Practice Makes Perfect: The Benefits Of Training For Your Profession Like An Elite Athlete

Athletes often practice for uncommon plays. The once-in-a-season opportunities that rarely happen, but are best to be prepared for when they do. 

In football, for example, a team might encounter the need for a Hail Mary, a long forward pass usually made in desperation at the end of the fourth quarter. With only a small chance of success, a team practices this type of pass because it can result in a very high-impact moment. 

If successful, the team gains an unforgettable win. 

As an agile coach, I know the importance of preparing for the unexpected. Being able to manage unusual client scenarios is what sets a good coach apart from a great one.

After all, if your goal is to help others be agile, you must be agile, too.

Work through situations you’ve never experienced before.

How you approach a job will be different for every coach. No two coaching situations are the same, and therefore experiences will vary from assignment to assignment. In order to be professional in any situation, preparation is a key component. 

For example, you might be working with someone who doesn't listen. You may encounter a colleague who walks away from you when they are angry. Or you could end up working with someone who is unable to give up control. 

As a Scrum Alliance Certified Enterprise Coach (CEC) and founder of Heart Healthy Scrum, it’s my job to think outside the box and find ways to help the organization achieve its goals. Part of that means I also prepare myself the same way.

Agile coaches need to intentionally set up, or think their way through, atypical situations. It could take 10 years to see a certain scenario, and if you haven't thought about it ahead of time, then you haven't trained for how to handle it.

Here are two ways you can practice responding to atypical situations:

Plan how you’ll respond before the need arises.

You can prepare for the unexpected by creating potential atypical scenarios, then practice responding to, or handling, those situations with a colleague or friend.

While negotiating a contract extension I had someone physically walk away from me before we could finish our conversation. At the time, I wasn’t sure how to move forward. It was an atypical scenario and one I was completely unprepared to deal with. 

The client and I didn’t speak again, and the job ended. 

Had I anticipated such an interaction, I could have approached the exchange differently. Rather than shutting down, I could have communicated more effectively. My response could have been something like, "I can see that you're getting angry. Can we take a one-hour break and come back to the discussion?"

If I had operated from a place of empathy, we may have continued our dialogue and moved forward with the assignment. 

See problems before they happen.

By working through potential pitfalls you can also identify ways to communicate foreseeable problems before the need arises.

Another example of an atypical experience I’ve encountered occurred while talking with a new client. Verbally, we agreed on two major deal points, but when I received the offer letter those items were removed. The document had been greatly modified in their favor with no clear benefit for me. 

I asked the client what my compensation would be given the changes. When they couldn’t provide me with a satisfactory answer, I suggested ideas like more vacation time and flexible working hours. Their response was “no.” 

In the end, I had to walk away, and that was a very atypical situation for me. What do you do when you're talking to a client and the contract is changed completely? You have to think, “How can I prepare myself?”

Both of these examples help you plan how you’ll respond before the need arises. Doing so means you always see the “big picture” while operating from a wiser, more mature perspective.

Preparing for atypical situations helps you stay connected.

The key benefit of preparing for atypical situations is the ability to stay connected—with team members, staff, organization leaders, and your goals. 

By practicing these potential fallouts ahead of time you’re able to see the positive impact it can have on future transactions, from a signed contract extension to a beneficial agreement with a new client. It allows you to operate with a foundation of safety and trust.

When you don’t prepare, both you and your client can miss out on personal and professional opportunities. Some will cost you time. Others will cost you money. And still more can cost you a future referral. 

That’s why, as a professional, the more unusual situations you can put into your toolbox, the better. It’s all about having the Hail Mary when you need it.

If this topic resonated and you’d like to talk about it together on your podcast, let me know. You can also connect with me on Linkedin to read my latest articles!

Impactful Change Requires A Deeper Mindset. Here’s Why

Countless articles address the differences between a Scrum Master and an agile coach, but not nearly enough advise on what Scrum Masters can do to advance their careers.

Most Scrum Masters learn about Scrum in a two-day course, so they wind up in positions where the primary benefit is on-the-job experience. With time, a Scrum Master can move into agile coaching.

Before that transition can take place, however, it’s important to understand what separates a Scrum Master from an agile coach. It’s similar to going on a diet.

If someone wants to lose weight, the first step is to choose a plan. Figuring out your strategy to shed pounds isn’t the hard part, though (aka Scrum). The real challenge is finding effective ways to shift your behavior to adopt a completely new lifestyle routine (aka agile coaching).

And that's what an agile coach specializes in: Supporting effective and impactful change. 

Although Scrum Masters and agile coaches both help teams improve the way they work, Scrum Masters tend to have a more narrow view on situations than an agile coach.

Here’s how a Scrum Master can embody the key elements of an agile coach to advance their team and career.

Key differences between a Scrum Master and agile coach.

