The Art of Coaching w/ Christine Converse and Ross Beurmann

Coaching people through an Agile transformation is a complicated thing. People within the organization may want the promise they see Agile offering, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t going to fight against the change every step of the way. Nobody likes change. It’s uncomfortable and scary and it’s sometimes it’s so much easier to just say, “Yes, this is the most uncomfortable chair/torture device a human could ever be forced to try and sit in, but I know this chair, I know this discomfort, I get how it works and it is easier to sit here than it is to try and change.” Inspiring them to want to change, standing beside them, and keeping them motivated as they struggle through the change is a big part of the job of an Agile coach and practicing this craft is an art. This week in the podcast I am joined by two Agile coaches, Ross Beurmann and Christine Converse. Ross and Christine both work as coaches helping organizations with Agile transformation. During the interview, we talk about the differences between coaching executives and coaching team members, how paired coaching works, and why it has become such a powerful approach for them. Along the way, they both offer lots of tips and techniques you can employ whether you are working as an Agile Coach or serving on a team trying to help them, and your organization raise its game with Agile. ALSO, this podcast features a brand new theme song for the podcast that was created by Chris DeMakes. If the music or Chris’s voice sounds familiar, that’s because Chris is in the band Less Than Jake. He also has a podcast of his own where he interviews songwriters and producers about the art of creating great music. The podcast is called Chris DeMakes a Podcast and it is definitely worth checking out. https://apple.co/2Jrejyz Contacting Christine and Ross If you’d like to reach out to Christine or Ross, here are some ways to reach them: Christine Converse LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christineconverse1/ Email: cepichler@gmail.com Ross Beurmann LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossbeurmannzcea/ Email: ross96h@yahoo.com Ross has joined me on a few other podcasts. If you’d like to check them out you can find them here: https://soundcloud.com/search?q=ross%20beurmann