| title | draft | type |
|---|---|---|
Getting Started With the Tech Lead Coaching Network |
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guide |
This is a brief guide to describe what the Tech Lead Coaching Network is, who should and (shouldn't) join, and how to get started as a tech lead or a coach.
Before reading further, ask yourself if you really want to get started with the Network. The Network is intended only for those who are truly interested in growing their skill and experiences as a tech lead or, if you are interested in coaching, building the foundations of learning to grow other leads.
By contrast, if you're considering joining the program only because your boss added it as a checklist on your annual review, then this program may not for you yet. Similarly, if you are currently struggling as tech lead, but you're fundamentally only interested in doing the least possible to get by in your career, then this program is also not for you. We recommend you sign up as a Lurker for now and give it some time.
Being in a leadership role -- truly stepping into what we call leadership moments and seeking to make an impact through your career as a tech lead -- takes a lot of commitment.
The Tech Lead Coaching Network, for both the tech leads receiving coaching and the tech leads doing the coaching, is a safe place to grow to be the most impactful tech lead you can be.
If you're drawn to this program, then chances are you've got the right attitude to grow to become a confident, impactful tech lead, so working on it with our network of coaches may, possibly, be the best investment of time you can make. The Tech Lead Coaching Network may be exactly what you need.
A coaching relationship is really just an ongoing conversation in a safe space where tech leads and coaches talk through day to day problems and frustrations to help you grow your impact as a tech lead over time.
It is not:
- a coach telling you what to do or solving your problems,
- a training program,
- a paid corporate offering, or
- tightly controlled by anyone.
It is:
- a free, community-based, and volunteer-driven organization;
- an opinionated (but flexible), open source-based method focusing on five key skills;
- flexible and structured around the needs and constraints of the tech lead and the coach;
- portable in that anyone can take the material and start their own coaching network in house or in their own community; and
- built on the idea that coaches get as much out of the relationship as the tech leads.
Please read on for more details and more information how to get started!
If you are a tech lead interested in being coached, continue reading in the Tech Lead's Guide. If you are interested in being a coach, continue reading our Coach's Guide.