Scrum Training today is available in many different flavors and formats around the world.
People are always debating the values of “certification” and this will be an endless discussion. While everyone is having these discussions (yawn to me), I continue to travel the world training people on Scrum. And other agile techniques. I also *use* this stuff daily to run my company (more on this in another posting) and coach individuals to help us both keep improving our skills.
Welcome back to the ImplementingScrum site. If this is your first time here, take a peek around. There is a TON of information here. This site has been around for almost five years now, and while some of the ways I implement techniques today are different (they keep improving) the comic strips here usually start some good conversations.
So I selected one of the most popular and un-politically-correct comic strips from a posting I published a LONG time ago (take a look at it here — cute, and wow that was so long ago in this internet age we live in today). I have mostly been using things like Twitter and FaceBook (and others) to get information out — but also realize this channel of communicating with people (via the blog) is important… so it is [again] restarting with more postings of my [possible rants] in the future!
And. I titled this blog posting pretty provocatively.
I know the combination of un-politically-correct and provocative will help open conversations. Who knows what kind of conversations, but hey that is up to you!
THAT is the important thing with this blog. People either love it or hate it, but talk about it.
So… Let’s bring that to the topic of “Certified Scrum Training – Debunking the Bullshit.”
This should be fun, huh? I figure if you are still with me than you are wondering why this is important.
I am a Certified Scrum Trainer and that is a trademarked name from the Scrum Alliance, the body that certifies people who have taken my class as Certified ScrumMasters.
It does not certify competency. It cannot. OK… Like it or leave it, that’s an established fact (that people will debate!).
It does certify people who have taken the workshop have paid their money, the Certified Scrum Trainer has paid the Scrum Alliance a $50.00 fee so that they can take the assessment and become members (all Certified Scrum Trainers must do that). And you can do a lot more with the Scrum Alliance — and should. Here is some good background information from the Scrum Alliance FAQ that tells you how to move forward with them after you are a Certified ScrumMaster.
There are still a limited number of Certified Scrum Trainers in the world. The market is showing that there is still a pretty strong demand for this type of Certification. Why is there a demand? People want it (possibly not the people taking the workshop — could be their bosses or organizations are forcing them to attend or organizations want to send one person expecting that the newly Certified ScrumMaster can train the rest of the organization). All of those statements are up for debate, and will always be debated.
Fine.
Move on with the debate.
So if it is so controversial, why do I do it?
I LOVE teaching this workshop. I have fun. I learn. Every time. Every place.
Here is a current description of what it is like to take the workshop with me… www.michaelvizdos.com/experiential-csm.
It has evolved (and will continue after each workshop, as no one is ever the same).
People who have taken the Certified ScrumMaster Training Workshop with me are usually satisfied. I know I cannot solve problems for all of the attendees — that is not the purpose.
The purpose of the Certified ScrumMaster Training Workshop that people attend with me today (and remember it continues to evolve) is to learn about Scrum in an experiential way. They should be able to answer questions about Scrum on their own by the end of the two days — using the framework and experiences from attending.
People who attend my Certified ScrumMaster Training Workshop receive a lot of value — because it is an environment where people can learn (from me and mostly the other attendees). My training is different than any other Certified Scrum Trainer. It should be (other organizations disagree and that is OK).
I also tell every attendee that this will not make them experts at being a ScrumMaster, Product Owner, or Team Member.
In fact, I now understand that each individual will walk out at the end of the two days latching onto only one or two things that we discussed AND that fits into their current world paradigm (it used to bug me, now it does not).
Wow.
Two days… and only one or two key things (that was said and they heard what they wanted to hear).
Is this cutting through the bullshit of debates and bla bla bla out there about Scrum Certification?
I am sure there is SO much more that can (and will be) said on this topic. Like I said up front, this is a provocative and controversial topic.
And the purpose of this blog over the years has evolved into learning about how to have tough conversations about Software Development.
Yes… Scrum can be used outside of Software Development (another topic for later again!!) but here’s the thing…
Talk about this stuff all you want.
Get out there and practice it.
Thank you!
Looking forward to hearing comments, suggestions, and ideas on here, in FaceBook, GooglePlus, or however else you want.
Talk.
But do.
Go….
So many changes, yet so many things still stay the same.
With Scrum, and Scrum Teams, similar things can also be said.
