{"id":1108,"date":"2011-12-13T15:17:27","date_gmt":"2011-12-13T15:17:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.agilityfeat.com\/?p=140"},"modified":"2011-12-13T15:17:27","modified_gmt":"2011-12-13T15:17:27","slug":"12-lessons-learned-as-a-solo-agile-coach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/agilityfeatpanama.com\/en\/blog\/2011\/12\/12-lessons-learned-as-a-solo-agile-coach\/","title":{"rendered":"12 Lessons Learned as a Solo Agile Coach"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s been over a year now since I started AgilityFeat, and what a great year it\u2019s been.\u00a0 Being December, this is also a good time to get reflective as the year draws to a close.\u00a0 With that in mind, I\u2019ve come up with a list of twelve lessons I\u2019ve learned over the last year.\u00a0 I suppose you could try to sing it to the tune of \u00abThe Twelve Days of Christmas\u00bb, but I don’t recommend it.\u00a0 \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Leading a session on agile planning at InnovateVA this year<\/p><\/div>\n

I\u2019ve spent the last six years of my career either as a self-employed consultant or working for small consultancies, and some of these lessons applied to those past experiences too. Others I\u2019ve learned more recently because being a self-employed Agile Coach is pretty different than being a contract software developer.<\/p>\n

In no particular order, here we go\u2026.<\/p>\n

Lesson #1:\u00a0 Peer networking is key for learning and support<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of the best decisions I made a year ago was to join one of Michael Spayd<\/a> and Lyssa Adkins<\/a> Coaching Circles<\/a>.\u00a0 For six months Michael would lead a conference call with 5 or 6 of agile coaches.\u00a0 Usually he started off with a topic to teach us about, and then we would coach each other through real-life or theoretical scenarios that agile coaches regularly faced.<\/p>\n

Since the circle formally ended, most of us have kept going and we still talk to each other once or twice a month.\u00a0 This has been an invaluable experience for me.\u00a0 When you are an agile coach, you will at times feel alone on the client site.\u00a0 You\u2019re an outsider trying to change things, and not everyone wants to change.\u00a0 Sometimes you\u2019ll face resistance but it\u2019s hard to get the moral support and advice you need from your client.\u00a0 So having a peer group that you can regularly talk things through with will help you feel energized and provide the support you need to work through any frustrations you are encountering.<\/p>\n

Sounds a little touchy-feely perhaps, but it really is useful.<\/p>\n

Lesson #2:\u00a0 Stances\/Powerful Questions<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of the other things I\u2019ve learned from multiple sources is the importance of \u201cpowerful questions.\u201d\u00a0 It\u2019s very tempting to immediately tell the client what they need to fix, but the changes you seek will last longer if you instead help the clients figure out the solution themselves.\u00a0 Set your ego aside, don\u2019t beat them over the head with advice, but instead challenge them and hold them accountable for the solutions you come up with together.<\/p>\n

Sometimes you do need a training or teaching stance, where you are simply handing out answers.\u00a0 That\u2019s okay, but you also need to learn when to not just blurt out the textbook agile answer.<\/p>\n

Lesson #3:\u00a0 Is multi-tasking a necessary evil?<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is still a lesson I am learning.\u00a0 One thing that we agile coaches like to tell our clients is that they need to stop juggling so many open projects, and just focus on getting some things done and out the door.<\/p>\n

But as an agile coach, I don\u2019t take my own advice.\u00a0 I balance multiple clients at once, plus the sales efforts necessary to line up my next set of clients.\u00a0 Fortunately I like to multi-task, but at what point am I spreading myself too thin?\u00a0 I don\u2019t have the exact answer to that yet, and I am still learning how best to strike that balance.<\/p>\n

Lesson #4:\u00a0 Partnerships are key<\/strong><\/p>\n

When you are self-employed, there are two big stressors.\u00a0 The first is how to win projects.\u00a0 In my experience, the key is partnerships.\u00a0 I have spent a lot of time networking with fellow coaches and agile consulting companies at conferences over the last year or two, and those relationships are paying off.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Paper hats and boats game as part of a Kanban training<\/p><\/div>\n

Some of my work comes from my own one-on-one sales to customers I know or met when I gave a speech at a conference or user group.\u00a0 I expect that will increase over time as I become better at selling myself, and that\u2019s good since the margins are better in that case.\u00a0 But most of my work currently comes from other companies who sub-contract agile coaching or training to me.\u00a0 That\u2019s where building partnerships has been key for me.<\/p>\n

