I read this article/post by Oluf Nissen.
https://www.agile-clarity.com/blog/2024/08/05/reflecting-on-the-agile-2024-conference/
Here’s a snippet that inspired this post—
But there was a whole keynote panel dedicated to Reimagining Agile, and the discussion ranged far and wide. Hopefully the whole session will be made available on the Agile Alliance website soon. Two messages stood out to me: The format may change, but the content stays (largely) the same – think about the original Star Wars movie, which changed formats many times: Original Theatrical Release, VHS tape, Laser Disc, DVD, Blu-ray, Streaming. Incidentally, the room was polled about how many people saw the original in 1977 (a veiled way of establishing what age people in the room were), and then how many people were under 30. The difference in hands going up was stark. Later, that fact led one panelist to wonder about how we would “pass the torch” to the next generation, which also stood out to me. I wonder if the responsibility for that falls on the agile community, elsewhere, or if it requires partnership(s)? How do other professions “pass the torch”?
The term, passing the torch, really resonated with me.
My efforts
I wrote about this in 2022, exploring my intent to begin passing the torch to the next set of public speakers.
My pro-bono mentoring
My intentional pairing on nearly all of my workshops. Not only am I pairing, but I’m hoping that these folks will begin to teach the workshops on their own terms.
https://rgalen.com/agile-training-news/2017/5/7/pair-coaching
https://rgalen.com/agile-training-news/2020/6/21/pair-coaching-redux
The increased awareness of my privilege and sharing it.
https://www.agile-moose.com/blog/2020/12/19/the-privilege-of-my-agile-coaching
https://www.agile-moose.com/blog/2024/2/14/privilege-awareness
To bring it personally home, I paired with my daughter Rhiannon, hoping she might pick up some of my legacy.
https://www.agile-moose.com/blog/2020/9/28/some-things-are-more-important-than-agile
https://www.agile-moose.com/blog/2023/11/18/what-would-i-tell-my-younger-self
https://www.agile-moose.com/blog/2019/4/7/what-is-your-legacy
Responsibility
It also dawned on me that a part of my laser focus on my legacy needs to be an intentional effort to “pass the torch.”
I want to suggest a supplement to all of our agile coaching ethics initiatives. That is—
Agile Coaches, Change Agents, and Thought Leaders should all be responsible for passing the torch to the next generation. To invest the time and effort to—
Coach and mentor individuals in their pursuit of agile understanding and excellence.
Share experiences and stories of historical successes from your learning journey.
Share who you have learned from and whose shoulders you are standing upon to inspire a sustained appreciation for those who’ve come before us.
Help others to contribute to the community by mentoring their writing, speaking, and influencing skills.
We are pairing as often as possible.
Share your privileges and platforms with as many as possible to offer a “helping hand” on their journeys.
Wrapping Up
I highly recommend reading Olaf’s entire article. While it reviews the recent Agile Alliance—Agile 2024 conference—it contains some solid general observations and insights.
As you’ve read this, I hope I’ve inspired you to become more aware of your responsibility to pass the torch to the next generation. Importantly, this is not about age or years of experience. It’s about our innate responsibility to share what we’ve learned in building a lasting legacy.
Stay agile, my friends,
Bob.