Take for instance this blog posting about Scrum and Social Networking.
Over three years ago, the social networking thing was just catching on.
Five years ago, twitter did not exist (or about a dozen people were using it). Facebook is now a huge. LinkedIn has gone public. Plaxo.. well… um… I am not even sure this is running anymore (for me at least).
This is one of the first postings from me you have seen in a while on ImplementingScrum.com.
Why?
Well… as technology has changed so have my habits of communicating information (and maybe yours?).
My habits today include posting things on my personal FaceBook Page; however, like a lot of you who mix business and personal stuff… things got out of control (again… perhaps this has happened to you?). I recently created a new FaceBook Page for me as “VizdosEnterprises” – this clean-up has helped me keep my friends as friends and now people who are really connected to me as a company well, as a professional. You can follow my future world travels there. It’s how we communicate today, so please feel free to “like” it!
I am on twitter a lot as mvizdos and tweeting lots of random information. Eventually I may separate out that to business stuff too. But I also know that twitter is for small stuff that is at the moment. And it comes from “me” still (smile). On that note… I’ll remind you of the power of Twitter and relationships some time in the future.
LinkedIn is powerful — I am still not utilizing it enough.
Which brings us back to this blog. It has been around for almost five years and has gone through many iterations and changes.
The fact remains that people love the cartoons (or hate them… and that’s OK with me too).
They are making a difference.
So.
I will continue to examine some of the older comic strips on this site and re-write some new ideas on the topics. Maybe even create some new ones (smile). I’d also invite you to let me know if you want to write a guest posting.
You are a member of a worldwide group of people who really care about making a difference.
Let’s continue doing that.
So… you’ll see me in social media and you’ll start seeing more postings here with the comic strips.
Because that what this site is about.
Comic strips about Scrum and starting difficult conversations. Like this one… may not seem difficult to you (or important), but I thought it would be good to get stuff into the open with you.
Let’s see where we go from here.
Until then, enjoy this comic strip.
And.
Think about how all these changes can be applied in your Scrum world today?
I am about to possibly rock your world — or the organizations around you.
Welcome back to yet another week at www.implementingscrum.com. I appreciate all the comments from the last posting and comic strip, and it feels good for me to get back into posting the comics and new thoughts.
It seems like you enjoy them too (thank you).
If you ARE in this situation, start the difficult conversations today about how to fix it… and SHARE this posting within your organization.
If you are NOT in this situation, well… count yourself lucky and SHARE this posting with your friends who might be in the following situation!
Is your organization struggling to come up with an “Enterprise Plan” for rolling out Agile [and Scrum in particular]?
I am working with clients today that have a similar problem. I have worked with many many many large [and small] enterprises over the years and have seen many patterns that work. I have also been personally involved with ideas that have failed (and yeah, some were even my ideas).
Here is the number one reason I have seen that “Enterprise Rollouts” of Agile and Scrum FAIL:
They try to implement it too fast and furious.
Does this sound familiar?
Here is some great advice (and I know most people will ignore it AND possibly even disagree with me) for successfully rolling out Agile and Scrum projects:
Start with ONE project.
That’s it. Sound too easy? Hmm… Remember that the easiest and obvious answer may be that way for a reason!
“But Mike,” people say to me.
“WE are different.”
“WE need to get our entire portfolio up and running using Agile and Scrum across the worldwide distributed enterprise so that we can get metrics and tools in place to increase our time to market, lower costs, and make everyone feel like it is a party coming to work every day.”
OK… so the “party” part in that last statement was made up by me (smile). Just making sure you are with me.
The idea that, “We are different” and “we need to do bla bla bla bla” ALL RIGHT NOW will kill your Agile and Scrum implementation.
Don’t believe me?
OK… try it and get back to me. Or… continue down this thread with me….
If you are jumping on the Agile Bandwagon and using Scrum to transform your entire enterprise because “everyone else is now doing it” (yeah… Agile and Scrum have hit mainstream!) here is another word of advice.
STOP.
Right now.
Please.
Remember it took your organization years (and maybe decades) to paint yourself into the corner you are in today. Your organization has probably spent years coming up with incredibly complicated frameworks, processes, or methodologies to get things done. People have been promoted and rewarded for building empires and silos of expertise.
You also know that if you keep doing this, you are screwed.
