Commit to making the lemonade
Sandy Mamoli often inspires me and it’s happened again. Here’s something Sandy shared on LinkedIn—
Yesterday, I had the privilege of delivering a keynote at the Online Scrum Master Summit 2024 where I explored the topic: “Are we drowning our autonomy in good intentions?”
One of my favorite things is bringing insights from sports into the workplace. In last night’s keynote, I focused on resilience and how adversity is essential for building the resilience needed to achieve elite levels.
Matthew Fitzgerald’s three-step framework is at the core of a champion’s approach:1. Accept Reality: Acknowledge the situation without denial, avoidance, or catastrophizing. Perceive the situation in a way that preserves the ability to make choices. “I got some lemons here.”
2. Embrace Reality: Choose what to do and commit to getting it done. Adjust your strategy, approach, or mindset. “Commit to making that lemonade.”
3. Address Reality: Now, you must act. Be proactive and put in the work. “Make the bloody lemonade!”
I apply this regularly in my personal life and professionally, especially as we face the realities of AI’s advent. While we don’t know exactly how it will impact our work, we know it will be profound.
What does this have to do with Agile Coaching?
Now, let’s shift the focus to Agile Coaching. I think there’s a direct relationship to Matthew’s framework—
Accept Reality
Scrum Master and Agile Coach roles have been disrupted.
Part of the reason is economic, which will eventually recover. But another part is value and impact-based.
Another part is the massive skill and experience dilution from underskilled individuals coming in for the money.
Embrace Reality
Skills, fundamental technical, business domain, and leadership skills are your differentiator.
Life Coaches and Professional coaches are not Agile Coaches.
The disruption is permanent.
Address Reality
You need chops (experience, domain skills, agile skills) to work in agile contexts.
Agile change agent—no imposters allowed.
Move up in being honest with yourself and gaining skills OR move out!
Wrapping Up
In other words—
Anyone who wants to be successful in the agile transformational space, you better freekin’…
Commit to making the Lemonade!
Stay agile and lemony, my agile friends,
Bob.