the very reasons articulated in the slide below. I'd add that "Why?" questions tend to trigger defensiveness--"Why? I'll tell you why!"--and that "How?" questions are much more effective at helping coaching clients better understand themselves. (I'm indebted to Scott Ginsberg for his invaluable list of useful questions.)
The "Miracles" slide below describes a coaching technique that's new to me, and I find it compelling. I look forward to an opportunity to try it out:
Many thanks to Pierluigi Pugliese for an insightful and thought-provoking overview of his approach to coaching.
