RTE Coaching and RTE Competencies 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the Dreyfus model and how is it relevant to RTE coaching?
- A financial forecasting model for portfolio planning
- A model describing five stages of skill development (novice to expert) that helps the RTE tailor coaching to individuals' current capability levels (Correct answer)
- A framework for team formation and Agile maturity
- A SAFe certification pathway for Scrum Masters
Correct answer: A model describing five stages of skill development (novice to expert) that helps the RTE tailor coaching to individuals' current capability levels
The Dreyfus model's five stages (Novice, Advanced Beginner, Competent, Proficient, Expert) help the RTE calibrate coaching approaches to where each individual currently is in their skill development.
Question 2: What is an impediment versus an obstacle, and how should the RTE treat them differently?
- They are the same thing in SAFe
- An impediment blocks a specific work item; an obstacle is a broader systemic issue — both require attention but systemic obstacles need deeper resolution strategies (Correct answer)
- Impediments are team-level; obstacles are portfolio-level only
- Obstacles are technical; impediments are always process-related
Correct answer: An impediment blocks a specific work item; an obstacle is a broader systemic issue — both require attention but systemic obstacles need deeper resolution strategies
While both terms are often used interchangeably, systemic obstacles represent deeper organizational issues that the RTE must address through structural changes or escalation, beyond quick fixes.
Question 3: What does 'radical transparency' mean for the RTE?
- Sharing all financial data with the development teams
- Making ART progress, impediments, risks, and metrics visible to all stakeholders so decisions are based on reality (Correct answer)
- Publishing individual developer performance metrics
- Sharing all customer data with the ART without restrictions
Correct answer: Making ART progress, impediments, risks, and metrics visible to all stakeholders so decisions are based on reality
Radical transparency means the RTE makes ART performance data, risks, and impediments visible to all stakeholders, building trust and enabling informed, reality-based decisions.
Question 4: What is 'decentralized decision-making' in SAFe, and how does the RTE enable it?
- Removing all management oversight from teams
- Empowering teams and individuals closest to the work to make decisions within defined guardrails, rather than centralizing all decisions with leadership (Correct answer)
- Distributing budget decisions to individual developers
- Allowing teams to plan independently without PI Planning
Correct answer: Empowering teams and individuals closest to the work to make decisions within defined guardrails, rather than centralizing all decisions with leadership
Decentralized decision-making empowers those with the most knowledge and context to decide, and the RTE enables it by clarifying guardrails, coaching decision-making skills, and building team confidence.
Question 5: What is the RTE's approach when teams resist Agile practices?
- Mandate compliance with SAFe practices immediately
- Understand the root cause of resistance, address concerns through coaching and dialogue, and demonstrate the value of practices through small experiments (Correct answer)
- Remove resistant team members from the ART
- Escalate resistance to executive sponsors for enforcement
Correct answer: Understand the root cause of resistance, address concerns through coaching and dialogue, and demonstrate the value of practices through small experiments
The RTE addresses resistance by listening to concerns, understanding root causes, and using coaching, dialogue, and small experiments to demonstrate the value of practices rather than forcing compliance.
Question 6: What is the importance of 'trust' in high-performing Agile teams, and how does the RTE build it?
- Trust is secondary to process adherence
- Trust enables teams to be vulnerable, collaborate openly, and take risks — the RTE builds it through transparency, consistent behavior, and psychological safety (Correct answer)
- Trust is built through team-building games only
- Trust is established by management once at team formation
Correct answer: Trust enables teams to be vulnerable, collaborate openly, and take risks — the RTE builds it through transparency, consistent behavior, and psychological safety
Trust is foundational to high-performing teams and is built by the RTE through consistent behavior, radical transparency, creating psychological safety, and honoring commitments.
RTE Coaching and RTE Competencies 2
What is the Dreyfus model and how is it relevant to RTE coaching?