Donald Ewart - Agile Coach
Donald Ewart is a seasoned Certified Expert Agile Coach with a rich history of guiding and supporting large organizations through Agile transformations. With a focus on increasing the speed, quality, and frequency of product delivery, Donald excels in leading development teams toward high-performance outcomes. Leveraging a broad spectrum of Lean, Agile, and traditional management techniques, he customizes approaches to suit the unique needs of each organization, ensuring the realization of substantial benefits.
Donald’s expertise extends to planning, monitoring, and managing organizational transformations, where he establishes new ways of working and builds centers of excellence. His approach is highly collaborative, employing adoption models, metrics, governance, and training programs that foster long-term cultural impacts.
Optimism is an occupational hazard of programming: feedback is the treatment
Certifications ICAgile
Interview with Donald
Tell us a little about yourself and your history with agile?
I’m Donald Ewart, a Certified Expert Agile Coach with an extensive background in guiding and supporting large organizations through their Agile transformations. My journey with Agile began over a decade ago when I first encountered the limitations of traditional project management in responding to rapid market changes.
Fascinated by the principles of Lean and Agile methodologies, I immersed myself in learning and applying these frameworks to improve speed, quality, and frequency of product delivery. Over the years, I’ve earned advanced certifications such as Agile Coach (ICE-AC), SAFe Consultant (SPC), and Scrum Master (CSP-SM), which have deepened my understanding and application of Agile practices.
How do your personal values connect with the work as Agile Coach?
The personal values that resonate deeply with me include collaboration, transparency, continuous improvement, and respect for individuals. I believe that fostering a collaborative environment encourages innovation and problem-solving by leveraging diverse perspectives. Transparency, for me, is pivotal in building trust within teams and with stakeholders, ensuring that everyone has a clear understanding of goals, progress, and challenges.
Continuous improvement is at the heart of Agile, and I’m committed to learning and adapting both personally and professionally. Lastly, respect for individuals is fundamental in recognizing and valuing each person’s contributions, enabling high-performance teams.
What types of clients has worked with you over the years?
Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of working with a wide range of clients, from startups to Fortune 500 companies.
These organizations span various sectors, including technology, finance, healthcare, and retail.
My role has involved collaborating with Directors, Service Managers, and development teams, supporting them through their Agile transformation journeys. Each client presents unique challenges, but the common thread is their desire to enhance agility to respond more effectively to market demands.
What agile tools do you use with your clients?
Working in a team, I emphasize a servant-leadership approach, focusing on empowering team members, removing impediments, and facilitating communication. My goal is to create an environment where everyone feels valued and motivated to contribute their best. I actively encourage team members to share their ideas and feedback, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
By leveraging my technical background, I can quickly build rapport with development teams, understand their challenges, and collaborate on finding solutions. My approach is highly collaborative, aiming to build self-organizing teams that are capable of delivering high-quality products efficiently.
What coaching philosophies do you adhere to and work with?
My coaching philosophy is anchored in the belief that every individual and organization has the potential to evolve and excel. I adhere to a coaching approach that is client-centric, focusing on unlocking the client’s inherent capabilities through guided discovery and self-reflection. I integrate principles from both Agile and Lean methodologies, emphasizing value delivery, waste reduction, and respect for people.
I also draw upon the International Coaching Federation (ICF) competencies, ensuring that my coaching is ethical, structured, and effective in fostering growth and achieving sustainable transformation. My philosophy is about facilitating change that aligns with the client’s goals and values, supporting them in navigating the complexities of Agile adoption and cultural change.
What Donald's clients say
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