Many teams are having trouble communicating virtually, not being efficient, struggling with new schedules that involve childcare and families, or not respecting time zones and end-of-workday boundaries. We don’t know how long the world will be battling this pandemic, but we do know that teams need to be able to function and perform well while continuing to be remote.
That’s where Braintrust Virtual Coaching comes in. For Braintrust, coaching is about knowledge transfer. Our coaches have been working hard to understand this new reality and focusing on teaching others how to be successful in their everyday roles.
What Is Virtual Coaching?
Virtual Coaching provides an opportunity for your team to benefit from the collective wisdom of our industry-leading experts while navigating these new real-world challenges in their everyday working environment.
Essentially, our expert coaches become a part of your team for a period of time. They join your company’s calls, observe your team’s work styles and behaviors, and then provide direct support and advice for your team to improve. From how to structure more effective virtual meetings to how to arrange your home office space, our coaches address every aspect of your Agile implementation at every level of your organization.
How is Virtual Coaching Different than Training?
Coaching and Training are both more effective when paired together. Training is focused on making sure that your Team has the knowledge and tools that they need to perform. Coaching is more about how they use those tools in your real, everyday working environment. When you combine Training and Coaching, you give your Team the tools they need, then you teach them how to use those tools.
The other big difference between Coaching and Training is the level of customization. Every coaching engagement is customized to your specific team and your individual goals.
What are the Primary Benefits of Virtual Coaching?
- Complete access to our coaches for every stage of the Agile process
- Focus on knowledge transfer, setting your Team up for future success
- Increase customer satisfaction and time-to-market delivery
- Align development efforts around highest business value features first
- Gain organizational trust and improve your Team’s reputation
- Experience higher team morale and productivity
- Improve communications through transparency and “pull” versus “push” systems
- Increase customer satisfaction and time-to-market delivery
- Identify and correct mistakes earlier by working closely with leaders and Teams, and increasing transparency
What Kind of Experience do the Braintrust Virtual Coaches Have?
We are experienced in the real business world. Development, product management, project management, executive leadership—collectively, we help your business grow.
What Does a Typical Virtual Coaching Engagement Look Like?
The full answer is that there is no typical coaching engagement. But for most clients, we start each coaching project with our proprietary Agile assessment. The results from this assessment will show you where your strengths and weaknesses are. This useful assessment will then help us create a custom roadmap for how to break through your roadblocks and maximize your team’s potential.
How Do I Know if Virtual Coaching Is Right for My Organization?
The reality is that coaching offers benefits for every organization. Even those organizations that think they are doing everything right tend to incorporate bad habits or modified processes that reduce the overall impact of Agile. But the organizations that can really see the most impact from coaching usually fall into one of three categories:
- Brand New To Agile: At this stage, companies are trying to figure out if Agile is right for them, what it would look like in their organization if they did implement, and beginning to identify potential challenges in adopting Agile. Our coaches can help you make an informed opinion and then build an entire plan for implementing Agile across your entire organization.
- Mid-Implementation: At this stage, companies have the tools and the basic knowledge of Agile. This is where the rubber hits the road—they are forming habits and may be struggling or hitting their first roadblocks. Our coaches can work side-by-side with them to make sure they apply those tools in the most efficient way to maximize effectiveness.
- Advanced Agile Seeking Cultural Shift: At this stage, a company has seen the benefits of Agile and is looking for ways to grow and change their entire organization. This is often where Agile leaves one Team and spreads to outside business lines and leadership. Our coaches can work with every level of the company from executive leadership down to create a true cultural shift that unlocks the full potential of Agile across your entire organization. This level of coaching is best for companies that have a business unit or a division that is maximizing Agile and succeeding but now they want more- they want to implement Agile in all areas of their business. They want to be Agile leaders. They don’t want to “do” Agile they want to “be” Agile.
How Do I Get Started?
Send us an email—bill.schaller@braintrustgroup.com.
