Many people have written about agile and facilitation. I'm not writing just to add more words on these topics. Instead I hope to achieve two purposes. First, through writing I hope to clarify my own thoughts. Secondly, I hope to demonstrate that I can be an agile coach.
I've been working within Agile or agile-like teams since the late 1990's. For me, agile concepts just make sense. Foremost I like the idea of giving valuable features to the user frequently. I'm like most developers and I want my code to be useful. I want to know my work is useful and appreciated. I get via carefully listening to the stakeholders and then via effective and efficient problem solving. All within an agile framework.
Recently, I've had a chance to partially step into the role of scrum master and I'd like this role. I want to do this more.
Until I remove this paragraph, please consider the following as a work in progress. Until then the ideas expressed will just be a partial expression and will lack completeness.
Servant Leadership
When I said I'd like to become a scrum master / agile coach my family asked me "whats that?". I explained it is like project management but where the team I work with does the management and I'd be the project facilitator. The product owner, stakeholders and the development team determine what and how and when product features are created. The role of scrum master is to make the process of answering those questions easy, through effective facilitation. I believe a successful facilitator is someone who can be the servant of the group. They can stand outside of the decision making process and help the group find their way through the process.
The best results come from a team that is collaborating and contributing their best. Collaboration happens when decisions are made but the group for the good of the group. During any discussion phase we want all team members to speak from their point of view and express their opinion of what is best. Yet during the decision stage we want all team members to vote based on their understanding of what is best for the whole.
I've had the privledge to experience and help facilitate consensus based decision making within a group of 30 directors of a $21+ million dollar condominium project.
A successful outcome is never hindered by careful planning
When I approach the task of being a facilitator I like to start with a clear understanding of the objectives for the meeting. What are the goals? How will the group define success? I ask if there are any deliverables we can strive to create during or from the meeting. Does the group need to make a decision or series of decisions? Or perhaps the group is seeking to develop a set of ideas to be explored further.
I then ask if there is an agenda. If not then I'll suggest we create one prior to the meeting to help everyone understand how the meeting will be structured, what background information is needed for participants, how the group will prioritize the discussion.
Once the agenda is ready I ask who will be the lead presenter for each agenda item and then I go and work with each presenter to see how they plan on making their presentation. If the topic is rich in potential conflict or complexity I'll work with the presenter to find effective facilitation methods. There are endless combinations of ideas to help a group achieve there goal and these don't always need to fall back on the old presentation slide deck with long speech approach.
Notice that I'm focused on the group's views on this and not my own. As a facilitator I come as a servant of the group. If I need to participate because I'm also a member of the group then I strive to make the transition from facilitator to particpant very clear. And I mean during all phases of the meeting, from preparation to meeting to followup.