Becoming a coach requires a shift from old behaviors to new ones.

In the context of SAFe, becoming a coach involves a shift from traditional management behaviors to those that support and enable Agile and Lean practices. The old behaviors that a coach needs to move away from include:

Focusing on deadlines (A): Traditional management often emphasizes strict adherence to deadlines, which can lead to a focus on output rather than outcome and value.

Fixing problems for the team (B): This behavior undermines the team’s ability to self-organize and solve problems on their own, which is a key aspect of Agile teams.

Driving toward specific outcomes ©: While having goals is important, a coach should encourage teams to explore various paths to achieve outcomes, fostering innovation and adaptability rather than prescribing specific solutions.

These behaviors contrast with new behaviors expected of a SAFe coach, such as facilitating team problem-solving (E) and focusing on business value delivery (F), which align with Agile principles of empowerment and customer-centricity1.