While a Scrum Master knows Scrum, a senior agile coach can support agile transformation. Here are several contrasts between a Scrum Master and an agile coach:

Focus. The Scrum Master is typically focused on a team and its individual players, ensuring they know and practice Scrum. On the other hand, an agile coach typically works across an organization from software development and human resources to marketing and finance.

Knowledge. A second difference is that Scrum Masters know Scrum while agile coaches know agile. And agile coaches tend to have extensive professional coaching education while Scrum Masters are only at the beginning stages.

Experience. The Scrum Master is often an entry-level position that, with enough experience, can lead to agile coaching. Agile coaches typically make more money, have larger titles, and are dedicated to making bigger changes within the organization.

It’s important to remember that the Scrum Master and agile coach roles do not negate one another. If an organization hires an agile coach they will often have dedicated Scrum Masters and vice versa. Some of the most successful agile transformations will use both in order to achieve the total range of skills needed for a complete transformation. 

True change requires a different way of thinking. Looking at the whole picture instead of one part of it.

Although Scrum Masters and agile coaches both help teams do the best work possible, Scrum Masters tend to have a more limited view on situations than an agile coach. 

For example, a team could say, "We have a lot of bugs, and we want a software tool to track everything." 

A Scrum Master will say, "I have experience with this tool. Let’s implement it." 

A more experienced Scrum Master will say something like, "Let’s think about a set of tools, what the options are, and what are the benefits and disadvantages of each tool.”

And an agile coach will ask, "Why is it that you have so many bugs that you need a tool to track them?" 

Because of their greater experience and wider organizational span, an agile coach can more easily identify the systemic causes of a problem.

As the Scrum Master and the team mature, the Scrum Master will better understand how external factors impact the group. With enough experience, the Scrum Master can become a real change agent for their organization by applying skills typically associated with agile coaching. 

From there, he or she can make the decision to continue down this career path.

If I were to replicate that process now, it would be much easier simply because there is more support. Today, there’s a number of training and mentoring programs that can help you in your transition from Scrum Master to agile coach. The only thing left to do is take the next step.

If this topic resonated and you'd like to talk about it together on your podcast, let me know. You can also connect with me on Linkedin to read my latest articles!

Fast-Growing Industries Are The Perfect Fit For People Looking To Change Careers. Here’s Why

When I began my career in the agile space 10 years ago, I was one of only two coaches at the company I worked for. In a few years, the business grew and I was fortunate to be placed into a leadership position from the start. 

Not everyone has this type of experience with their profession. When you look at established fields like marketing or engineering, you're never going to be first when it comes to leadership roles. There's going to be an entire stack of people on top of you.

The great thing about the world we live in now is that it's starting to shift away from the four-year college degree, 20-year career model. Now, people are spending six months learning the skills they need to score positions with new companies. 

Small, but fast-growing fields are establishing opportunities that impact this switch.

Rapidly-expanding industries are expected to generate strong profits and create the most jobs over the next decade. As a result, they’re poised to open the opportunity for people looking to make a career change.

Here are four ways you can find the perfect fit with an up-and-coming company:

1. Look at job boards to spot trends.

One of the easiest ways to identify an up-and-coming industry is to do research. 

Look at job boards frequently—at least once a month. Notice if you see any developments over time. You’ll be surprised at how many job openings you see. That’s a clear indicator of a growing industry. You might even be able to generate your own statistics.

You could tell yourself, "Oh. Here's the first time I've seen this title. Let me see what happens next month. What happens a month after that? What happens six months from now?" 

The more jobs that are popping up within an industry, the more ample opportunity for career growth. 

2. View Linkedin’s Global Trends Report.

Linkedin is another great resource for identifying these small, fast-growing industries.

In January, they released a comprehensive report on the most promising jobs of 2019 based on the number of job openings and year-over-year growth. 

Someone looking for career advancement can use Linkedin’s report to find their next position.

Once you identify industries and companies that interest you, it’s also a good idea to check out employee profiles on Linkedin. You’ll be able to see company progress through their network as well as how they are rewarding employees in the form of promotions. When you see a change occurring every one to three years, that’s a good sign there are plenty of opportunities to advance your career.

3. Talk to as many people as possible.

Today, we have so many ways to connect with others thanks to social media. The pool of people with which you can network is, quite literally, boundless. 

It might seem pretty straightforward, but get out there and talk to as many people as possible to learn more about a fast-growing industry. 

Identify a company you would like to work for, then reach out to the hiring manager or a current employee and ask them for a few minutes of their time. You can say something like,  "Hi Susan! I'm interested in this field and would like to learn more about it. Can I chat with you for 10 minutes?” 

The response rate to outreach like this can be about one percent. While that might not seem promising, you'll find that about one out of every 100 people will say yes if you apply this technique regularly. And it only takes one connection to get your foot in the door. 

