Personal Thoughts
Robert Galen
We've Moved
We've Moved
Walking Their Talk, Sustainability, Inspiration
Robert Galen
Sustainability

I saw this wonderfully courageous and informative post by Sabine Canditt the other day where she wrote about Sustainable Scrum. 

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/sustainable-scrum-responsible-choice-sabine-canditt-x0gef

After just completing a The Week program facilitated by the amazing Ann-Marie Kong, it touched my heart.

That said, I wanted to highlight one comment reaction/interaction between Sabine and Erich Bühler 

Erich said—

Thank you for bringing this approach into the world! Scrum does provide an iterative approach for teams to create value, but its scope is limited to the product level and struggles with dynamics across the whole organization for several reasons.
Without updating the underlying business and financial model at a strategic level, Scrum alone cannot transform organization-wide sustainability.

Sustainability
Short-takes, Inspiration
Robert Galen
Sandy’s Take
Sandy’s Take
Short-takes, Personal Thoughts
Robert Galen
The Human Aspects of Agile Coaching
The Human Aspects of Agile Coaching
Coaching, ACGW, Personal Thoughts
Robert Galen
Keys to Building your Coaching Relationships

I talk a lot about the first step in coaching any client (individual, system, team, etc.) is to build a relationship, gain empathy and understanding, and then gain an idea of where/how to help initially. So, do NOT start to coach until you’ve done some relationship-building. 

But what does a coaching relationship, or a professional relationship in general, look like? What are aspects of that? Here are a few things that come to my mind—

  • Making + taking the time.

  • Explaining what you do—what is Agile Coaching.

  • Building some empathy; walking in their shoes; understanding where they are coming from.

  • Meeting them where they are.

  • Listening; reflective listening; building metaphors together.

  • Connecting with their language, not yours.

Keys to Building your Coaching Relationships

State of Agile

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Supporting Roles

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Supporting Roles

I saw this article on LinkedIn by Travis Klinker and I thought I’d share it here in its entirety— 

Perception is reality.

I often say this when people share their disagreement with feedback they have received. Regardless of the situation, one person's perception is their reality at that time and without acknowledging that person's reality it can be very difficult to constructively move forward. Given this point of view, I've been reflecting on the perceived value of the roles that support continuous improvement.

The past year's choices by many companies to abandon their Agile efforts (or shall I say the supporting roles, such as coaches and scrum masters), makes me question the value they place on continuous improvement. The very roles that elevated these companies appears to now be devalued.

I believe that continuous improvement is a personal choice, but my experience has shown that without the supporting roles, continuous improvement rarely continues, much less thrives in an organization. So, it leaves me pondering the choices that are being made by companies when they are under extreme pressure.

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The Case for Well-Rounded Scrum Masters

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The Case for Well-Rounded Scrum Masters

I stumbled upon this discussion on LinkedIn about whether Scrum Masters need technical skills—in the most austere point, software development chops. 

I’ll capture the initial post by Stephanie Cully—

Take advice from people you actually want advice from. 👀

There is no research that shows that technical Scrum Masters make better coaches. In fact, in certain cases, having extensive tech experience can actually hinder your ability to concentrate on coaching and lead to excessive emphasis on technical details.

Carry on Scrum Masters. 👏

And then a response by Viktor Grgic—

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Beyond the Agile Certification Alphabet Soup

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Beyond the Agile Certification Alphabet Soup

The debate on the value of agile certifications has been raging on for decades. And one thing for certain is that it hasn’t dimmed the enthusiasm of the companies and organizations creating them.

For example, in 2016 I had a wild idea to explore and capture as many agile certifications as I could. I found 113, and I’m sure it wasn’t an exhaustive or definitive number.

Apparently, my work inspired Anthony Mersino to update the count in 2019-20. Bless his little heart. He found 270 at the time, over a 2x increase from my inventory. He called the post—The Circus of Agile Certifications, and I resonated powerfully with that somewhat snarky title.

Imagine that, 270 distinct certifications! I think it’s safe to say (pun intended) that there are probably ~300 unique agile certifications as I’m writing this post in 2023.

And the problem with most of these is that they are granted by simply attending a class and, in some cases, a quick exam. But are classes enough for learning, growth, and success in agile ways of working?

My answer would be a firm…No!

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Why do Agile Coaches have an Aversion to Consulting?

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Why do Agile Coaches have an Aversion to Consulting?

It seems to be an ongoing topic within the agile coaching community.  

Can an Agile Coach provide advice or consult with a client? The predominant answer seems to be no. Or something like—if you’re providing advice, then you’re NOT coaching. So, do you want to be a Coach? Or do you want to be a Consultant or Advisor? But you certainly can’t be both!

I’ve always wondered where this position comes from. If I’m advertising myself as an Agile Coach serving my clients…

  • Is it simply wrong to mix the two? Am I doing my client a disservice if I give them advice?

  • Or is it a skills challenge where many coaches find themselves under-skilled or uncomfortable delivering consulting advice?

  • Or, is it easier or less risky to professionally coach versus providing consulting advice?

  • Or is it something else altogether?

My initial reaction is that it might confuse Professional Coaching and Agile Coaching.  Thinking that they are the same. As I explored in my Extraordinarily Badass Agile Coaching book, they are not.

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It’s Super Easy to Nit-Pick

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It’s Super Easy to Nit-Pick

I read this LinkedIn post by Cliff Berg the other day, and it made me sad and a bit angry.

But not on the level you might think.

You see, I don’t care about Agile 2 or whether it’s better or worse than the original agile (Agile 1, Agile Manifesto, methods begun in the late 1990s and early 2000s, etc.). I don’t care to try to compare features, duel on definitions, complain about the past, or build my reputation by nit-picking something to death.

