Coaching and Facilitation Flashcards

Which of the following best describes the role of a facilitator during an agile team meeting?

Answer: Guiding the process while remaining neutral on content

A facilitator is responsible for managing the process and structure of a meeting while remaining content-neutral, leaving decisions to the participants.

An agile leader is coaching a Scrum Master who struggles with conflict in their team. What is the MOST effective first step?

Answer: Ask the Scrum Master what outcome they want from resolving the conflict

Starting with the coachee's desired outcome anchors the coaching conversation and activates their own problem-solving capability rather than creating dependency.

What is 'powerful questioning' in the context of agile coaching?

Answer: Asking open-ended questions that evoke reflection, insight, and new possibilities

Powerful questions are open-ended, thought-provoking, and designed to stimulate self-reflection and help coachees discover their own insights.

A team's retrospective consistently produces action items that are never completed. As a coaching leader, what should you do first?

Answer: Coach the team to explore why action items are not being completed

Exploring the systemic reasons why commitments aren't followed through helps the team develop lasting behavioral change rather than applying surface-level fixes.

Which stance should an agile leader adopt when a team member is stuck and has no ideas about how to proceed?

Answer: Shift from a coaching stance to a teaching or advising stance temporarily

Skilled agile leaders fluidly shift between coaching, mentoring, and teaching stances depending on the individual's need and developmental level in the moment.

What is the 'Columbian Mammoth' anti-pattern in facilitation?

Answer: A single vocal participant who controls the conversation and suppresses other voices

The 'HiPPO' (Highest Paid Person's Opinion) or dominant voice anti-pattern occurs when one person overshadows the group, and a skilled facilitator must actively draw out quieter voices.

When coaching an organization through an agile transformation, what does 'meeting people where they are' mean?

Answer: Accepting the current cultural and capability state as the starting point before introducing change

Effective agile coaching begins by understanding and accepting the current reality of individuals and the organization before designing appropriate change interventions.