Doing so takes both initiative and courage, but the potential payoff can be huge. It can help you make connections, learn about the industry, build relationships, and land a job.

4. Offer your time for free.

Sometimes, you need to give a little in order to get something in return. 

So many people get hung up on what they “deserve” when it comes to a job that they don’t stop to think about what they’ll gain long-term. And a negative outlook never leads to positive change. 

In a fast-growing field, the money will be there very quickly. Don’t get hung up on not being paid the ideal amount right from the start. The real risk is saying “no” and not getting in on the ground floor of something that can take your career to new heights. 

That means going to employers of companies within these industries and asking them where they need help. Offer your services for whatever someone is able to pay you—or even do the work for free. 

Get in there and do the work for $15 an hour (or zero) and use it as a way to open doors down the road. When you do this you’re getting two things in return: experience and a testimonial. 

Professional growth is a big decision—it's rarely easy. But joining a fast-growing industry you can get in on the ground floor of a company that's poised to do big things. And when the industry and company take off, so will your career.

If this topic resonated and you’d like to talk about it together on your podcast, let me know. You can also connect with me on Linkedin to read my latest articles!

The Most Important Challenge In An Agile Transformation

Achieving a complete agile transformation in an entire organization is rarely easy. 

It requires a huge shift from focusing on how people can improve their individual impact to seeing how the entire organization moves and works together. That means being willing to influence change even when no one else does—because everyone knows it will contribute to the overall greater good. 

The problem is, for most people, a job is something they’re paid to do. And if no one is paying them specifically to enact that shift, they’re not going to be inspired to do it. 

So how do you motivate people to change? 

I like to compare an agile transformation to a physical fitness journey. All of us know that working out has health benefits. You could go to any bookstore, pick up a book on fitness routines, and improve your health. The hard part is getting to the gym on a regular basis and taking initial responsibility for your fitness and diet routines.

The struggle is saying, “I’m going to be responsible for my best self today.” 

In an agile transformation, the message is similar. Everyone has to be thinking, “I'm going to be responsible for being great at my job and also contributing to the success of my organization.” 

It’s this shift—from individual personal responsibility to layering in the welfare of the group, team, or company as a whole—that’s so crucial to an agile transformation. 

The challenge is not everyone wants to change in the beginning. 

Most times, people are open to taking responsibility for changing their own actions. 

I frequently see people who love being software developers come to work every day with the goal to be the best at their jobs. That’s what they went to school for, that’s what they're passionate about. 

But when it's time to step up and contribute to the bigger dynamic, even the most die-hard developer on the planet may immediately think, “Well, that’s not my problem.” 

Refusing to take responsibility contributes to a much bigger company-wide issue—everyone wants to complain about a problem, but no one wants to fix it. They’ll bring their troubles to the table, but they’ll resist taking on the task of actually addressing them. 

As an agile coach, this is where you can run into big problems with agile transformation. When suggesting a change, you're met with intense resistance—hearing "no" to just about every idea. Frequently the reason for refusal boils down to, “Well, I’ve been paid to do these actions, so that’s all I’m going to do.” Which puts us back at square one—everyone is working only for themselves and not together. 

Unfortunately, if this happens—and you can’t get anyone to budge—the session will end in failure.   

You have to inspire teams to look in the mirror so you can invite change.

Everyone wants change, but no one wants to change. 

So before you can do anything as an agile coach, invite team members to first look at themselves. Ultimately, the only people you can ever change is yourself. So all growth—even growth that eventually leads to a better organizational environment—is personal growth. All improvement is self-improvement.   

A huge part of an agile transformation is helping people to understand that if they don’t like something about the workplace, they have to stop and look at themselves first. 

And this exercise isn’t relegated only to junior staff members. In fact, it’s crucial for leaders in the workplace to improve themselves and set an example of how to change. 

It's important to understand that leadership is a proactive responsibility. 

I often begin an agile transformation by taking the managers and leaders of an organization to a two-day offsite. 

We don’t discuss tools, metrics, practices—nothing technical. Instead, we spend two days talking about whether or not they actually want to lead change. 

It’s not a simple move because it requires them to fundamentally change the way they view their responsibilities and day-to-day actions.   

And because of this complexity, coaches often receive pushback. This moment is why the agile fundamentals of listening and asking for permission are so huge. You have to listen very, very carefully for the motivations behind the resistance. Sometimes, people give an outright “no” because they don't want to change. Sometimes, you get a "yes" that isn't truly a "yes."

Think back to the fitness example. If you ask your friend, “Are you interested in improving your physical fitness?” their answer is, of course, going to be yes. Everyone wants to look and feel better. 

But then if you ask, “Do you want to go to the gym every day?” or “Do you want to eat kale instead of pizza?” their answers may change. It’s all about gauging the depth of actual commitment. 

