In October 2016 I received a call, "Hey dude, I don’t know nothing about Agile, but I need to become an Agile coach a-s-a-p – my company just got a new contract." I laughed for a second, explained that it takes a bit longer than a week to learn to coach, and wished him luck. I also knew that, shortly, he would be walking into his customer's office in this new role. Agile Coach is the new black! But how can you, a good coach, stand out from the crowd of less competent peers? This presentation explores the science of coaching and the ways in which it works. We start with concepts of neuroplasticity and the brain processes of creating new neuron pathways. Then we move to motivation and learn which type is the best. Finally, we finish with the discussion on brain activation states which we practice in a few short exercises. By understanding the new field of coaching psychology, you will become a better practitioner.

1. Psychology of Agile Coaching:
Understanding Science of Change
Pavel Dabrytski

2. What is coaching?
And what is not coaching?

3. Coaching as facilitated development
Coaching is a collaborative solution-focused, result-orientated and systematic process in which the
coach facilitates the enhancement of life experience and goal attainment in the personal and/or
professional life of normal, nonclinical clients.
_______
Grant, Anthony. “The Impact of Life Coaching on Goal Attainment, Metacognition and Mental Health.” Social Behavior and Personality ,
vol. 31, no. 3, 2003, pp. 253–263.

4. Coach vs. Expert
_______
Moore, Margaret et al. Coaching Psychology Manual . 2nd ed., Wolters Kluwer, 2016.
Expert approach Coach approach
• Expert in a field
• Authority
• Educator
• Defines agenda
• Feels responsible for client
• Solves problems
• Focus on what’s wrong
• Has the answers
• Interrupts if off topic
• Works harder than client
• Wrestles with client
• Expert in coaching
• Partner
• Facilitator of change
• Elicits client’s agenda
• Client is responsible
• Fosters possibilities
• Focus on what’s right
• Co-discovers the answers
• Learns from client’s story
• Client works as hard as coach
• Dances with client

5. onot a result or outcome
oimplicates you
oimportant to you
ostate it affirmatively
Think of an improvement goal you
would like introduce to your life.

6. Open-Ended Inquiry
When the coach asks open-ended questions, the client uses the analytical region of the brain (mostly
left prefrontal cortex).
_______
Moore, Margaret et al. Coaching Psychology Manual . 2nd ed., Wolters Kluwer, 2016.

7. Coaching Arc
Each coaching conversation needs to go through a few stages to be productive.
_______
Adkins, Lyssa. Coaching Agile Teams : a Companion for ScrumMasters, Agile Coaches, and Project Managers in Transition . Upper Saddle
River, N.J., Addison-Wesley, 2010.

8. Reflections
When coaches perceptively paraphrase and offer reflections on what they think clients are saying, the
clients have a deeper response generated from the limbic region of the brain.
_______
Moore, Margaret et al. Coaching Psychology Manual . 2nd ed., Wolters Kluwer, 2016.
Reflections Open-Ended Inquiry
Narrow focus and deeper
dive
Wide exploration expanding
focus and horizon

9. Simple Reflection
Perceptive paraphrase. Restate what your client said.
_______
Moore, Margaret et al. Coaching Psychology Manual . 2nd ed., Wolters Kluwer, 2016.
Client: How would you know what I am going through? You’ve
probably never even done an Agile transformation in an
organization of our size.
Agile Coach: You feel that I don’t have enough expertise to help
you.

10. Amplified Reflection
Maximize or minimize what your client said to evoke disagreement from her. It will help you direct the
conversation toward the change-talk.
_______
Moore, Margaret et al. Coaching Psychology Manual . 2nd ed., Wolters Kluwer, 2016.
Client: How would you know what I am going through? You’ve
probably never even done an Agile transformation in an
organization of our size.
Agile Coach: You feel that it is impossible for your company to
implement Agile.

