SAFe® Coaches Handbook: Proven tips and techniques for launching and running SAFe® Teams, ARTs, and Portfolios in an Agile Enterprise
P**K
A must have!
The SAFe® Coaches Handbook is an extremely valuable resource for anyone considering or using the SAFe framework to guide an agile transformation. While called a ‘coaches handbook’, anyone from dev team member to executive sponsor will find it useful. With the real-life examples and ‘pro tips’ throughout, it’s much more than a reference book. It’s a go-to source for answers to the problems that will inevitably occur on any agile transformation. Even if you’re not using SAFe, this book has great insights and ideas and needs to be on your desk.
R**N
If you lead a SAFe transformation or teach about SAFe, this book is a must!
I mostly look at SAFe from a trainer's perspective: can I demonstrate to my students the nuances in the Scaled Agile Framework. Darren and Lindy do an excellent job of showing that, with real stories I can take back to my students!
M**I
a MUST HAVE !!
This is one of those books that you will use so much that the pages will be ruined by time and you need to buy another one 😊 or get an digital version, of course.The book's structure provides a flow visibility about the elements, and helps to quickly focus on que right level and topic considering how it relates to the other elements in the framework.the “Pro tips” are great, providing clarification for the questions that we face in training and coaching activities. They present details about the roles and responsibilities (uncovering complex scenarios), practices, recommended standards, techniques, from the trenches’ perspective. This is something that takes years to learn, so they are incredibly valuable ! And there are so many of them !The connection with SAFe big picture is instantaneous, once the images are the same used in the framework.The further reading is rich and provides a very good foundation about the topics covered in each chapter.Part one covers the team aspects in a very comprehensive way, highlighting team roles and responsibilities related to the team and ART events, boundaries and collaborations, and the most critical elements like topology, stages, different approaches, dynamics and its elements, etc...Part two focus on the Agile Release Trains (ARTs) and has a structure that easily can be absorbed considering the dynamics. It helps to break paradigms, clarifying concepts that drastically influence the ART performance. It covers challenging topics like value stream and ART identification, leadership responsibilities in the transformation.The “day-to-day” chapter is amazing because it reveals details related with the ART operations throughout the Continuous Delivery Pipeline and the events (including IP iteration) in each key role lens including responsibilities / boundaries / collaboration.Chapter 8 provides relevant guidance about challenging things for some ARTs, as defining the Features and Enablers, backlog prioritization (step by step, keeping an economic perspective), and key activities to prepare for PI planning.Chapter 9 covers sync meetings, what may be very sensitive, considering the context, activities, topics that should (and should not) be covered, roles and responsibilities / boundaries / collaboration, artifacts. The “Pro tips” are especially important to foster a high-level coaching instantly.Chapter 10 clarifies very well PI planning and inspect & adapt, with tons of details and great “Pro tips”. No space for misunderstanding !Part three covers the Lean Portfolio Management from the beginning, defining what is strategy, up to measuring progress, considering the LPM adoption gradually, defining the SAFe portfolio, budgeting balancing the short- and long-term initiatives, establishing flow to the execution (Solution or ART level). The measurement chapter is very interesting and highlights the leading indicators.The last two chapters couldn’t be better: Leadership alignment (If you are a coach you know how challenging the leadership can be sometimes) and Embracing agility an nurturing transformation, and we find valuable guidance here.
M**N
Bridges theory with practical guidance!
SAFe can be a daunting framework to coach. The coaches handbook helps bring it home with practical guidance for every aspect of the SAFe framework. As a coach, the tips in here give you steps on setting up and sustaining everything from building a release train to the day to day workings of the release train. The authors show how to effectively measure, run events, and work with leadership. I like how these tips are all in one place as a reference. Highly recommend this book to agile coaches using SAFe or anyone that is using SAFe and wants to find ways to improve their practice.
R**R
A fantastic tool for transforming your organization!
As easy as the Scaled Agile Framework might initially seem, transforming an organization is much more daunting and difficult. Anytime you build something you should always surround yourself with the tools necessary to build it right. This SAFe Coaches Handbook is one of those tools that every Coach and Lean Agile champion should have in their toolbox.What makes this book one of my favorites is it practices upon the word “Scaled” and starts at the team level. For those that have had some experience on an Agile team this helps build upon what they already know and continues up. This core foundation is what Agile really is and iterates on your knowledge. From Team to Train this book gives you a broad look at what is needed to successfully participate in your ART.I look forward to introducing this into our Scrum Master and RTE community of practice!
C**3
This book is a must have for anyone taking or teaching or implementing SAFe
I received an early version of the book and it is a great summary of Scaled Agile in the first 15 chapters, with real-world examples and easy to read. Chapter 16, is where the rubber meets the road. "Leadership Alignment", walks an SPC through how to organize and set up a Scaled Agile Environment and the work you conduct with the Leadership and the teams to create, and how we all work together. I wish I had this book when I did my first Agile Transformation!!! This is a great book to have on the shelf, next to your copies of Team Topologies and SAFe Distilled.
S**N
A MUST have
This book is a must have! It takes you to the higher level, an in-depth understanding of SAFe evolution. My SAFe knowledge has been increased tremendously. I will recommend it to all my SPC fellows and all the coaches as this is a must have for everyone in this field.
N**L
Outstanding Authors
The authors are considered to be at the top of their field. Great thought and time went into this from numerous implementations to help make it a very practical hands on for coaches. Must have as an SPC!
Trustpilot
2 weeks ago
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