A few weeks ago, I shared some insights into who I am as a person, and how I ended up on this crazy journey called Agile. In general, everyone loved that I shared things about myself that they didn’t know. But there was one constant comment - “I want to know more about the Agile journey.” So without further ado, here is the next instalment in what I hope does not become a Penny Dreadful. I will leave the drama and intrigue to the true literary writers.

It was a journey of learning, not one of certifications.

Path to Agility

As I mentioned earlier, I spent years doing all of these efficiency and productivity changes with organisations. But I didn’t know until about 10 years ago, that they were tied to a concept that had a manifesto. And I really didn’t start my journey into formal education in this area until 6 years ago.

Why did I pursue formal certifications? Because in the world of information technology, people want to see credentials. And credentials equate to certifications. I had seen it so many times before. In fact, at one point as a hiring manager for government contracts around 2001, I was forbidden from even reviewing a resume of any IT person who did not have at least one Microsoft certification on their resume. This meant that I had to interview a whole lot of people who had paper certifications but didn’t know how to disable a floppy drive (yes we still had those).

Fast forward to 6 years ago, and the internal dialogue I had with myself was a strong one. After all, I had refused (and I do mean refused) to get my PMP. I couldn’t swallow anything that they were selling, or how the IT industry got hoodwinked into forcing people into PMP certifications, when the industry wasn’t even recognised on the application form back in the day.

And if I caved to getting certifications, was I going to turn into the employee I had to let go because he couldn’t think behind the words in the PMBOK and actually make rational decisions for the team? How was I going to reconcile the fact that it was looking more and more necessary for me to take the journey into Agile certifications?

Do I really need certifications?

Well, I started by doing what anyone should do when going on a new adventure. Research the options. After all, remember: I was already doing the things that made the organisations with which I worked more nimble whenever possible. I was only lacking formal education. I didn’t have the vocabulary to put into words what I was doing. And that is how I started the journey.

It was a journey of learning, not one of certifications. And I discovered that the industry as a whole had not fallen into the trap either. Yes, there were certifications at the end of the education journey; but they were not the product of forced boot camps just so you could pass a standardised test. The emphasis was put on the learning.

In many cases, the certifications were based on your performance and demonstrated understanding of the material in the classes. OK, I had found my place. I was learning how to vocalize what I already knew. I was learning new techniques to bring it all together. I was meeting people around the world who shared my vision for a different way of working.

So where did the journey end?

It hasn’t. I went through years of learning and certifications. I attended conferences. I even spoke at a few. And then one year I was at a conference, and a respected mentor made a statement that was like another light bulb for me. “How, after more than 15 years since the Agile Manifesto was published, are we still focusing on ‘tools and processes’ over ‘individuals and interactions’, when the first line of the Manifesto says ‘Individuals and interactions over processes and tools’?”

I pondered that statement for a time. People were talking about it afterward in the hall as it was the closing session. And then one day much later, I was in a conversation and the statement came up again. Without thinking, the answer came out of my mouth - as things are prone to do.

Here’s what I said: We are still on process and tools because that is where the money is. It is easy in our culture to convince people that they need to get people certified. It is easy to demonstrate the use of a tool to help manage work. It is also easy to focus on those two things and not focus on the real work - building high-performing teams.

And that is why I built Agility for All the way I did. I wanted to respond to a need for learning beyond certification classes. Even with my classes, I have had people say that I shared so much information with them that figuring out how to put it all together was mind-boggling.

What next?

I want to be there to support people beyond the certification class, into those moments of real understanding and team culture. I want to bring back the focus to individuals and interactions over processes and tools.

Learn more about the work that we do and the programs that we offer. Set up a call to start planning how you want to change the culture of your organization.

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About the Author:

INDRA A. BOOKS

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