That's why it's best to hold one-on-ones with the managers at the end of the two-day offsite. There, you can ask what’s really going on with them. And you can ask that question over and over again until you understand where they are coming from and how you can work with them. 

An agile transformation all comes down to inspiring the choice to improve.

To transform an organization, everything must be done by choice. So as a coach, you have to listen and ask for permission. If you don’t make it clear that people can refuse the process at any point, then they’ll feel forced. 

If a change is forced, it won’t stick. 

True transformations come from a deep commitment to the everyday actions that perpetuate growth—whether that’s better agile practices or improving your mile on the treadmill. By choosing to make the change every day, there are no limits on how your client (and their companies) can grow.   

If this topic resonated and you’d like to talk about it together on your podcast, let me know. You can also connect with me on Linkedin to read my latest articles!

Please, Thank You: 3 Appreciation Exercises To Create A Positive Work Environment

For employees, “feedback” is one of the single most dreaded words to hear.

When a manager says, "I have feedback for you,” you’re usually instantly overcome with a sense of fear. Feedback is too often seen as a critique for a job done improperly.

Positive reinforcement in the workplace should achieve two basic goals: To acknowledge someone's action or behavior and to encourage the person to repeat the action. People naturally want to be appreciated, respected, and treated as intelligent adults. 

Appreciation exercises can be a manager's most powerful tool if they’re willing to try something new for just 30 minutes. 

According to Gallup, one study of 65,672 employees found those who received positive feedback had turnover rates that were 14.9% lower than employees who received no feedback. A similar study of 530 work units found that teams with managers who received positive feedback had 12.5% greater productivity than teams with managers who received no feedback. 

Recognizing your colleagues’ achievements with positive feedback is a great way to promote a harmonious atmosphere in the workplace. If given correctly, it encourages positive behavior and helps both co-workers and managers develop better relationships.

Unfortunately, not all managers instinctively know how to do this. If you’re looking to improve your evaluation approach, try these three appreciation exercises with your team: 

1. The Seven Dwarfs.

A childhood fairytale might seem like a funny way of offering positive feedback, but it gets to the heart of sharing your strengths with others. To practice this appreciation exercise, you’ll need to be familiar with Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Bashful, Sneezy, Dopey, and Doc. 

In a group setting, ask everyone to assign a dwarf for themselves and their coworkers. From there, have each explain their choice. 

No, this isn’t an opportunity to tease Tom about falling asleep at his desk or tell Mary she needs to get control of her allergies. It’s finding creative ways to point out someone’s inner star quality.

For example: 

• Doc is the clear leader, always willing to take charge of a situation and provide direction for others.

• Dopey asks simple questions that lead to more in-depth conversations.

• Sleepy knows how to break appropriately to ensure a productive day.

• Sneezy lightens the mood with an unexpected story or idea.

• Happy embodies the “can do” attitude and finds the positive in every situation.

• Bashful is comfortable taking direction and staying on task in group projects.

The Seven Dwarfs helps employees identify their own strengths as well as recognizing the same or different attributes their coworkers possess. Additionally, management has a fun, non-confrontational method for providing more frequent employee feedback. 

2. The Perfection Game.

We’d all like to master our jobs. Who doesn’t want the satisfaction of knowing they’re the best at what they do?

To be the best, we need feedback. 

Pointing out the bad sets employees on the defense. Comments like, "You could have done better on the presentation," doesn’t make anyone feel empowered or motivated to do better.

Likewise, one-off performance comments can leave employees unsure of how to improve. Saying things like, “Your work needs improvement,” or, “I wasn’t very impressed with these reports,” doesn’t offer guidance and says nothing about what he or she can do to improve performance.

As a manager, your job is to give that direction, and you can do so with the Perfection Game created by Jim and Michele McCarthy.

The game is ideal for giving employee evaluation on a specific project or task. You start by assigning a score to the project, using a scale of one to 10. From there, begin your explanation of the score with a positive assessment. 

You want to get your point across very clearly by explaining, "Here's what I liked about it. Here's what made it a seven.” 

Next, give specific examples of how they can get the project to a 10. Instead of issuing a general complaint that yields frustration and inhibits motivation, you now have the opportunity to give a very clear and actionable to-do list. 

3. Discover and Dream.

Don’t be afraid to share your strengths, then dream about implementing them. We all dream of doing our best. Sometimes, sharing those dreams out loud can help us achieve them. 

One way we can do that at work is through the group appreciation exercise Discover and Dream. For this activity, ask each employee to share his or her most valued strength. 

For example, Bill says he’s very disciplined. He always arrives at meetings prepared and ready to participate. When given a deadline, the work is submitted on time. Projects are forecasted and updated to keep others focused, as well.

Next, the group asks Bill one question, "Imagine that you are an infinitely disciplined person. What can you do now?” 

