According to the PMBOK® Guide, an agile coach is a person who guides, mentors, teaches, and facilitates a team in adopting and improving agile practices and principles. The agile coach should also foster a culture of collaboration, trust, feedback, and continuous improvement within the team. When a team member is openly criticized by others during a standup meeting, the agile coach should intervene and address the situation as soon as possible. The agile coach should emphasize the ground rules of the standup meeting, such as respecting each other, being supportive, and focusing on the work. The agile coach should then redirect the attention of the team to today’s activities and impediments, and help them find solutions and remove blockers. This way, the agile coach can prevent the conflict from escalating, maintain a positive team atmosphere, and ensure the team’s progress and alignment. Letting the discussion go on, addressing the team members involved during the next sprint retrospective, or avoiding the discussion by referring to the team charter are not effective ways to deal with the situation. These options may ignore, postpone, or evade the issue, which could harm the team’s morale, performance, and relationships. References: PMBOK® Guide, 6th edition, pages 52, 335, 540-541.