Because your competitors are now all “Agile” and a lot are using this thing called “Scrum.”
There is still a major failure rate out there using Scrum (and the other Agile techniques).
Why is this?
Organizations — made up of really smart people (usually) — are making one of the greatest and most common mistakes in history… trying to inject too much change at one time.
Remember what happens when you try to do this (on a regular basis even)?
The organization will always always always go back to the way it was.
Dysfunctional.
Comfortable, but Dysfunctional.
AND… just as screwed as before you wanted to start this Enterprise Rollout of Agile and Scrum.
So.
Listen.
PLEASE.
If you are just getting started (or have already been down the path to where now “Scrum” or “Agile” is a bad and forbidden word in your organization) with a Scrum and Agile change management process….
Start with ONE Scrum project.
Get Executive Sponsorship as high up into the organization as possible (they need to take the fire cover for you and will be burning political favors).
Worry about scaling it later.
Otherwise, you’ll be just as comfortably dysfunctional and screwed at the end of the day.
Don’t believe me?
That’s OK.
Your competitors do.
Let me know your thoughts.
I am listening!
Hi all.
I arrive in London Sunday, February 20th and am out on the 23rd. While I be facilitating a Certified ScumMaster Workshop during the day on Monday and Tuesday on Goswell Road, I’d be up for meeting anyone on any evening starting Sunday.
I’ll be at Heathrow on Tuesday night (thinking of staying in that little micro-hotel again!] and then back across the pond to the USA on Wednesday.
Interested in meeting up with me? Think someplace like “The Slaughtered Lamb” (oh what a place… and YES it REALLY exists!).
Let me know!
[also... you can follow me on twitter @mvizdos for even more fun and off-the-wall comments or head to www.michaelvizdos.com and sign up for my e-mail only list there where I chronicle the learnings from all the places I go in the world]
Cheers.
- mike vizdos
Welcome back to yet another week at www.implementingscrum.com.
And yeah, it’s been a long hiatus from my contributions to this site (by the way… for those of you who do not know… my name is Michael Vizdos and I am solely responsible for all content on this blog… it is not a huge corporate entity or machine — it is a way for the two of us to communicate).
So much has changed since starting this site in 2006. Life — both personal and professional — has changed in many ways for me.
What about you?
In trying to figure out how to get things restarted here, I thought this would be an appropriate comic strip (originally posted as http://www.implementingscrum.com/2008/04/21/up-the-creek-without-a-paddle/ years ago).
See… in all the traveling and working (on personal and professional stuff over the past few years)… I have learned that the stuff I write about and post on this site IS important and DOES have an impact.
And.
I stopped paddling. Stopped posting. And kept watching — in amazement and awe — how this site kept growing and growing without me doing anything.
Yikes. I need to step up and start contributing once again.
Much of the “work work” I do today involves training (still — but not as much as the past!) the Certified ScrumMaster Workshop. It is an aweome experience — described as *life changing* by many attendees and has evolved dramatically.
The major shift of this training workshop is because I am seeing that most people in the industry today seem “OK” with Scrum being almost ho-hum-bla-bla-bla (well… maybe except for Jeff Sutherland, who continues to kick my ass to up my game [and probably does not know he has this impact on me]).
Scrum involves a lot of work.
This is where I am spending most of my time with work today — facilitating teams that are having a hard time with keeping the paddle moving against this never-ending tide of change resistance.
Fun stuff for me.
It is failing all over the place now… and there are a lot of blog entries dedicated to writing and discussing this.
Me… I want to focus on the positive.
And the tough stuff.
Professionally I am now at a point where I can — and DO — select my clients (as much as they select me for whatever reasons [which I am extremely grateful for!].
And.
I am really now only selecting to work with people who WANT to be successful with using Scrum — and the other agile techniques that are also required for a successful organizational change to occur.
It takes time.
It does not happen overnight.
I am proof of that (smile).
So… Here I go again.
I’ve looked at myself and have seen and recognized that I “stopped paddling” and well… it had a lot of consequences (both good and bad).
My choice now with this site is to start paddling again and keep pushing things forward.
It starts with you and me. Just two people. We are all that matters to get things going together.
Are you ready to start again with me?
I’ll ask for feedback continually… much like a great ScrumMaster needs to do.
Time to get back in the boat.
Here we go!
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