When Bill is prompted to consider a scenario where he's infinitely disciplined, he can envision a more successful version of himself. He now has the time to implement new projects, attend that new training seminar to learn new skills, and spend more time enjoying his favorite hobby. This type of visualization exercise allows him to see his potential success,  rather than the failures that come with constructive criticism. 

Discover and Dream was utilized by a 2,500-person company I worked with and aimed to help executive-level employees focus on their most positive accomplishments. Immediately after completing the exercise, high-performing employees felt more motivated to exceed their performance expectations.

Sure, it might feel weird to call your coworker Dopey or score someone’s work the same way you would your favorite restaurant. And that’s the point. Appreciation exercises are meant to be fun so the practice of giving and receiving feedback feels comfortable. And while they aren't meant to solve every performance issue that arises, they are able to create a work culture where employees feel good not just about themselves, but also their job, coworkers, and supervisors.

If this topic resonated and you'd like to talk about it together on your podcast, let me know!

This 1 Unconventional Relationship Is The Key To Creating Lasting Connections

When you meet someone new, you form a specific type of relationship. That person becomes a partner, friend, business acquaintance, or simply someone you never see again.

Angela and I met at a four-month personal development course. Then, coincidentally, we became colleagues. Through working together, we got to know each other well and realized we had a lot in common.

We noticed the relationship moving in a particular direction, but we didn’t know what to call it. It was clear we were friends—definitely more than most colleagues—but we also worked together.

So we decided to call our relationship a “developmental relationship.” Though this term already existed in some capacity, we wanted to create a unique definition for what it meant to us. 

We agreed that developmental relationships are special because each person helps the other grow through emotional support. When nurtured properly, they can create lasting, mutually beneficial connections. 

Developmental relationships are not simply “coaching,”—and they’re more than just friendships.  

A true developmental relationship has certain attributes:

• Warmth: The people in a developmental relationship genuinely enjoy spending time with each other.

• Transparency: Developmental relationships provide the ability to communicate and collaborate with genuine candor.

• Witnessing: The ability to connect with your partner without judgment.

• Discomfort: Both parties are constantly focused on “edges,” or flaws (both their own and the other person’s).

• Rapid personal development: Your developmental partner allows you to see edges that you do not see.

Much like coaching relationships, developmental relationships are growth-focused. But unlike coaching, developmental relationships are about the growth of both parties because each person freely offers life advice to the other. Developmental relationships are always among peers, while only some coaching relationships fall into that category.

Similar to friendships, people in developmental relationships care deeply about each other, enjoy spending time together, and provide a feeling of safety for both parties. But developmental relationships can be extremely demanding, even uncomfortable or excruciatingly painful, which doesn't happen very often in friendships.

In healthy developmental relationships, each person holds the other accountable—no matter what. 

Developmental relationships typically involve some degree of hurt and anger. These feelings are normal and expected because the relationships are about exposing edges, with the end goal of smoothing them out. They're focused on self-improvement. 

Most of the time, we can’t see our edges. We’re blind to the unhealthy, unconscious behaviors we exhibit. But through developmental relationships, we get another's point of view and become more self-aware. This is why developmental relationships are so transformative, but also potentially painful. As edges are exposed, people feel hurt, vulnerable, and even angry.

It's completely natural to feel that way.

But behavioral guidelines must first be set and agreed upon by both people to avoid more pain than necessary. Most importantly, each person must confirm that they're ready and willing to accept constructive feedback about their personality before proceeding with the relationship. 

In an effort to prepare for emotionally-distressing situations, each person should discuss these questions with their developmental partner: 

1. How can we ensure we act respectfully, even when we’re angry at each other?

2. How do we ensure we recognize when we trigger each other?

3. How can we best support each other through uncomfortable moments?

Before committing to our developmental relationship, I admitted to Angela that I’m a fairly insecure person. I told her I’d constantly be checking in with her to reflect on my insecurities and to check on the status of our relationship. I’ll often ask her, “Is everything okay, or are we pulling away from each other because the pain is too great?” 

While the pain is often quite strong, we both feel it’s worth fighting through. Because we honestly believe that, through our developmental relationship, we can realize more personal progress in a week than we would be able to otherwise in a year. 

If you’re interested in establishing a developmental relationship with someone, know the key to creating a lasting connection is to make a commitment to each other—and the relationship—no matter what. 

Once that mutual promise has been made, the door for an everlasting bond is open. 

If this topic resonated and you'd like to talk about it together on your podcast, let me know!

The Key To Success Is Much More Simple Than Most Realize

When I started my career in my 20s, I was completely focused on feeling accomplished, being well-respected, and making money. 

But by the time I became an agile coach 13 years later, all I cared about was money. 

For a while, I aimed to look exclusive by sending notices when I was available and choosing my clients based on the highest pay rate. It didn’t matter what the work was, whether or not I was happy, or if I was making a measurable impact.

