PMP & CISA Certified IT Project Manager | 10+ Years | IT/Digital/FinTech/AI | Fluent Mandarin | Open to Mid-Senior Roles in Hong Kong (SOE/Tech Focus) | Let's Connect on AI Opportunities
Coaching for Independence: The Heart of High-Performing Teams Continuing my #ACPJourney, let's explore a crucial aspect of the Team Performance domain: moving from directing a team to developing one through coaching and mentoring. An Agile leader's ultimate goal is to foster a self-organizing team that doesn't depend on them for every decision. This requires a conscious shift from providing answers to asking powerful questions. I learned this lesson while managing a large system rollout at ZTE. Initially, my team was technically proficient but hesitant to take initiative, creating a bottleneck around me. Instead of continuing to direct tasks, I started dedicating time to coaching. In our meetings, I would pivot from "Here's what to do" to "What do you propose?" and "What support do you need to make that happen?" We also established a peer-mentoring system, where senior engineers guided junior members. The transformation was remarkable. The team began to own problems, collaborate on solutions, and manage their work with minimal oversight. They evolved from a group of individual contributors into a cohesive, self-sufficient unit. The key takeaway: A leader's greatest value isn't in their own expertise, but in their ability to unlock the expertise of others. True project velocity is achieved when the team itself becomes the engine. What's the most effective coaching question you've ever used or been asked? #ACPJourney #Agile #TeamPerformance #Coaching #Mentoring #Leadership #ProjectManagement #ACP #SelfOrganizingTeams