The team you are coaching works in iterations. The team needs you differently, and their mind is at a different place on the 1st day of the iteration, on the 6th day of the iteration, on the last day of the iteration or in between iterations.

Therefore...

Align your coaching with the team's rhythm.

Details

The sweet spot for coaching a team is when they both need it, and are willing to be coached.

I find it useful to distinguish between these two parameters. Sometimes, you can be very hyped up because the team patently needs assistance, but you forget to assess whether now is a good time for them. Other times, you are happy to see that they come at you for advice and you don't want to miss on an opportunity to spread your knowledge and wisdom, just to realize they had all the answers already.

So, let's see in what ways these 2 parameters vary over time, and what we should do about it as coaches.

Note that when I talk about iterations, these could as well be:

• Sprints for a Scrum team
• Longer cycles such as Releases or Program Increments
• Any short-to-mid term cycle as long as the starting point and the destination are clear

1. In between iterations

In general, teams need coaching in between iterations because this is where a lot of decisions are make:

• decisions about what to build
• decisions about how to build it
• decisions about the process
• etc.

In between iterations, the team usually has more time for reflecting on how they work. You also won't have to worry about interrupting them because they shouldn't be performing at that time. This is usually a time where you'll get maximum degree of attention.

2. From beginning to middle of iterations

That need for coaching remains high at the beginning of the iteration. Partly because the team is looking to find its rhythm and get into the zone to deliver on their goal. Partly because some of the discussions that took place and decisions that were made in between iterations (typically at the retrospective and planning meetings) now need to be implemented.

At this time of the iteration, teams also usually remain willing to be coached. Overall, this remains a good time for agile coaches to have an impact. The coaching you can provide during an iteration is also arguably more powerful because you get to coach the team as things happen - not before it happens, or after.

For example, you may use a retrospective meeting to help the team realize they have worked on too many things in parallel for their own good in the past. You may even have them commit to reduce that in the next iteration. But being here to explain and guide them precisely as the team is about to start that extra task that will eventually slow them down is often more efficient.

As you approach the middle of the iteration, both the need for coaching and the willingness to be coached usually go down. Most of the key decisions have been made. Work is distributed between members and they need time to deliver. Too much coaching and changes of plans at this point might also be counterproductive.

3. From middle to end of iterations

As the team approaches the end of the iteration you may find that the team's willingness to be coached and their need for coaching go into opposite directions. A team that is failing will look like they need assistance, yet, they won't be truly available. A team that is finishing their work in advance and doing everything right will probably be available, but won't need much help in the moment.

That doesn't mean you shouldn't do anything though. But your attitude will differ greatly...

For example, when the team is struggling to deliver on their promises, you may:

• Help them focus on what's truly important: that might be finishing that one critical User Story, or being careful not to compromise quality in the heat of the moment.

• Observe them carefully: they may struggle to recall what happened and why it happened. Make sure to use that particular role of yours to observe, and share what you saw with them in due time

• Simply cheer them up

... while when the team is overachieving, you may:

• Help them reflect on why it went so well: they may attribute their success to the wrong factors. Make sure to help them see things for what they are. Is it plain luck? Did they collaborate better this time? Is it the result of those process changes they made recently?...
• Experiment: maybe now is a good time to try something new. It could be holding that training workshop you have kept pushing back for weeks waiting for a better time. Or it could be trying out that revolutionary testing framework. Be very careful however that taking time for the team's growth doesn't become something you only do when team has some spare time.
• Start setting the bar even higher: high-performance and greatness is not a destination, it's a journey. If they have made that leap forward, go ahead and help them formulate what an even better version of themselves would look like.

4. Next iteration...

Then the cycle repeats itself except that depending on how the previous iteration went, the need for coaching may overall have decreased or increased. Typically, a team that overachieves and keeps on improving for 5 iterations in a row may not need much coaching anymore (or some other teams may need you more). On the contrary, a team that is consistently failing might become more willing to receive your help if they hadn't really been available or listening initially.

These are simply general observations however. So rather than trying to apply these various stances that I described step by step, simply keep your self aware of the team's needs, mood and immediate concerns, and act accordingly.