Sad

What makes me really sad is the apparent lack of respect that Cliff has for the past efforts and ideas of those whose thoughts he is building on.

What came to mind is that quote by Isaac Newton that says—

“If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants”.

I don’t see Cliff respecting or acknowledging those that have come before him. The people, the ideas, the methods, and the intentions. The original manifesto and movement created a tidal wave of changed thinking regarding how we build software. I think it, and they deserve more than he’s giving them.

I’ve copied his original post in-line below, and I’ve highlighted the positive acknowledgments he made to the original work—

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Stop Training “Agile”

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Stop Training “Agile”

and by “Agile” I mean (Scrum, Kanban, SAFe, etc.)

This post was inspired by another from Al Shalloway that I recently came across. In that article, I read the following—

First, should any certified Scrum trainer train a team in Scrum when they've been told by management to do Scrum? Technically, it's not Scrum since the team is being told what to do - violating Scrum's suggestion that teams should self-manage.

And it struck me how powerful the point was. Particularly since I believe the majority of agile classes, independent of the focus or certification source, are prescribed for the learners. They’re being told to attend, coerced, or forced to attend as part of some overall agile initiative.

This is a tactical focus and a huge mistake. You can’t become agile or get to an agile mindset by sitting through a class…any class! It just doesn’t work that way.

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Agile Coaching versus Professional Coaching

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Agile Coaching versus Professional Coaching

I think many in the agile community get confused about the difference between Professional Coaching (as defined by the International Coaching Federation or ICF) and Agile Coaching (as explained within the Agile Coaching Competency Framework or Agile Coaching Growth Wheel).

The clarity problem actually begins because the ICF definitions (certifications, competency models, ethics, etc.) are VERY clearly identified. And, since everything is so clearly defined, the many organizations who have ICF training are consistent in approach as well. There’s great clarity when a singular organization forms around a profession to capture its essence and guide its evolution.

The profession of agile coaching, if I can use that terminology, isn’t nearly as clear. It’s fractured, ill-defined, inconsistently agreed on and composed of organizational factions. The two frameworks I mentioned, while aligned, don’t agree on the standard coaching stances that make up Agile Coaching. Nor do any of the leading certification bodies (Scrum Alliance, iCAgile, Scrum.org, or Scaled Agile Framework). As I said, there is some commonality, but there is no way near the clarity that you gain from ICF in Professional Coaching.

The clarity problem is further exacerbated because I believe Agile Coaching is a superset of Professional Coaching. In other words, Professional Coaching is an activity (or stance) that is practiced while Agile Coaching. But it isn’t the only stance.

Even Agile Coaches are Confused

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Supporting the Agile Alliance

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Supporting the Agile Alliance

I saw the following note about the Agile Alliance posted on LinkedIn by Ray Arell.

For 20 years, the Agile Alliance has been a critical resource for people and companies to build an Agile way of work.

2020/21 has been hard for our non-profit organization. Our annual in-person conference is typically the primary fundraiser that enables our programs and mission work, and this has not been possible due to the pandemic. To keep us going, we need to grow our membership and sponsorship. So I am asking, if you have been a loyal follower and benefited from our work, please consider becoming a member or sponsor one of our programs. Together we have changed the industry, and together we can continue to grow a better way of work.

If you are already one of our 5000+ members, then thank you so much. You can help by getting the word out and encourage others to join ❤

Please go to https://lnkd.in/gP2vM_Va to find out more about membership or contact me directly if you have any questions. #agile #thankyou

My Take

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Agile Coaching – I have a Dream…

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Agile Coaching – I have a Dream…

I’ve been practicing “agile stuff” since about 1996—so for ~24 years. For ~20 of those years, I’ve been actively coaching agile notions at the team, group, organization, and company levels. In 2012 I received my CEC with the Scrum Alliance as an indication of how invested, serious, and (hopefully) skilled I was in the craft and practice of agile coaching.

In other words, I’m a relatively long-time agile coach who’s seen and experienced quite a bit over that time.

I participated in the Scrum Alliance – Guides Open Space sessions on Friday, October 23rd. I was in one session where we explored the CTC & CEC coaching tracks. The focus of the session was on formalized mentoring & training, but we didn’t explore that. Instead, the discussion ambled around the lack of clarity of what it meant to be an “agile coach”.

As I was listening and engaging in the discussion, I was scribbling down notes and ideas around the topic. I created a flow if you will of things that I’d develop or require if I were creating my own vision for developing agile coaches. And I worked on it after I left the session and into the evening.

The session was cathartic for me in a way. And I took the perspective of—

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Empty Frame Metaphor

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I’m writing this after the new 2020 Scrum Guide was announced along with a celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Scrum. 

There was quite a lot of hoopla associated with the event and the guide.

And the after-party, folks offering their interpretation of the changes within the guide, was even wilder. I swear that nearly every coach came out with a blog, whitepaper, webinar, or Q&A session to expand upon the (only 13 pages) of the Guide.

For the life of me, I’ve never seen anything like it. And I’m not implying that in a “good way”. Hey everyone, it’s a Scrum Guide. Not a new US Constitution or edition of the Bible or Harry Potter book.

Tobias to the rescue…

But leave it to Tobias Mayer to provide some perspective on all of the hoopla. I saw this post on LinkedIn about a week after the festivities—

A frame holds the artwork, but isn't itself the artwork. Hanging an empty frame on your wall won't magically create an instant masterpiece. Even making the frame yourself by following instructions in the Frame Guide won't make such magic occur. It is surprising how few people get that, and how many empty, and often poorly made frames are lying around in the corporate landscape.

WHAT a metaphor! And so meaningful and helpful to me right now.

Thank you, Tobias, for providing clarity and cutting through the hoopla!

Stay agile my friends,

Bob.