This InfoQ article discusses the role of project manager in general and then maps it to the coach/facilitator role in Agile.
Why are managers are required at all in any industry?
1.) To keep workers aligned with project goals, fine tune their work style, bring out their best, and help them stay focused and motivated.
2.) To control change
3.) To control communication among team members
4.) To focus the team focus on results and not too much on process
How about in Agile?
Says Aggarwal: "A project manager can extend his/her role beyond being a coach/facilitator if things are going wrong. S/he can control those team members who are not Agile by nature or by intentions."
3 common myths about managers that are prominent in the context of Agile:
Myth #1: Managers have magic pills.
The truth: They can't make things perfect, but according to Aggarwal, a good manager can:
* solve 50 percent of problems completely,
* partially solve 15 percent of problems,
* make 15 percent of problems looks like no impact problem or out of scope by making them explicit with the help of communication,
* 20 percent of problems are such that they always remain, and this must be accepted
Myth #2: Managers always curb freedom.
The truth: A manager with experience and vision may curb team's freedom temporarily but it has an objective that eventually helps people.
Myth #3: Manager should not have authority.
The truth: In order to control any of the above four reasons (mentioned at the beginning of this article), any manager has to have authority in those environments.
In order to control any of the above four reasons (mentioned at the beginning of this article), any manager has to have authority in those environments.
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