Bringing Calm to the Busy
Photo by Kristina D. C. Hoeppner
In coaching 20+ agile teams, I've found myself struggling to keep a sustainable pace, but I had an "a-ha" moment a month ago--coaches need to build slack time into their calendars. Each morning I looked at my calendar and saw my time double- and triple-booked; I tried to visit 6-8 teams each week and found myself nearly running from one conference room to another. Sitting in a sprint planning meeting for Team A but still thinking about the grooming session I just saw with Team B--yikes! My brain was becoming a blur as thoughts of dysfunctions I noticed swirled around, and I wasn't giving myself time to really think about what I was observing and discuss my observations with the teams. It was tiring. Exhaustion is not a status symbol.
The goal is not for me to stay busy--quite the opposite, in fact. The goal is for the agile teams and organization to become mature enough to sustain themselves without me, and the way I can help that happen is by being fully present with the team when I am with them. I allot myself time between meetings so I can gather my thoughts and even have conversations with team members that aren't rushed.
I no longer want to belong to the cult of the busy.
