Team Software Process (TSP) Coach Mentoring Program Guidebook

1.2 Why Mentoring?

The SEI has begun transitioning the TSP technology from early adopters to the early majority by ―crossing the chasm,‖ which Regis McKenna explains as ―the gulf between two distinct marketplaces for technology products—the first, an early market dominated by early adopters and insiders who are quick to appreciate the nature and benefits of the new development, and the second a mainstream market representing ‗the rest of us,‘ people who want the benefits of new technology but who do not want to ‗experience‘ it in all its gory details‖ [Moore 2002]. To help facilitate this transition, the SEI has begun modifying the TSP product suite in order to meet the market‘s growing need for qualified TSP coaches. Prior to the creation of the SEI-Certified TSP Coach and SEI-Certified TSP Mentor Coach certification tracks, the SEI conferred coach status to individuals using the SEI-Authorized TSP Coach process. While the SEI-Authorized TSP Coach program met the needs of TSP‘s early adopters, some of the authorization requirements created barriers to the early majority. These barriers included some of the following factors. Candidate coaches often did not follow through with authorization, resulting in unqualified users attempting to implement the TSP.