Scrum Alliance Coaching Certifications

Lost in Translation

I saw a somber note from Samantha Sieverling on LinkedIn the other day. She shared that she failed in her Scrum Alliance CTC (Certified Team Coach) certification application.

Now, I know Samantha, very well. I know her coaching skills. I’ve recommended her for coaching jobs at the enterprise level. I’d even go so far as to say that I know her heart and mindset.

I believe Samantha is qualified to be a CTC and a CEC.

Below is my reply on LinkedIn—

Samantha,

Something has happened within the Scrum Alliances coaching certifications over the last decade or so. The focus, value, and relevancy of the programs have lost their luster.

I’ve literally had 10s and 10s of Agile Coaches reach out to me after they’ve bounced off of the CTC and CEC certifications. In nearly all these cases, I felt these folks were incredibly solid and experienced coaches that deserved the certifications. As a CEC Emeritus, I’d like to think that I have some insights into those capabilities.

In fact, these ongoing discussions led me to write this piece in 2021 - https://www.agile-moose.com/blog/2020/11/29/agile-coaching-i-have-a-dream

I also reached out to SA leadership and board members trying to explain that somehow, they had lost their way in evaluating Agile Coaches and Coaching. That they were leaving incredibly qualified individuals behind because their review criteria were dated and skewed.

I’d hoped that it was getting better…that they were getting closer to the dream I laid out in 2021. Given your obvious experience and competency, they clearly have not rebalanced themselves and remain lost.

This is sort of the final straw for me. I can no longer recommend or support their certification(s). This realization also makes me incredibly sad for our profession and our clients.

For you personally—you don’t need letters to define you as a coach. In my eyes. You are and Extraordinarily Badass Agile Coach. Period!

So, what happened?

First, I don’t want to blame the volunteers evaluating her capabilities for certification. I’m sure they simply follow the guidelines and rules laid out as part of the process.

Second, I know that Samantha’s coaching skills aren’t perfect. And she probably didn’t meet all the criteria for the certification.

But to the first point, I want to challenge the dynamics of the Scrum Alliance’s coaching certifications—the criteria, the guidelines, and the process as dated, biased, and flawed.

And I do want to weigh in that Samantha Seiverling IS qualified to be a CTC. I would highly recommend her for that level of coaching competency AND beyond. It’s an absolute travesty that the Scrum Alliance certification process didn’t see it that way.

Lost its way

You see, I feel the Scrum Alliance has lost its way in supporting Agile Coaching at a certification level and in general. In two words I don’t think they organizationally understand or respect it.

Their business model has always been certifications-training- revenue first. That skews everything toward training over coaching. However, the gap in effectively supporting both was relatively narrow in the distant past. There was an even-handedness to it.

However, the coaching side of the equation has become much less respected over time.

How do I you know this, Bob?

Because I’ve seen it from the inside. In discussions with CSTs and with Scrum Alliance leadership. Over time, there has been a diminishment of support for and policies around the certified coaches. Talk to any CTC and CEC about the supporting role the Scrum Alliance has for them. They’ll tell you that it’s been minimal at best. In general, it’s not the Alliance that is the support structure but the emergent community itself.

Going forward

I’ve tried to influence awareness and change on the part of the Scrum Alliance. However, they appear to be doubling down strategically on the training side of the equation, which is their prerogative.

But, as I said in my reply to Samatha, I’m done supporting their coaching programs as skill-balanced, real-world-relevant, and unbiased.

IMHO: No matter how they approach it in the future, until they reflect and completely refactor their Agile Coaching direction, the Scrum Alliance cannot and should not teach, certify, or even imply that they understand the art and craft of Agile Coaching. Put simply, they do not.

I would strongly encourage my Agile Coaching colleagues looking for a meaningful and relevant coaching certification to look elsewhere. While harsh, it’s sad but true!

Stay agile, my friends,

Bob.

---

Whatever your role or experience, life in the agile space can be challenging today. Having someone to serve as your coach, as a sounding board, be a truthteller, and become a trusted partner on tap to leverage during those tricky bits can be helpful. That’s precisely where Agile Moose can help you.

We’re not just an Agile Coach, but a business domain expert, a personal advisor, an organizational design and development consultant, and a leadership coach and partner.

The moose brings over 35 years of technical and product leadership experience across a broad range of contexts. If you’re stuck and know it, reach out, as I can help.