Who Wants to Become a Badass Agile Coach?

A Masterclass 

When I first conceived the Extraordinarily Badass Agile Coaching book, I was reacting to my perceived lack of professionalism and craft with many agile coaches in our community. Among other things, I felt that—

• There were many coaches in name only with a few certifications under their belts but not enough experience or skill. Chasing the money, if you will.

• There was an imbalance towards Professional Coaching over more powerful stances such as Mentoring, Advising, Leading, and Transformation (see ACGW reference below).

• As a community, we had failed to do an excellent job of communicating what agile coaching was, was not, and the value or impact it could have on the individual, team, and organization we are coaching.

So, initially, I envisioned creating a masterclass for agile coaching. It is not necessarily aligned with existing certifications but a place where agile coaches could immerse in all aspects of coaching skill and practice—significantly raising their skill bar to benefit themselves and their clients.

But then my work on the book and contributing to the Comparative Agility—Agile Coaching PI assessment and Agile Coaching Growth Wheel got in the way. So, a few years passed.

Masterclass

But now, my attention, focus, and hope for our profession fall back toward a class. But not just any class, a Masterclass rooted in—

• Developing your inner coach (self) first.

• Becoming more well-wounded in your skills & competencies.

• Understand the place for a professional coaching stance, yet do not let it dominate your agile coaching.

• More than teaching. A place where a group of like-minded coaches can collaborate—learning together, practicing together, and growing together.

• Nurturing collaborative learning in small groups.

• Becoming, dare I say it, a Badass Agile Coach.

And, of course, grounding the class in—

• My EBAC book

• The Agile Coaching Growth Wheel

• The Comparative Agility – Agile Coaching (PI) assessment

The class will be an immersive experience. We’ll meet for 2-hours each week to dive deeply into a specific topic or area. That will go on for ~12 sessions or ~3 months. Beyond the 2-hours per week, there will be an additional 2-3 hours of study and small-group learning. So, overall, a ~5-hour commitment per week of your time.

The class will also be constructed so that you get personalized coaching to help you in your learning journey and professional development. We’ll use the Comparative Agility PI as our base platform and include 2, 1-hour, 1:1 coaching sessions.

What It Is not?

It is not for beginners or novice agilists.

It is not for someone who is only seeking a certification.

It is not for someone who struggles to prioritize their learning.

It is not for someone who thinks Agile Coaching is a destination rather than a journey.

Who’s interested?

This post aims to test community interest in joining my first masterclass cohort.

Without giving additional detail, my questions are—

• How do you feel about the idea?

• Would you be interested in participating in a cohort? Why?

• What would you be willing to pay for the experience?

• What would be the Top 5 areas you’d like to work on to improve your Agile Coaching skillset?

Here’s a link to a short survey to answer those questions.

I hope to begin the first one in early March 2024, but we’ll see how the market (Y'all) responds. And please share this with interested colleagues across your networks.

Stay agile, my friends,

Bob.

The Career Goals Curve

I saw this picture on LinkedIn and it relates to one of the metaphors or thinking models I’ve often shared with folks who I coach around their careers. It’s called Ikigai and I’ll ask you to explore more about it here.

It’s simple really.

Early on

Early in my career (in many careers) I’ve seen the focus lean into—

Ikigai – what you can get paid for and what you become good at. You’re growing your skills, gaining confidence and ability, and broadening your network and experience.

Sometimes folks feel bad about leaning so hard into the money. I actually think it’s a natural leanage, but everyone needs to find their own balance.

Later on

Then, later in my career, now, for instance, I find myself leaning less towards the money and growing or broadening my skills and more so leaning into—

Ikigai – what makes a difference in the world, what gives me joy, and focusing on my central purpose for being.

Another part of this is considering my legacy or what am I leaving behind?  And finally, who am I surrounding myself with?

Wrapping Up

When I saw this curve from Corporate Rebels, I thought I’d share it with you. Of course, there is nothing standard in this change or pivot. Some people make it quicker or earlier in their lives. Others, like me, take more time to do it. And still, others, don’t make it at all. And that’s all fine

Along with the related links in the hope that the curve might inspire you to reflect, consider, and perhaps (re) find your way…

Stay agile my friends,

Bob.