Lesson #5:\u00a0 Be patient on billing, but remain diligent<\/strong><\/p>\n

Winning customers is one thing, but the second biggest stressor when you are self-employed is getting those customers to actually pay you.\u00a0 Before you make the leap to independent consulting, consider the \u201crunway\u201d of funds you have to pay yourself.\u00a0 You\u2019re going to work for 2-4 weeks before you send your client the first invoice.\u00a0 Most of the time, you\u2019ll be asking them to pay you within 30 days.\u00a0 And most of the time they will be late (at least on the first invoice in my experience).\u00a0 So it can easily be 60-90 days after you actually do the work before the check from the customer arrives in the mailbox.<\/p>\n

You\u2019re going to have to be patient, but don\u2019t be shy.\u00a0 Remain diligent and on top of those outstanding payments.\u00a0 They\u2019re not trying to stiff you, but they will need a respectful prod every now and then.<\/p>\n

Lesson #6:\u00a0 Say Yes before No on your availability<\/strong><\/p>\n

A good number of my leads come from these partnerships that I mentioned earlier, and from recruiters that I network with on LinkedIn or Twitter.\u00a0 I also regularly write proposals for projects.<\/p>\n

So when someone calls me and says \u201cAre you interested in project X next [quarter\/month\/week]?\u201d, I am always tempted to say No, but stop myself and say Yes instead.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m tempted to say No because I know there\u2019s a chance my current client will extend the project I\u2019m on.\u00a0 I\u2019m also tempted to say No because I know that I\u2019ve submitted a proposal or two, and talked to a couple of peers about other potential projects they would like help with.\u00a0 I\u2019m worried that I will be overbooked, and so I\u2019m tempted to say No.<\/p>\n

But then my business sense sets in, and I say \u201cYes, I\u2019m interested \u2013 tell me more!\u201d\u00a0 Because I have to remember that most of those opportunities, in fact the vast majority of them, are not going to come through.<\/p>\n

Some of the best advice I\u2019ve gotten from previous employers and business development folks I\u2019ve known is that you will probably have to submit 20 proposals before you get your first customer to award you a project.<\/p>\n

I keep that same ratio in mind when I\u2019m talking to recruiters and peers about potential work.\u00a0 They do all sound very interesting, and I am truly interested in them, but I also know that only 1 in 20 will work out.<\/p>\n

Lesson #7:\u00a0 Just Say No if it\u2019s not a good fit<\/strong><\/p>\n

The corollary is that you will need to resist the temptation to say yes to every project that comes along, just because you are worried about meeting the bottom line.\u00a0 When you first get started, you should probably take whatever you can get because you will be hungry for work and past client experience.<\/p>\n

However, sometimes you still need to say No if you know it will be unprofitable work or it is a client that is likely to put you in a situation you cannot succeed in.\u00a0 You\u2019ll develop that intuition with time.<\/p>\n

More recently, I\u2019ve been in the pleasant situation of starting to say No to work because I simply know that I don\u2019t have the time for it.\u00a0 This is nice too since it allows me to be a little more selective about the type of projects I take on.<\/p>\n

Lesson #8:\u00a0 Journal as you go<\/strong><\/p>\n

I haven\u2019t journaled this much since middle school English class.\u00a0 I try to keep weekly journals on my major coaching engagements, and post-project journals for smaller engagements.<\/p>\n

I keep a running list of how I provided value to the client.\u00a0 That keeps me motivated and focused on all the small wins I am helping them achieve, which is especially helpful if the big wins are few and far between.\u00a0 I figure it also will help me if the client ever questions my invoices, although that hasn\u2019t happened yet.<\/p>\n

I also journal about the lessons I\u2019ve learned as a coach, and areas I can improve on.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not touchy-feely journaling, but it does help me to step back each week and reassess myself.\u00a0 I\u2019ve also gone back to them when writing about past projects for proposals, or just trying to tackle a tough problem I\u2019ve run into before<\/p>\n

Lesson #9:\u00a0 Talk less and create more activities<\/strong><\/p>\n

For the classes and user group talks I\u2019ve put together, I\u2019ve learned to shut up a little more.\u00a0 I can really get talkative and give long speeches if I don\u2019t watch myself.\u00a0 That\u2019s why the book \u201cTraining from the back of the room\u201d was so helpful to me.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Students writing user stories in a class I guest-lectured at UVa<\/p><\/div>\n

I heard about that book from other coaches and trainers.\u00a0 I pay close attention now to how others run their sessions at conferences, and I\u2019ve also utilized many of the tips in that book to create more games, quizzes, and activities to keep my training sessions more engaging.<\/p>\n