After several miserable projects working this way, I realized I cared about more than money.

Now, decades later, I view success differently. Ninety percent of my professional decisions are not about money—they’re about the impact I can have. I frequently volunteer my services and work with low-income clients because, to me, that’s where I can have the largest influence. For example, while working on the Path to Coaching program, I was paid $30/hour—well below my standard rate. 

Today, money doesn’t carry as much weight as it once did because I’m helping thousands of people. To me, that alone is success. 

What does personal success look like to you? 

Defining the key to success for yourself means being specific, strategic, and intentional in your process. 

I would probably still be making ridiculous money while being miserable if I hadn’t stopped and asked myself, “Wait, what actually makes me happy?” 

When I noticed in my 20s that taking a job that paid well—but didn’t make an impact—wasn’t making me feel successful, I developed a checklist to sort out my priorities. I figured out the rate to charge clients so I could still make rent and pay bills. And I also learned what the trade-off in my own happiness was for taking lower-paid work that helped more people. 

But I had to sit down and take the time to intentionally specify what was and wasn’t worth it to me. 

If you’re finding yourself at a similar crossroads, try this exercise to help sort out your definition of success: 

• Ask yourself, “What really matters to me?” Be ruthless and demanding of yourself with this answer.

• Ask yourself, “Why?” five times after your initial answer. If you were to say, “What really matters to me is to have a million dollars in the bank,” then you would need to answer “why” to that statement. You may reply, “Because I want to have a Ferrari.” Why? “I want to go to the club and have all sorts of people talk to me.” And so on and so forth until we’ve reached the core point of your initial answer—you really want love in your life, close personal relationships, or a romantic connection. And one way to do that might be to have a million dollars, get a Ferrari, and go to clubs.

• Write down what you truly want. This is now your intention. With that as your key focus, you can begin to craft a plan to successfully get there.

By knowing your deepest intentions, you’ll suddenly have a wealth of options in front of you—and not all of them will be tied to money. And when you’re not focusing on only one particular path to success, you’ll find there are endless ways to achieve what you want.  

Taking practical steps toward that success is entirely up to you.

Again, we come back to specificity and intention. 

Moving forward along the path to success doesn’t come without taking a few steps on your own, and it certainly doesn’t happen overnight. So you need to break things into actionable portions. 

Start by writing down three to five things you want to accomplish over the next six to twelve months. This helps you know your immediate goals. But you then want to journal about those goals every morning. Meaning you write one or two sentences on your thoughts, who can help you accomplish those goals, or what you’ve done recently to see progress. 

I also encourage you to look at what successful people have done in their career paths and take notes. Map the patterns of success and find a way to apply them to your own actions. 

Whatever your definition of success is, being intentional and taking the right steps can help you achieve it. What exactly those steps are, what your unique path looks like, will differ. Along the way, simply look for a sense of achievement and fulfillment—those feelings usually mean you’re on a journey of self-defined success.   

If this topic resonated and you’d like to talk about it together on your podcast, let me know!

A Simple, But Gross, Way To Evaluate Individual Performance On Agile Teams

Last year a CEO said to me, "I would really, really like to understand the individual performance of people on agile teams."

This is a question that is anathema in the agile community. It's all about the team.

Mighty thinkers, like the Poppendiecks, have struggled mightily with this question.

It turns out that there is a simple, but gross, way to answer this question. As an added bonus you get to revisit your college algebra.

Recall that a system of linear equations can be solved using techniques that you learned in high school algebra:

(1) x + y = 100

(2) x = 30

From these two equations, we know that y=70.

How does this solve the individual performance question? Imagine that there is a Scrum team with two people, x and y. In the first Sprint, they work together to produce 100 units of value. This is represented by equation 1. In the second Sprint, person y is on vacation and person x alone produces 30 units of value. This is represented by equation 2.

This concept can be applied to any team that is organized in any way[1]. It does not only apply to Scrum teams. The only requirement is that there must be a quantitative measure of value. The measure can be velocity or dollars or a KPI or something derived from an OKR. You get to choose. It could even be how happy the team is feeling on a scale of 1 to 50.

When you do this in practice you will find that the system of equations will be overdetermined. This simply means that there are more equations (Sprints or periods of time over which the data is collected) than there are unknowns (people). The standard approach, which you learned in college algebra, is to use the least squares method to find the "best" solution. Think of least squares as an objective function over the set of solutions.

Here is an example:

(1) x + y + z = 100

(2) x + y + 0.9z = 80

(3) x + y = 75

(4) x + y + z = 110

Here is how to read these equations:

(1) In the first Sprint, the three-person team produced 100 units of value.

(2) In the second Sprint, person z was out 10% of the time and the three-person team produced 80 units of value.

(3) In the third Sprint, person z was out the entire Sprint and the team produced 75 units of value.

(4) In the fourth Sprint, the three-person team produced 110 units of value.