11. Double-Sided Reflection
Reveal multiple perspectives at the same time.
_______
Moore, Margaret et al. Coaching Psychology Manual . 2nd ed., Wolters Kluwer, 2016.
Client: This company is gigantic, and it is full of red tape. It will
probably take too much effort to get the full benefits of Scrum.
We might need to do a hybrid approach.
Agile Coach: You know that it will be a challenge to implement
Agile in this company, and you also know it is important to increase
your teams’ efficiency.

12. Shifted-Focus Reflection
Redirect attention away from a resistance-provoking subject to focus on the change.
_______
Moore, Margaret et al. Coaching Psychology Manual . 2nd ed., Wolters Kluwer, 2016.
Client: You are an expert in the field. I pay you. Now, tell me what I
have to do.
Agile Coach: I am more interested in what you want to do. I’d like
to find a way to help you get through this situation. Tell me what is
important to you.

13. Empathic Reflection
Reflect the emotion of the client’s narrative.
_______
Moore, Margaret et al. Coaching Psychology Manual . 2nd ed., Wolters Kluwer, 2016.
Client: How would you know what I am going through? You’ve
probably never even done an Agile transformation in an
organization of our size.
Agile Coach: You feel frustrated with the way our Agile
transformation is progressing.

14. Summary Reflection
Collect what client said and offer it back as a summary.
_______
Moore, Margaret et al. Coaching Psychology Manual . 2nd ed., Wolters Kluwer, 2016.
Client: How would you know what I am going through? You’ve
probably never even done an Agile transformation in an
organization of our size.
Agile Coach: So far, we talked about the current progress of the
transformation. You mentioned challenges with the red tape,
coaching, and team performance. You also said that there are
some small wins with the two pilot teams we have launched.

15. Silence Reflection
Say nothing.
_______
Moore, Margaret et al. Coaching Psychology Manual . 2nd ed., Wolters Kluwer, 2016.
Client: How would you know what I am going through? You’ve
probably never even done an Agile transformation in an
organization of our size.
Agile Coach: …
Client: I am sorry. I didn’t mean to say you are not capable of
coaching us. Agile really added a lot of stress to my job.

16. Think you one thing you are most
passionate about. Be prepared to
talk about your passion for
two minutes.

17. Levels of Listening
Reflections require mindful listening. There are multiple levels of listening.
L0: Ignoring. The client is completely ignored. The coach is uninterested in what the client says, his
goals, motivations, challenges, etc. The coach drives his own agenda.
L1: Selective Listening. The coach hears client’s words, but he interprets them through his own lens.
The coach stays self-centered, thinks only about how client’s words affects himself. He is quick to
respond with a solution.
L2: Attentive Listening. The coach focuses on what the client says. He waits for the client to finish,
makes notes, pauses before he responds. The client is in the driving seat.
L3: Sensing. The coach listens to the environment: body language, room temperature, other
participants’ reactions, tone of voice.
_______
Moore, Margaret et al. Coaching Psychology Manual . 2nd ed., Wolters Kluwer, 2016.
Levels of Listening
Reflections require mindful listening. There are multiple levels of listening.
L0: Ignoring. The client is completely ignored. The coach is uninterested in what the client says, his
goals, motivations, challenges, etc. The coach drives his own agenda.
L1: Selective Listening. The coach hears client’s words, but he interprets them through his own lens.
The coach stays self-centered, thinks only about how client’s words affects himself. He is quick to
respond with a solution.
L2: Attentive Listening. The coach focuses on what the client says. He waits for the client to finish,
makes notes, pauses before he responds. The client is in the driving seat.
L3: Sensing. The coach listens to the environment: body language, room temperature, other
participants’ reactions, tone of voice.
_______
Moore, Margaret et al. Coaching Psychology Manual . 2nd ed., Wolters Kluwer, 2016.