It actually makes it harder for me as a trainer, because I\u2019ll find myself creating twice as many power point slides as I can realistically fit in.\u00a0 But this is good \u2013 it forces me to focus on the things that really matter, and emphasize those things through hands on activities so people will truly learn it, and have less trouble staying awake!<\/p>\n

Lesson #10:\u00a0 Don\u2019t under price yourself<\/strong><\/p>\n

Speaking of training, I\u2019ve definitely underpriced the custom training classes I\u2019ve done this year.\u00a0 Even when I\u2019m reusing material from a past training it still takes a lot of time to sell a class, to interview the client about what will be most useful to them, to customize the class to their needs, to update the materials and print handouts, and to do the follow up work.<\/p>\n

All of that means that when I have sold a class at my normal hourly billing rate, it\u2019s a money-loser.\u00a0 I bill for 8 hours of class time, but I also spent another 10-12 hours in order to be able to bill for that 8 hours.<\/p>\n

I know I did that some this year, and that\u2019s okay.\u00a0 I wanted the experience more than I wanted the larger invoice.\u00a0 But next year those same classes will sell for 3 or 4 times as much.\u00a0 Don\u2019t worry, that\u2019s actually still a pretty good price. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

The same of course applies to setting your normal hourly rate.\u00a0 Keep in mind you have to pay for benefits, vacation, sick time, down time, marketing time, conferences, blogging time, etc.\u00a0 You\u2019ll inevitably do a lot of that in off hours and on weekends, but you can\u2019t just divide the salary you want by the number of weeks per year.\u00a0 In my experience, you\u2019ll need nearly twice as much revenue as you want for your base salary.<\/p>\n

Lesson #11:\u00a0 Don\u2019t be afraid to fail<\/strong><\/p>\n

When I went to Agile Coach Camp in Columbus Ohio this year, I was in some great sessions with other agile coaches.\u00a0 In one of them I realized that I wasn\u2019t being brave enough in the questions I asked my clients.\u00a0 I was taking their assumptions for granted, and not challenging them enough.\u00a0 I realized that I needed to give myself permission to ask tough questions, and that I needed to give myself permission to fail occasionally.<\/p>\n

That courage is necessary, and I\u2019ve become a better coach as I\u2019ve become more brave in my questions to clients.\u00a0 Keep in mind there\u2019s a difference between being a jerk and asking brave questions.<\/p>\n

You should also be willing to stretch yourself, and sometimes that means failing.\u00a0 I\u2019ve written a few articles this year and gotten them published.\u00a0 But I\u2019ve also had some article drafts rebuked.\u00a0 While I didn\u2019t enjoy the virtual smack-down of being told I was wrong, it was extremely valuable.\u00a0 I stretched myself beyond my comfort zone, and beyond my experience.\u00a0 And frankly, I failed some.\u00a0 But it was very valuable because it forced me to question my own assumptions, and I came out of it intellectually stronger.<\/p>\n

Lesson #12:\u00a0 Social networking is a must<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many of my leads have come through LinkedIn and Twitter.\u00a0 Although most of those are among the projects that never signed on the dotted line, it was still valuable and helped get me on the short list of some companies who now regularly consider me for their proposals.<\/p>\n

Although most of my work has actually come from the people I meet in person at conferences and trainings, social media has still enhanced those relationships and helped them lead to actual work.\u00a0 It\u2019s an easy way to stay in touch, and helps to remind them that I am still out here if they ever want to send work my way.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t tweet or blog nearly enough.\u00a0 But even with the limited amount I find time for, it is well worth it.<\/p>\n

And the lessons go on\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

The last year-plus has been an incredible experience, and I\u2019m very happy with the path I\u2019m on.\u00a0 I\u2019ll keep learning as I go, and adjusting those lessons already learned.\u00a0 I can\u2019t wait to see what the next year holds in store for me and my clients, and what additional successes and failures I will have that lead to even more learning!<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re just venturing into agile coaching or consulting, I hope these lessons will ring true for you and perhaps help you with your transition.\u00a0 I\u2019d love to hear your feedback!<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s been over a year now since I started AgilityFeat, and what a great year it\u2019s been.\u00a0 Being December, this is also a good time to get reflective as the year draws to a close.\u00a0 With that in mind, I\u2019ve come up with a list of twelve lessons I\u2019ve learned over the last year.\u00a0 I […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[6],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","yoast_head":"\n12 Lessons Learned as a Solo Agile Coach - AgilityFeat Panama Software Test Center<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/agilityfeatpanama.com\/en\/blog\/2011\/12\/12-lessons-learned-as-a-solo-agile-coach\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"12 Lessons Learned as a Solo Agile Coach - 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