The GRG Nonlinear solving method in Excel Solvr produces the following solution to this system of equations when minimizing the squared error:

x = 36.7

y = 36.7

z = 24.6

This solution can be read qualitatively as follows:

(1) Person x and person y are equally valuable on this team.

(2) Person z produces approximately one third less value than person x (and y) on this team.

I have never shared this approach with a client but I have used it to inform my coaching. The usual result is shocking: Not only are there people who are many times more valuable on a particular team than other people, but I often find that some people are contributing negative value!

This insight alone is enough to drive increases in agility at Fortune 500 companies over many eons.

[1] You may know someone who objects to using linear equations to capture team performance. They may suggest that equations of the form x+y+xy are a better model. The concept described in this article still applies but the math is harder and you will need to use a more capable solver. For ultimate expressive power apply machine learning techniques. Or the person may object to using math to capture team performance. That is an opportunity to be curious.

Everything You Need To Know About Pay For Agile Coaches (But Were Too Afraid To Ask)

Compensation is the one thing everyone is afraid to talk about, no matter the industry or specialization.

People worry about repercussions—being fired, not being paid, being shamed for asking for too much or too little—even if those potential “punishments” don’t exist. And even if they don't fear backlash, talking about salaries and pay-rates is still largely considered taboo. 

We don’t talk about it, so that must mean we shouldn’t.    

But the only way to break the cycle is to start talking. So last year, I met with five fellow agile coaches in San Francisco to discuss trends and growth in our field. We looked at the demand for our services, how companies were utilizing them, and what groups are helped or hindered by our work. We also made a point to transparently report on average pay. 

Given that agile coaching and Scrum are new fields—and some of the fastest growing in the world—it’s critical that coaches old and new understand how their industry is changing and what that means for their compensation. 

If you're looking for a buddy in agile to compare notes with, here's everything you need to know about pay for agile coaching:

Agile coaches are wildly in-demand.

Every year, LinkedIn publishes a list of the “Most Promising Jobs.” In 2017, Scrum Master (a title frequently interchanged with agile coach) appeared as #10 on the list. In 2019, it remains in the same spot, with a reported median base salary of $103,000 and year-over-year growth of 67% in job openings. 

For context, Data Scientist is at the top of this year’s list with a median base salary of $130,000 and a year-over-year growth of 56%. 

In short: the need for agile coaches is increasing faster every year than the most promising position from the last three years. 

Early in 2018, one of the coaches from our meeting was contacted by two of the biggest management consulting firms in the US. The first was hiring 20 agile coaches, and the second was hiring “more agile coaches than the recruiter had ever seen before.”

Whatever that second number may have truly been, it’s not an over-exaggeration. 

While the demand for coaches continues to steadily increase each year, the number of trained coaches stays the same—there are currently only approximately 150 Scrum Alliance Certified Agile Coaches.

The catch is, no one knows how long that demand will last.

The rise of agile coaching has been steadily increasing since the global financial crisis of 2007–2008. 

In the U.S., the stock market has skyrocketed in the decade after the crisis, going on the longest bull run in history. During the boom, the tech sector was the main beneficiary, and today, all of the top five publicly-traded companies by market cap are tech-related.

It’s no coincidence then, given that most agile coaches specialize in tech, that the need for agile coaches has increased with the increase in tech companies.  

But at some point, this feverish pace will slow.

One aspect that may cause a slowdown is the entry of management consultants into the Scrum space. While this is currently serving to bolster the market, it will almost certainly weaken it over time. Because if a company is willing to accept “coaching” from a management consultant, that instantly brings thousands of consultants into the agile coaching market.

Another aspect is that the transition from the industrial age to the digital age will only occur once. Consider the startups in Silicon Valley that are “born agile” and have sharply different needs than legacy firms. 

As demand fluctuates, it will be on agile coaches to adapt—and part of this is understanding what to charge clients.

Pay for agile coaches varies based on contract, location, and industry.

In an effort to promote transparency in our developing field, my fellow agile coaches and I charted various reported salaries and pay rates from data we collected. In doing so, we found that: 

• The lowest rate a contract agile coach made in our data set was $85/hour working as a contractor with a health insurance company. The highest pay was $5K/day.

• For a full time agile coach, a $200K salary with a 25% annual bonus and a $10K signing bonus is top of the range.

• Location impacted pay significantly. The highest rates were in San Francisco and Silicon Valley, and the lowest were in Midwestern states like Iowa.

• Limited data was available for international agile coach compensation, but we found that $85/hour Canadian dollars (about $63 USD) was the average rate for independent coaches in Canada with cities like Toronto paying the best in the country. In Europe independent agile coaches earn approximately $1,000 euros (about $1,120 US dollars) per day.

When evaluating pay and demand, it’s important to remember that nothing is guaranteed. 

