One of the biggest teases developers use on their peers when they move into a non-developer or a less developer focused role is to tag them as “Post-technical”. I’ve heard this term ever since I joined the industry. My other interests around team work, organisational processes, coaching and training seem congruent with this attitude.

How do I try to balance these roles? Embedded coaching.

It’s as simple as working in the role of a developer and a coach at the same time. There’s something about working “on the front lines”, so to speak, that earns you a certain level of respect that you wouldn’t get if you were on the same team in the role of a project manager, or something you wouldn’t earn if you visited as a coach or advisor. It lets you build that trust and rapport on a daily basis that gives you insight into the things that drive people mad, or the things others may not feel comfortable stepping up and saying out loud.

Of course, there are benefits to also doing coaching from an outside point of view though I do think that embedded coaching is undervalued and often unavailable due to the delicate mix of skills required.