Agile Beyond the Certification Classes

As the founder of Agility for All, I created a business plan before I so much as created a website or registered the business. As part of that, I did a lot of research on what is out there for people who want to learn more about the Agile space. I was also empowered to think differently because of a keynote given by Lyssa Adkins a few years ago, where she asked the question “Why, 15 years after the Agile Manifesto was published, are we still stuck on process and tools?” 

She was so right. I had just attended several conferences that year, and they were all so focused on the basics. In one case, everyone was asked to line up around the room based on years of experience. The lowest number was 6 years. Certainly, by then we should all have moved well past the mechanics, right?

And that is where my quest began. What I found is that we have tons of providers for the fundamentals. I definitely didn’t want to compete in that arena. And then we had several accrediting and certifying bodies providing advanced classes in the same topics, along with those that created paths to continue to grow and educate in. 

“Why, 15 years after the Agile Manifesto was published, are we still stuck on process and tools?” 

I, myself, have completed several of these tracks and am very grateful they were there for me. And those certifying bodies do a good job of ensuring that course providers are capable and qualified. I also didn’t think that was the space for me either. There seemed to be a lot of coverage, from people and companies I hold in high regard.

So where was I going to fit in, and what void was my company going to fill? I wanted to fill that gap that comes after the certifications. After the classes have all been taken, the certifications framed on the virtual wall, and the desired job title obtained - What then?

At the last conference I attended, which was not an Agile themed conference, I interviewed some Agile practitioners and there was a recurring theme. “We want something different.” And thus my adventure with Agility for All began; to be different.

Every week, we publish a blog post and we try to hit on topics that are lightly covered or not at all; by presenting a practical perspective. We also have frequent posts on our social media accounts, to encourage and foster thinking beyond the buzzwords and the basics. And then there are our workshops.

We may backtrack over some basics to make sure everyone is starting from the same place of understanding. But all of our classes, whether introductory ones or masterclasses, are designed to foster continued growth and learning beyond what is taught in certification classes. They all have a common goal - to provide a path to implement concepts immediately after finishing the class. 

But most importantly, when we work with an organisation, we are technique agnostic. We never presume to have a solution before we have even identified the problem. The first step is making sure we are all at the same place or can get there, and then strategise the best way to do that - not just start out by saying “We are going to do Scrum.” 

We also make sure that the role we are needed for is clearly defined. Are we there as teacher, mentor, facilitator, or coach? And finally, we do our utmost to walk into every situation with an open mind, so that we can guide and not dictate or prescribe.

Learn more about the work that we do and the programs that we offer. Set up a call to start planning how you want to change the culture of your organization.

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About the Author:

INDRA A. BOOKS

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