What is the role of a Scrum Coach?
Answer
A Scrum Coach (sometimes synonymous with Agile Coach) works at an organizational level to drive Agile adoption and transformation, whereas a Scrum Master works at the team level. Key differences and responsibilities: (1) Scope — a Scrum Coach works across multiple teams, departments, and leadership levels; (2) Focus — coaching executives on Agile leadership, helping middle management transition from command-and-control to servant leadership, removing organizational impediments that block teams; (3) Skills — requires deep Agile expertise, coaching competencies (ICF or similar), organizational change management, and often experience in multiple frameworks (Scrum, SAFe, LeSS, Kanban); (4) Engagement model — often a temporary role brought in during transformation, then phasing out as capability matures; (5) Metrics — coaches organizational metrics (lead time, delivery frequency, team health) rather than team-level velocity. A Scrum Master can evolve into an Agile Coach through experience and additional coaching training (ICP-ACC, CAC certifications).