Technical Agile Coaching with the Samman method
Technical Agile Coaching with the Samman method
About the Book
Samman Technical Coaching is an approach to Agile training that focuses on technical questions concerning how code is written. It is a highly effective way of increasing agility in your software development organization.
The first part of the Samman method involves the coach working in an ensemble with development teams, programming in their production codebase. This hands-on mentoring is accompanied by daily “learning hour” sessions for mastering particular techniques. In this book you will discover how to put Samman into practice, improve your coding procedures and how you collaborate. It is a practical guide for aspiring and experienced coaches looking for fresh ideas and new ways of teaching Agile. It is both challenging and fun for developers and coaches alike.
To find out more visit sammancoaching.org or follow @coachingsamman
You can buy a print copy of this book on lulu.
About the Author
Table of Contents
-
- Foreword
-
Introduction
- Samman Technical Coaching
- Why would an organization engage in Samman Technical Coaching?
- Why would you choose to coach using the Samman method?
- Elevator pitch for Samman Technical Coaching
- What is in this book
- How this book relates to my other books
- Acknowledgments
-
The purpose of Samman Coaching
- Development techniques
- Levelling up a whole team together
- Expected outcomes
-
Part 1: Ensemble Working
-
Ensemble Primer
- Typist
- Navigator
- Team-members
- Group Discussions
- Facilitator
- Rotating roles
- Other ensemble roles
- The Coach role
-
Let the Ensemble give you Superpowers
- Everyone understands the code
- Skills are multiplied
- Visitors are quickly contributors
- Joining a smoothly functioning ensemble
- A Coach is a Visitor with an Agenda
-
Coaching Behaviours in an Ensemble
- Teach
- Mentor
- Facilitate
- Coach
- Observe
- Take Short Breaks
- Retrospect
- Breathing space between and during sessions
-
Kindness, Consideration and Respect
- Woody’s Legacy Code rule
- Yes, and
- Take time out
- Too much thinking at the keyboard
- I think <name> has a good idea we should listen to
- Consideration means paying attention
- Call out bad behaviour that can’t wait until the retrospective
-
Coaching Situations Illustrated with Stories
- What should we do now?
- Team, help your navigator
- Can we do an experiment?
- Discover scenarios
- Intention, Location, Details
- Reminder to test first
- Typist, use your shortcuts
- Consume-First Design
- How long is it since we saw feedback?
- How long is it since we made a commit?
- Only one person knows what’s going on
- Nobody knows what is going on
- Chapter Summary
-
Retrospectives
- Ask for Observations
- “Liked, Learned, Lacked” Observations
- Turn up the good
- Your private retrospective
- Retrospective skills are essential
-
Remote Ensembles
- Seeing people’s faces
- Be considerate and time your comments
- Take breaks
- Make it quick to change typist
- Typist lag is deadly
- Design discussions
- Retrospectives
-
Ensemble Primer
-
Part 2: Learning Hours
-
Explaining Why you should hold a Learning Hour
- Learning TDD is like learning to ski
- Why should you spend a whole hour every day on learning?
- Who should come to the Learning Hour?
-
The Theory and Practice of Teaching and Learning
- Learning Outcomes and Objectives
- The ‘4C’ learning model
- Design learning experiences that fit with how the brain works
- Deliberate Practice
-
Sample Learning Hours
- 1. Incremental working, Driven by Tests
- 2. Selecting and ordering test cases
- 3. Golden Rule of TDD
- 4. Names of Refactorings, especially ‘Extract Function’
- 5. Misconceptions about Refactoring
- 6. Make a test list
- 7. Arrange - Act - Assert
- 8. Start with the Assertion
- 9. One function at a time
- 10. Inspirational Demo
-
Learning Topics
- Small steps
- Refactoring safely
- Legacy Code
- Testable Design
- Designing Tests
- Behaviour-Driven Development
- Agile
- Add your own ideas
-
Remote Learning Hours
- Cyber-dojo
- VNC
- Everyone uses their local machine and screenshares
- Retrospectives
-
Explaining Why you should hold a Learning Hour
-
Part 3: Samman Coaching Engagements
-
Finding an Organization and Teams to Engage with
- Sales and Marketing principles
- The Coaching Proposal
- Proposal for a large organzation with hundreds of teams
- Closing the Deal
- Identify your sponsor
-
Beginning Coaching with a New Organization
- Present yourself
- Kick-off Workshop with each team
- Chartering Workshop
- Offer Samman Coaching
- Persuading Reluctant Teams to be Coached
-
Practicalities Before Coaching Begins
- When should we hold the coaching?
- What task should we work on in the ensemble?
- What physical space should we use for ensemble working?
- Should we use a branch for the code we write in an ensemble?
-
Turn Up the Good
- Decide on the next coaching
- Enquire about bringing in a visiting coach or two
- Networking
- Days Spent Away from the Teams
-
A Career as a Samman Technical Coach
- Pair Coaching in a larger organization
- A Visiting Coach Programme
- Preparing for a Technical Coaching Career
- How I became a Technical Coach
-
Final Thoughts
- What is the most important thing to remember?
- Where can I find out more?
-
References
- Working incrementally in small steps
- Refactoring safely
- Legacy Code
- Testable Design
- Designing Tests
- Behaviour-Driven Development
- Teaching
- Other
- Image attributions
-
Finding an Organization and Teams to Engage with
- Notes
Other books by this author
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