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What is the difference between Scrum Master training and Agile Coach Training?

On one side, we have a Scrum Master. On the other hand, we have an Agile Coach. The moment we compare these two roles, we notice that they are different. But like so many roles within Agile working, there are areas of overlap. At Scrum Academy, we offer two separate training courses for these roles. And precisely because there is sometimes overlap, we wrote this article. Okay, time to discover answers to the question, “So what do you learn in which training?”

First a word about the two roles within Agile working

Scrum Master is a part of the Scrum team and fulfills the role of ‘pioneer’. He or she is present on the shop floor every day, knows the team members well and always knows exactly what is going on in the team.

Agile Coach is a teacher + mentor + coach + facilitator on Agile working. The Agile Coach has an independent role and supports multiple teams and/or management. Unlike the Scrum Master and Product Owner, the Agile Coach is not part of the Scrum team.

We have previously written a clear blog about the three roles of Scrum Master, Product Owner and Agile Coach and the relationship between them.

Agile coach training difference from Scrum Master

Mutual relationship between Scrum Master and Agile Coaches

There are organizations that place extra emphasis on the distinction between the roles of Scrum Master and Agile Coach. The Scrum Master is then the one who mainly understands Scrum. And the Agile Coach then often has more knowledge and a larger “toolkit” often focused on the Agile Transformation of the department or entire organization. You could think of it a bit like junior and senior. Many Scrum Masters grow into the role of Agile Coach.

In reality, the distinction is harder to make and by definition is not hierarchical. Thing is, these roles can merge within Agile working. After all, the Scrum Master often evolves with the organization as he or she becomes more familiar with all the Agile tools and methods. As a Scrum team matures, so does the Scrum Master.

This means that a Scrum Master who grows can also advance to become an Agile Coach. Is that always the case? No. Can it be a logical step? Yes. That is also why Scrum Masters often choose the Scrum Master 2 training or the Agile Coach Training.

Difference between Scrum Master Training and Agile Coach Training

We have clearly mapped out in a table the differences between Scrum Master training and Agile Coach Training.

Scrum Master TrainingAgile Coach Training
Focus on Agile or Scrum?The focus in the Scrum Master training is on understanding Scrum and being able to facilitate the Scrum Team.The focus is on the Agile mindset. Scrum is no longer addressed. It is about coaching and facilitating teams to dare to experiment with the Agile mindset.
Who is your target audience?The Scrum Master supports the Product Owner, the Scrum Team and the organization so that work can be done with Scrum.The Agile Coach learns how to coach individuals to an Agile mindset, get teams into a high performing mode and take the organization through the change to Agile. With the latter, the Agile Coach often focuses on alignment within the team, between teams and management.
How to get started practically?After the training, you will know how to apply Scrum in the team and what to expect from the organization to get started with Scrum. How to successfully apply Scrum with your team and in your organization.Upon completion of the training, you will know the steps to coach teams (executive, transformation and management teams) and individuals (executive team members and individual managers) to an agile mindset. This often has managerial implications as well: such as how to set goals, how to maintain control, how to plan.