The Coach

As a naive summary, we have:

TheCoach watches everything, sends obscure signals, makes sure the project stays Extreme. Sometimes the signals aren't obscure, but take the form of a BigVisibleChart. Helps with anything. Applies RolledUpNewspaper as required.

TheCoach, to the extent that (s)he is carrying out ChiefArchitect roles, may need to assume all of the following roles:

Visionary: to formulate and communicate a vision of the goal that other developers can buy into and work towards.

Glue Maker: supply a paradigm within which developers will work. Perhaps in the Smalltalk world this is just Smalltalk. However, even so there are many tools and approaches which a project should consider.

Methodologist: choose which methodologies are suitable and communicate and adapt it to the business. Again, Smalltalk IS the core methodology, but there are many choices (and pitfalls) surrounding it.

Mentor: normal projects involve people of varying skill levels and abilities. TheCoach helps the individuals with less experience find directions to grow in that are relevant to the business and the project unfolding.

Language Lawyer: Smalltalk is a nice simple language; today, its environment is a bear. And odd paradigms and extensions require judicious use OccamsRazor (and OccamsEraser) to keep a project in balance.

TheCoach needs to keep individuals on track with respect to the development paradigm: eXtreme Programming. This is a work of love. If you don't respect others, you're not doing it right. TheCoach get his respect to show through for people who try hard to do the right thing.

TheCoach may need to use coercive means to corral the determined individualist back into the group. Ultimately, TheCoach must ask such an individual to leave, where no supportive contribution to group goals can be made by the individual.

Finally, TheCoach must regulate the healthy flow of ego as distinct from a group destructive one. Basically a designer, analyst, programmer should try to exclude destructive (self-centered) aspects of the ego and focus in a "pure" manner on the problems, requirements, and ideas of others.

The eXtreme Programming group has not done a thorough job of discussing the various roles necessary to do eXtreme Programming; what exists is in ExtremeRoles. It would seem important to understand these roles to properly steer (or survive) an ExtremeProgramming project, and (of substantial importance) to relate it to the roles and practices of other individuals (particularly management) in the customer's environment.

One role, seemingly essential to eXtreme Programming (I had not previously understood prior to BOF in Vancouver) is that of TheCoach. As a starting point, I did a search on the pages which refer to word "coach." They are here as a starting point, and I will attempt to annotate them as I understand the contents of each page.

Search Results


        N/A  XpChallengeCarteBlanche . . . . . . coach

        N/A  RaiseThePapersPotential . . . . . . coaching

        ==>  Various roles: ExtremeRoles . . . . . . Coach

        N/A  ChryslerComprehensiveCompensation . . . . . . HeadCoach

        N/A  ProjectVelocity . . . . . . Coach

        ==>  ChiefArchitect . . . . . . Coach

        ==>  HeadCoach . . . . . . HeadCoach

        N/A  XpIsResultOfApplyingBusinessProcessReengToSwEngProcess . . . . . . Coach

        N/A  AutomobileButt . . . . . . HeadCoach

        N/A  EyeOnTheBall . . . . . . coach

        N/A  AllOfEuropeInJustOneWeek . . . . . . coach

        N/A  LearningByTryingSolutions . . . . . . coach

        N/A  ExtremeProgrammingChallengeOne . . . . . . coach

        ==>  EnforcingMethods . . . . . . coach

        N/A  ClientPresence . . . . . . coach

        N/A  AssistantCoach . . . . . . AssistantCoach

        N/A  LoadFactor . . . . . . Coach

        N/A  ToAyoungExtremist . . . . . . coaching

        ==>  BrutalSarcasm . . . . . . coach

        N/A  JustaProgrammer . . . . . . Coach

        ==>  SoftwareWithoutEgo . . . . . . Coach

        N/A  KalivProject . . . . . . coach

        N/A  XpBookStories . . . . . . coach

        N/A  HuntingOfTheSnark . . . . . . HeadCoach

        N/A  ExtremeProgramming . . . . . . coach

pages found out of 3420 pages searched.

See also: XpAndHierarchies . . . . . . TheCoach

This covers it, as well as I can condense from the words of others. I would like to know what experiences projects espousing XP have had with TheCoach. It should be noted that the above descriptions are written by (currently) an outsider, but one who is attempting (and whose project is attempting) to bring these approaches to bear in a large Smalltalk development project. For some alternative views, see particularly ArchitectAsKeeperOfTheFlame.

JerryArchibald. <10/28/98>

Merged from MissionOfXpCoach

I discovered an unusual but accurate expression of the mission of an XP coach in (of all places) a compilation of greatest hits of the funk uber-group Parliament Funkadelic... :)
Most of all get funky, Then help them find the funk.
I don't suppose FP (Funky Programming) would be any more accurate or less contentious a name than XP. But the funk, that relentless, organic, irresistible, rolling feeling when the entire band is really grooving, does feel a lot like XP when it works.

YMMV, of course.

-- BillBarnett

I just finished the second of my stints in this role. I would like to add one more activity to the role. I feel that TheCoach acts as an intermediary between the ExtremeProgrammer and management. One of the reasons that TheCoach can use the RolledUpNewspaper is that there is no danger of PermanentHarm to the programmer. Having said that, the RolledUpNewspaper won't have any effect unless the programmers respect the coach. TheCoach has no real power, only influence. This leads me to believe that TheCoach must be the AlphaProgrammer of the group. While I don't think it's possible to carry on the role of ExtremeProgrammer while being TheCoach, all of the activities of the ExtremeProgrammer should be demonstrated by TheCoach at one time or another. It is important that the programmers regard TheCoach as one of them (and not just another piece of ManagementBaggage).

-- AnonymousCoward

There is some good advice on coaching at http://www.dhemery.com/journal/archives/categories/coaching.html [BrokenLink 20050617--is this (http://www.dhemery.com/cwd/categories/coaching.html) the intended page?]