Walking with Clients on their Agile Journey
Photo by Tusela
Early in my consulting career, I was working with some colleagues at a client organization, and we’d heard a rumor that an agile coach from another company—a competitor—was going to come in and present a lunch and learn. My mentor gathered us together and asked what we thought. There was anxiety in the room. And my mentor went on to explain why this was not something to fear, and our anxieties vanished. That was a pivotal conversation for us all.
When you have a mindset of scarcity, a competitor is seen as a threat. Someone will win, and the other person will lose. I’ve witnessed rivalries and politics play out in organizations; clients lose trust when consultants turn their organization into a battlefield. It adds unnecessary conflict and distraction to the complex work we were brought in to do.
The alternative is a mindset of abundance. There are plenty of opportunities for everyone to flourish. I often work with agile coach-consultants from other companies, and I love when we set aside the names on our badges to bring our collective strengths to bear. I learn from them, and they learn from me. One told me I was one of the best things to happen to his career in years because of the work we did together and then went on to present at conferences.
Moreover, clients often join me when I attend classes where we can learn together from respected experts. I love introducing them to others in the agile community because it helps them recognize their journey progress more clearly, and we can dream up how to apply what we’ve learned together in their organization. They connect with other practitioners and share their experiences. In some cases, my clients have presented at conferences and inspired people with their stories. I love seeing them grow professionally and personally through those opportunities.
Our Dallas agile community continues to benefit from the experiences and connections we’ve created. There’s a cool learning opportunity coming up that will be hosted at American Airlines Skyview 7 building, and I am thrilled to see this class coming to the Dallas area: the Modern Agile workshop. Industrial Logic is bringing their 3-day training to explore the four guiding principles of Modern Agile—principles that were distilled from what exceptional organizations do to create happy workplaces and produce brilliant outcomes. I hope others in the community are able to take advantage of this great opportunity.
