Reading Recommendations for future Agile Coaches?

Written By Allison Pollard

Photo by Rich Renomeron

I love to read and have been using Goodreads for nearly seven years to track books I want to read in the future--now my "To Read" list is nearly as long as my "Read" list! Needless to say, there are a lot of great books out there, and only so much time available to read them.

Recently Bob Galen and Allen Holub posted lists of books for folks getting started with agile, and there are great titles on both. It got me thinking about the knowledge needed for more experienced practitioners. A colleague once asked for recommendations that would support his growth from Scrum Master to Agile Coach, and here's the list I came up with:

  • Succeeding with Agile by Mike Cohn
  • Coaching Agile Teams by Lyssa Adkins
  • Becoming a Technical Leader and/or Are Your Lights On? by Gerald Weinberg
  • Talk to Me by Sue Johnston  
  • Liftoff: Launching Agile Teams & Projects by Diana Larsen and Ainsley Nies
  • Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott
  • The Art of Agile Development by James Shore
  • Management 3.0 by Jurgen Appelo
  • Switch: How to Change When Things When Change is Hard by the Heath brothers
  • Drive by Daniel Pink

The list is a few years old. What books would you suggest?

Allison Pollard

Allison Pollard helps overwhelmed technical leaders debug their management approach. She teaches them how to manage up, support people through change, and make time for strategic work. Her education in computer science, mathematics, and English from Southern Methodist University helps her connect technical work with people management. As a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC) and Professional Certified Coach (PCC), Allison focuses on improving product delivery and leadership culture. Her experience includes work in energy, retail, financial, real estate, and transportation industries. Allison regularly speaks at global conferences like Scrum Gatherings and Agile Alliance's Agile20xx. She promotes women's leadership as the program director for Women in Agile's Mentorship program. When she's not working, Allison likes to drink lattes and listen to Broadway musicals. Allison is a proud glasses wearer and co-owner of Middlegame Partners.

http://www.allisonpollard.com
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