In January last year, I joined an engagement with a pharmaceutical company as an external Agile coach. I did not know at that time, but I was assigned to a challenging sales division where Agile had not left positive memories the previous year. Experiments had been run, practices introduced, and external coaches involved, but the outcome was frustration rather than improvement. Teams felt less effective, leaders were skeptical, and trust toward both Agile and coaching was low. I was stepping into a relationship that had already failed once.
For several months, there was little space for coaching. Conversations were hard to obtain, and had to be short and justified, not just out of resistance but because operational pressure dominated everything. In that context, pushing frameworks, practices, or even Agile language would have only reinforced the disconnect. Instead, I chose to meet people exactly where they were. I adapted to their language, their habits, and their constraints, staying curious about what they were genuinely struggling with and what might help them move forward, even in small ways. Expertise mattered less than presence; curiosity mattered more than answers.
Trust did not emerge quickly. For a long time, nothing visible changed. My sponsor even questioned what I was doing for them. But consistency, perseverance, and authenticity have a quiet effect. By showing up without a personal agenda, respecting their reality, and staying genuinely interested in their challenges, a partnership slowly formed. When business pressure eventually eased, one team began to ask for support on their team building and retrospective exercise. I brought them a refreshing experience, and they spread the word to the other teams. Invitations replaced assignments, and coaching became something they chose rather than something imposed.
That shift unlocked meaningful work together ā facilitation, workshops, and learning experiences grounded in their context. It also led to a personal discovery: trust is the source of the energy I bring to my work. The more trust I receive, the more I want to give back. And it is usually up to me to be able to receive more! This trust pushed me to deepen my facilitation skills and to invest fully in serving the teams over the year.
Iām left with a question to other coaches and change agents: what is your source of energy that you bring to serve other people? And, how can you change your behaviors so that you earn more of this energy?
