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--- what_kind_of_questions_should_we_ask_if_we_are_hiring_a_coach [2019/05/15 08:54] – hpsamios
+++ what_kind_of_questions_should_we_ask_if_we_are_hiring_a_coach [2019/05/21 07:02] – Refactored questions hpsamios
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 A lot of organizations I work with have a need to hire coaches to support their transformation. Generally I find this is a two-stage process where the first interview is basically a first pass filter aimed at just determining basic skills while the second interview is a more evaluative discussion. The question is "what approach should we use to drive this second conversation?"
-====== Some Questions ======
+The following sections talk about some questions I’ve used in the past to help me understand fit.
+====== What Questions Should We Ask Prospective Team Coaches? ======
 The approach I've found useful is to set a more "situational" discussion. The idea is to have a a series of driving questions where there really is no right or wrong answer, but that the discussion will help uncover the thinking process, the framework, the person you are talking to has.
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-====== Transformational ======
+====== What Questions Should We Ask Prospective Transformational Coaches?======
 Sometimes you are at the beginning of a transformation for an organization and so the issues you are working with are more related to working the initial contacts with a leadership team. Here are some questions that you might ask in this situations:
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   * "The organization you are working with has read a lot about agile and are working to form teams. They understand the idea of a "two pizza team" but are struggling to form these teams in all cases. How would you convince the organization that having large teams is OK?" (Looking for a "non-religious" discussion of a principle that a lot of people think is basic. Aim is to focus on what works for the business. Typically interested in more thought out approaches, than just following standard thinking. Note: this might not be what you want in your transformation - it has been important in some I've worked. And this might be a useful type of question to ask of all coaches).
   * "You are about to facilitate a leadership workshop, involving 20 people of the extended leadership team. If I were to walk into the room where you are facilitating, what would I see? How would you conduct a session like this?" Looking for an environment set up for collaboration and joint decision making. Walls marked of with things like "Meeting Objectives", "Working Agreements", "Parking Lot", "Retrospective", Kanban version marked "Agenda". Room set up so that it is collaborative, seating around tables for example rather than classroom style. Perhaps a mention of a co-facilitator to pair with. Perhaps a mention of preparation work required to get there. Perhaps a discussion about engaging people in activities as quickly as possible, minimal use of PowerPoint and so on.
+====== The “Quick Buzzer” Round ======
+Generally I’ve found that people I interview about Agile have sufficient information to be reasonably “buzz word compliant”. In other words, they know how to use buzzwords in a particular context. But sometimes I try to understand where people have enough detailed knowledge in an area. I’ve found a buzzer round helps me understand where people are. It also helps me understand how people deal with pressure, and what they do if they don’t know the answer to some things.
+The way it works is that you introduce the concept by saying “I want to understand where some of your expertise lies and rather than ask detailed questions about everything, will just do a quick buzzer round. The way this works is that I’ll say something like ‘what does USA stand for, and you’ll say ...” and hopefully they’ll say “United States of America”. “Good. Sometimes questions will be fill in the blank type questions. Ready?
+Examples I’ve used:
+  * INVEST
+  * The 3 C’s of a User Story
+  * SAFe
+  * LeSS
+  * Pivot or ______
+  * WIP
+  * ATDD
+  * WSJF
+  * ART
+  * MVP
+  * CI/CD
 ====== Some Notes on the Interview Process ======
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 {{tag>Consultant Tools Role Coach FAQ}}