Why We Need "Agile Coaches" and "Scrum Masters"

Are these roles really necessary?

👋 Hey, Carlos here! Welcome to “The Holistic Leader”, your weekly source of simple and honest leadership, Agile, Management & team insights.

A couple of years ago, I was talking with an executive director who wanted to improve their Agile practices. While we were discussing how to help engineering teams and use Agile in different parts of the company, he asked me a tough question:

“X”: Carlos, do we really need Scrum Masters and Agile Coaches? Are they truly necessary?

Carlos: (His name), let me take you back. Do you remember learning to walk?

“X”: Not really, why do you ask?

Carlos: Think about it. When you were learning, you held onto walls, stumbled frequently, but kept trying. That persistence was key to eventually walking confidently.

“X”: I see what you mean.

Carlos: Now, remember your first bike with training wheels. It wasn’t the bike of your dreams, but it gave you the support you ne…