18. Coaching Onion
• Open-Ended Inquiry
• Reflections
• Listening
• Coaching arc and insights
Coaching conversation:
Coaching skills
• Visioning
• Strengths
• Goals
• Rapport
• Mindfulness
• Subject-Object Model
• Empathy
• Unconditional Positive
Regard
Coaching psychology:
• Transtheoretical model
• Self-Determination Theory
• Immunity to Change
• Positive Psychology
• Negative and Positive
Emotions
• Inner Critic and Imposter
Syndrome

19. Neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity is our brain’s ability to change.
_______
Brann, Amy. Neuroscience for Coaches : How to Use the Latest Insights for the Benefit of Your Clients. London ; Philadelphia, PA, Kogan
Page, 2014.
Chemical
(short term memory)
Structural
(long term memory)
Doing well in a single
session.
Doing well over a period of
time.

20. Innate Psychological Needs
Deci and Ryan in their work on goals attainment indicate that there is a direct link between the three
basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) and person’s well-being. According
to them, “fluctuations in need satisfaction will directly predict fluctuations in well-being.” They also note
that if any of the basic psychological needs are frustrated, it often causes “inner conflict, alienation,
anxiety, depression, and somatization” in an individual.”
_______
Deci, Edward and Richard Ryan. “The ‘What’ and ‘Why’ of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior.”
Psychological Inquiry , 11. 2000. pp. 227-268.
Autonomy Competence Relatedness

21. Think of examples in your Agile
practice when you satisfied
someone's innate psychological
needs? What happened?
oAutonomy
oCompetence
oRelatedness

22. Motivation
_______
Deci, Edward and Richard Ryan. “The ‘What’ and ‘Why’ of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior.”
Psychological Inquiry , 11. 2000. pp. 227-268.
external
External regulation
Introjection
internal
Identification
Integration

23. 1. External Regulation
Attain a reward or avoid a punishment. Poor maintenance and transfer once contingencies are
withdrawn.
_______
Deci, Edward and Richard Ryan. “The ‘What’ and ‘Why’ of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior.”
Psychological Inquiry , 11. 2000. pp. 227-268.
Example: I will get my bonus if 10% of projects are Agile
by the end of the financial year.

24. 2. Introjection
Swallow regulations whole without digesting them. Internalized through feelings of self-worth (pride) or
threats of guilt and shame. Usually invokes inner critic.
_______
Deci, Edward and Richard Ryan. “The ‘What’ and ‘Why’ of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior.”
Psychological Inquiry , 11. 2000. pp. 227-268.
Example: If I do not get 10% of project to be Agile by the
end of the year, I must be a bad manager.

25. 3. Identification
Identify with the importance of a behavior and integrate its identifications with other aspects of the
self.
_______
Deci, Edward and Richard Ryan. “The ‘What’ and ‘Why’ of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior.”
Psychological Inquiry , 11. 2000. pp. 227-268.
Example: I love Agile because it reduces attrition rate and
increases delivery and job satisfaction in my team.

26. 4. Integration
Identify with the importance of a behavior and integrate its identifications with other aspects of the
self.
The behavior is in harmony with other aspects of person’s values and identity.
_______
Deci, Edward and Richard Ryan. “The ‘What’ and ‘Why’ of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior.”
Psychological Inquiry , 11. 2000. pp. 227-268.
Example: We have implemented Agile because I love working in
collaborative environments where everyone’s opinion
matters.

27. Coaching Onion
• Open-Ended Inquiry
• Reflections
• Listening
• Coaching arc and insights
Coaching conversation:
Coaching skills
• Visioning
• Strengths
• Goals
• Rapport
• Mindfulness
• Subject-Object Model
• Empathy
• Unconditional Positive
Regard
Coaching psychology:
• Transtheoretical model
• Self-Determination Theory
• Immunity to Change
• Positive Psychology
• Negative and Positive
Emotions
• Inner Critic and Imposter
Syndrome

28. website: www.thinkagile.co.ca
email: pavel@thinkagile.co.za
slides: www.slideshare.net/paveldabrytski
Check out two-day Psychology of Agile Coaching class!
Psychology of Agile Coaching