A Scrum Master’s Role as a Coach and a Mentor (Part 2) with Jesus Gerardo de la Fuente Garcia

Agile Coaches' Corner

This week, Dan Neumann is joined by the AgileThought colleague Jesus Gerardo De La Fuente Garcia to continue the conversation started in Episode 159 about the many hats of a Scrum Master. In the previous episode, they dove deep into the role of a Scrum Master as a teacher and today you will hear their discussion about the roles of mentor and Coach.

In this episode, Gerardo outlines the differences between mentoring and coaching, explaining the various functions a Scrum Master assumes in each of these roles.

Key Takeaways

• What does a Scrum Master’s coaching position look like?
• • Coaching begins when the team understands the why and the what, behind their everyday practices.
  • A Scrum Master as a Coach opens space for his/her team to experiment, he/she shows new perspectives and possibilities, but before these are possible, there needs to be a relationship based on trust.
  • A Scrum Master needs to stimulate a culture of continuous improvement as well as to support the team in problem-solving and conflict resolution.
  • A Coach helps to change attitudes, mindsets, and behaviors that restrict the team to perform in the best way possible.
  • Giving open and honest feedback is also the chore of a Coach.
  • A Scrum Master should support and encourage collaboration with the Scrum Teams.
• A Scrum Master as a Mentor
• • The team has a full understanding of the values and principles, and in a way, they have the same knowledge as a Coach.
  • A mentor is an inspiration to others and guides people to personal and professional growth.
  • A mentor needs to be ready to serve others before his or herself.
  • A mentor helps the team to become more and more resilient.
  • A Scrum Master as a mentor finds what motivates each member of the team and helps them to identify their own goals.
  • A Mentor promotes these three habits: Thinking, Feeling, and Executing.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Coaching Agile Teams: A Companion for ScrumMasters, Agile Coaches, and Project Managers in Transition, by Lyssa Adkins

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