Last summer vacation I was having dinner with friends. We talked for hours about all types of things until we reached an interesting topic: work and professions.

My friends have very different jobs — a Psychologist, a Designer, a Banker, a Boat Sales Manager, a Restorer. Although they’re different, these roles are quite straightforward to figure out what their core daily activities are, right? I guess this was why at a certain point the conversation turned out to be focused on me as my job is not that clear for many people out there.

My education and working path were always related to Industrial Design and Project Management, so they have known me always for doing something related to Product. I am an Agile Coach for about 5 years now and I guess there was never a time where we discussed openly what my day to day looks like and how it is different from previous experiences.

Most of the times we don’t talk about what we do at work. We rather talk about how things are at work (which is not the same).

A few glasses of wine into the conversation, I was caught by surprise with a question: “So what exactly does an Agile Coach do?” — someone asked — “Is it just about making those team building activities in the countryside?”. I laughed sincerely before answering: “Oh man, that is just a small piece of it. You definitely can’t build a team just by running a team-building activity/game. First, you need to identify the team needs and calmly understand their history. Think of building a team like… planting a tree: first you take care of the soil, making sure it is ready to sustain growth, then you plant the seeds, lastly you nourish it continuously and make sure its environments conditions are a good fit. Forget about cactus for a second, if you stop watering a plant every day they will probably die, right? Metaphorically-speaking, that is what I do.”.

I noticed by my friend’s reaction that my answer didn’t satisfy their curiosity, so I went into more details, but I am definitely not going to write the answer I gave that night. I must confess that the wine from that encounter, didn’t allow me to recall all the exact words… 🙂

What I would like to express in this story is the reason I was so glad that they asked me what I do for a living. The unexpected question enabled me to do a deep introspection about myself, and about my role in the team. I understood I am very proud of being an Agile Coach. I can only be grateful for doing something I love, driven by curiosity, interesting challenges and new problems to solve. The joy I feel when witnessing my team succeed goes far beyond the concept of professional achievement. It’s a profound and sincere feeling of happiness and satisfaction.

Through the years, I learned that teams become more productive when having the presence and consistent facilitation of an Agile Coach in their daily life. Don’t get me wrong… this does not mean that I need to be interfering (making noise) or telling them their tasks and responsibilities every single day!

In fact, I am there to observe, listen, and act whenever is needed to enable the team to focus on what they need to do, to deliver the value they’ve committed to.

I’m there when the good, the bad, and the ugly happen. I’m there making the right questions to show them ways to understand boundaries, to step back when necessary to help them grow, and learn from mistakes. I’m there to enable their best selves and promote a safe environment where all feel comfortable to challenge the business constructively.

I am not a rules provider. I lead by example and do not provide answers. Instead, I ask questions and openly share options that may serve their goal. If you think about it, I act as a consultant, and most importantly, I am the neutral element. I am not part of the decisions (do not take sides neither influence on the options on the table), instead I support them by conducting effective ways to find fit solutions and, in the end, I am there to remind them of what they’ve decided.

Coming back to the plant metaphor: imagine that you don’t look for it everyday. You don’t notice it’s getting weak and eventually fail to take care by not watering/moving it to a more suitable vase… It gets dry, sick, and eventually dies.

The same happens to a team — without facilitation of a team’s daily routine, without care for sustainable engagement and growth, it is very easy for a team to easily get lost in the process and confused with an end goal, dealing with problems and conflicts that could have been avoided.

A team that does not become self-sufficient, ends up not performing at their best level, and not reaching their most demanding goals. So… my job is to be there equipped with necessary tools, care, and courage to empower them to communicate and collaborate, in a clean, peaceful, and sustainable environment, like a green and blowing plant.

Story originally written for outspoken community.