The market for agile coaches is rapidly changing which creates an uncertain future. 

My fellow agile coaches and I predicted that during the next U.S. recession there will be a massive shakeout of independent agile coaches. Only two groups will survive: the coaches who have personal brands and the lowest-cost coaches.

Our goal after meeting was to provide clear, verifiable, high-quality data with minimal interpretation or opinion so everyone could make decisions about their careers. We plan to continue building the largest and highest-quality database of agile coaching compensation. So, if you would like to contribute, please complete this form. 

The more we all participate in transparency together, the more we can help coaches ensure they are fairly compensated. 

How Expanding Your Circle Of Awareness Is An Effective Business Exercise

You might be miserable at work because you don’t know what makes you happy.

Hear me out. Professional self-awareness means knowing your own feelings and needs—knowing how you work best, what your goals are, and what accomplishments make you happiest. Listening to those needs and acting on them will make you feel more connected to the work you do every day.

But ignoring, or worse, glossing over them, can lead to misery.

This happens to people constantly. We’re taught from a young age to follow what others expect from us—listen to the teacher, parents, and babysitter. Then it becomes “listen to the boss” and we lose ourselves. We learn our wants and needs don’t really matter. People end up working in situations they hate but have no idea what they’d rather be doing. They’ve never taken time to ask themselves those crucial questions.

Because few people realize they can follow their own passions.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, in agile coaching, everything is done by invitation. We don’t insist anyone listen to us, we ask them if they want to. So, when I’m working with clients stuck in their own misery, it’s crucial I start with, “What do you like?” If their answer is, “I don’t know,” we use that as our starting point. Together, we begin to build their self-awareness.

Because being aware of your wants, needs, and desires will help you find genuine happiness at work, making you more engaged and productive in the long-term.

But first, you have to know what actionable self-awareness looks like.

In their book, Emotional Intelligence 2.0, Travis Bradbury and Jean Greaves discuss the critical importance of having a high level of emotional understanding in the workplace.

A low emotional intelligence, or “EQ,” could lead to defensive behavior at work or getting chewed up by your own emotions. You may not understand why you feel a certain way, or why a working relationship isn’t functioning well. All of that frustration and despair can build up and cause problems, such as snapping at coworkers, lashing out, or using anger to try and control a situation.

A high EQ, on the other hand, helps you successfully manage your own emotions as well as your working relationships with success.

Bradbury and Greaves break emotional intelligence into four categories. Successfully growing in each looks slightly different, but is equally crucial to your long-term happiness. For example:

• Internal Self-Awareness: You know how you feel. This is at the core of all other EQ tasks or skills—without it, you can accomplish little.

• Self-Management: You know how to manage your emotions and positively direct your behavior. You understand your mental and emotional needs for your work environment and know how to ask they be met by your employer.

• Social awareness: You empathize easily with your coworkers and their needs. You are able to engage in conversations of varying intensities with a great degree of social grace.

• Relationship management: You understand the emotions of your coworkers and how to work well with others in any given situation.

Those all sound like attributes of a happy, well-rounded, emotionally adjusted coworker, right? But no one walks into a room fully self-aware and ready to roll.

It takes hard work and a willingness to look closely at your own needs.

The first step to developing an acute EQ and improved self-awareness is digging deep into your own self.

For a lot of people, this is going to be uncomfortable—scary even. Remember: we’ve all been trained to gloss over our own needs in favor of what we’re told to do and who we’re expected to follow. Suddenly ripping away that protective layer to follow your own direction is terrifying.  

To ease the fear, arm yourself with knowledge. Make your needs and happiness an exam you can’t afford to fail—literally. Taking personality tests can help do more than kill time on a slow work day. Assessments like Meyers-Briggs and the Enneagram aren’t foolproof science, but they can provide insights into aspects of your personality you may miss on your own.  

For example, according to the Meyers-Briggs test, I’m an ISFJ, also known as The Defender. This means I’m sensitive but analytical, reserved, but good with people. Essentially, I’m just the right collection of letters to be an agile coach, but without knowing myself, I may have ended up on an entirely different career path.

After you’ve done the work, take notes and have them ready.

A “User Manual” for managing you as an employee can be a huge asset both for your own self-awareness and your employer.

And this doesn’t have to be an actual full-on 50 page PDF. It can be one page with a few bullet points that address your work style, your values, your growing edge, etc.  

For example, my user manual tells my current or future colleagues that I most value inner peace, stability, and openness, while also alerting them that when I am the most frustrated, I can lash out emotionally. Now, that’s a seriously vulnerable thing to tell someone you work with. Fear of judgment may make people less likely to take a risk like that.

But without taking risks, you can’t grow. You can’t create the best possible space for your own progress. And the whole point of developing self-awareness is to do better for yourself. The more you understand yourself, the better chance you have of being in situations where you can thrive—with or without a user manual.