INNOVATIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCE

As an aspiring Agile Coach, you are getting on a quest to becoming the best Agile Coach, you can be. It is designed as an online role playing game: You decide on a specific character, which has different expertise and skills in Experience Points. Experienced Points can be gained through attending live sessions in small groups on different topics. It is up to the student, which sessions to attend and helping them on their journey to become this character. While having access to certain self-learning material, the students gain the most experience through the live sessions, which are not designed as chalk and talk by going through a slide deck, but a series of exercises towards the topic.

In small groups, students are grouped together to solve a specific scenario. Throughout the weeks, the teams are confronted with challenges for which they can choose specific responses, actions, practices, etc. The application of those solutions is dependent on the Experience Points these coaches have.

The Experience Points

The content for the classes is built two-fold: On the one had, we will teach the students the different form of competencies and on the other hand, the different form of activities of an Agile Coach.

Competences
Competencies are focusing on WHAT the student can know and do, to become a Coach.

Activities
Activities are focusing on HOW the student will work with coachees and clients to support them in their daily work

Knowledge
An Agile Coach is an expert, and they have the specific understanding on what Agile is and be able to teach others the main concepts on Agile and how it differs to traditional ways of organizations.

Coaching is about helping others in their growth journey by increasing clarity.

Skills
Skills describing the theoretical knowledge over tools or the 5 different activities of an Agile Coach. They have the skills to support team members such as Scrum Masters to apply the different activities.

Consulting is about suggesting or advising certain solutions though own expertise and based on the context.
Certifications
In general, certifications often do not mean, that the holder is good at something, but it shows a commitment to a certain topic and therefore can help to show a specific commitment to become better.
Teaching is about helping others to learn new knowledge.

Practices
To know some practices and tools will help the Agile Coach to get quicker access and quick wins with teams, which are very hands-on and/or doubt the effectiveness.

Mentoring is about helping others to learn from the coach's experiences.
Behaviors
As coaches, we need to change our general behaviour towards people and follow some certain mindset principles, e.g. Empathy and Integrity to be able to support our clients.
Facilitation is like coaching, but more in groups and through events such as meetings or workshops.

Depending on the chosen aspiration (see below), the student needs to choose the relevant and respective Quests to gather and build the right experiences.

The Coaching Aspirations

During and latest after the Experience Level 1 (about 2 months), students decide for the first time, which aspiration, they would like to follow. The Aspiration cannot be compared to a fixed schedule, but is rather an attempt to help students to focus through the comprehensive program available. 

Regardless of the chosen Aspiration, it is completely up to the student, which chapters and quests, they want to attend.

Currently, we offer the following Aspirations:

Wizard Similar to Gandalf in "Lord of the Rings", the Wizard focuses on the big picture. A Wizard will be able to consult and coach organizations and enterprises on a wholesome level.
The focus of an Agile coach with the aspiration Wizard is about Knowledge Consulting and Teaching.
To become a Wizard, a student needs to collect 121 000 Experience Points in total.
PrinceThe Prince's main focus is to align the different parts of the organization and to ensure that the Agile values, principle are visible, understood and implemented in all parts of the organization. Sometimes, Princes will work on an organization level, sometimes on a tribe or department level and sometimes on a portfolio or team level - depending on the size of the organization.
The focus of an Agile coach with the aspiration Prince is about Facilitation, Practices and Behavior.
To become a Prince, a student needs to collect 118 000 Experience Points in total.
HalflingIn literature, the Halflings are always the best, when they work as a team. Therefore, the aspiration towards a Halfling is about collaboration, communication and alignment. Halflings mostly work on middle management and team level.
The focus of an Agile coach with the aspiration Halfling is about Practices, Skills and Facilitation.
To become a Halfling, a student needs to collect 105 000 Experience Points in total.
KnightKnights wearing the shiny armor are usually the ones, who rescue the princess from all the dangers. In organizations, a good product or service delivery is key to the success of the organization. Therefore, Knights will work mostly with Product or Service responsible individuals in an organization. Their focus is on sharing Knowledge on Consulting
To become a Knight, a student needs to collect 109 000 Experience Points in total.
Mason The Mason is the artisan of being able to execute and. build the nicest architectures. In an organization, Masons will help teams to automate their tools, improve hard skills, practices and ensure, the technical landscape as well as the processs are solid.
The focus of Agile Coaches with a Mason aspirations is on the right practices, skill and knowledge, which they can prove through Certifications.
To become a Mason, a student needs to collect 105 000 Experience Points in total.
SpiritThe goal of any Agile Coach should be to make the changes they introduced to be sustainable and long-lasting. According to popular belief, Spirits are the vital principle or animating force within all living things. It sustains them.
The focus of Agile Coaches with a Spirit aspiration is on Coaching, Facilitating and Mentoring.
To become a Spirit, a student needs to collect 129 000 Experience Points in total.
Magic Mirror In Snow White, the Magic Mirror is a tool to reflect the inner thoughts and observations of the individuals looking into it. As Coaches, we are often just the mirror for the individual, and the clarity comes through the thought process of the individual.
The focus of Agile Coaches with a Magic Mirror aspiration is very diverse, with the biggest emphasis on Coaching and Mentoring.
To become a Spirit, a student needs to collect 116 000 Experience Points in total.

MAKE AGILE A REALITY IN YOUR ORGANIZATION