During an interview for a book on Internal Agile Coaches, I was asked to describe in 150 words how I started my journey in this profession. This was quite a challenge for me, as I’ve been told that I tend to go into too much detail when telling a story, something I’ve been actively working on improving.
So, it seemed like a good opportunity to kick off this blog, a project I’ve wanted to start for a while. What has held me back is that I almost entirely delegated it to my inner saboteur, and it played its role perfectly.
The path that led me to the constant learning involved in Agile Coaching began with events that set me on the route of Agility…
150 words? Nowhere near…
While working for a company of around 150 people, the company’s CEO brought up the idea of implementing Scrum across all teams. I vividly remember him showing us a 7-minute video summarizing the framework; he took on the role of Scrum Master for all teams and gave the go-ahead… Scrum Away!!
Soon after, he realized he wasn’t the most suitable person to be the Scrum Master and opened the possibility for someone within the company to take on the role. I had been growing within the company and was someone they regularly turned to when there was a problem to solve, which was a great motivator for me.
However, my day-to-day tasks had been taking me away from supporting other teams, and my level of satisfaction with the tasks I had wasn’t the best. My supervisor skillfully pointed this out, and I’ll always be grateful to her for planting that doubt in my mind.
So, as soon as I heard the CEO’s announcement, I did what was needed. I Googled “Scrum Master” and immediately volunteered for the new role. The boss thought it was a good idea and gave me the opportunity to prepare for the role.
From Scrum Master to Agile Coach
As my role evolved, we realized that one person couldn’t be the only Scrum Master for the 10 teams we had at that time, spanning from Software Development to Graphic Design.
Eventually, we managed to have a Scrum Master in each team, which led me to work with multiple teams simultaneously on their Agile implementation. That’s when I realized I needed to acquire additional tools and skills to provide the support the company needed.
While I was figuring out the path I should take, I had the opportunity to work as a volunteer with the Scrum Alliance on the Coaching Advisory Team. This helped me get to know other professional coaches and agilists, giving me a much broader perspective of possibilities that gradually became my path to growing as an Agile Coach.
What I value the most in this entire adventure is all those people around the world who have accompanied me in some way and from whom I’ve learned an incredible amount. With them, I share common goals like creating a Latin American community of Agile Coaching. Others have invited me to share my experiences at their events or challenged me to be bolder and trust my abilities.
Clearly, I wasn’t going to make it in 150 words, but here’s the story. In the upcoming posts, I’ll share the experiences I’ve gained on this journey, hoping to contribute some value to others and, above all, start a conversation that helps us grow together.
See you…
Agile506 