EverythingYouWantedtoKnowAboutCertifiedAgileLeadership(CAL)

ButWereAfraidtoAsk

BeforeweexplaintheCertifiedAgileLeadership(CAL)program,let’sseewhatpeoplearoundtheworldaresayingaboutitandthesignificantbenefitstheycontinuetoexperience.

TestimonialsFromStudentsAboutTheirCALEducators

JesseFewell,U.S.A.• “Thisisthebestleadershipmeetingwe’vehadallyear”–CIOofU.S.GovernmentAgency• “Thatwassomeofthemostcandidconversationwe’veeverhad(betweentwobranches)”–

BranchChiefofU.S.GovernmentAgency

StefanRoock,Europe• “Ilearnedtobemoreopenforthenewandmorecourageoustryingtheunconventional.NowI

thinkinexperimentswhenitcomestoorganizationalchange.Theclassquestionedmybeliefsandinspiredmythinking.”

MichaelK.Sahota,Canada• “YouwantAgile?Dothisfirst.”–A.Graham,CIO,Metrolinx.(IseeCALIasapre-requisitefor

makingAgilework.SodidthisCIO.)• “Takethecourseifyouwishtolead.It’slikenoother”–K.Wilson,AgileCoach.(Whatweare

seeinghereisitthatCALisnotjustforexecutivesandmanagers.It’salsoforAgileCoachesandScrumMasters.It’sveryrelevantandapplicable.)

• “ThebestleadershiptrainingIhaveeverexperienced.”–J.Bergeron,Partner,PwC

Thesearethekindoftakeawaysthatpeoplearegetting.Verysignificantshifts.

WhatisCALandWhyWasitCreated?

So,whatisCALandwhywasitcreated?Let’slookatthat.WeknowAgileisembeddedallovertheworld.SoftwareisthelifebloodoforganizationsandAgilerunssoftware.So,Agilehashadanincrediblesuccessspreadingallovertheworld.However,ifwelookatthelatest2017-2018StateofScrumsurvey,weseethatAgileischallenged.Thesignificantchallengesare:

• Weseecommitmenttotop-downcontrolmanagement.• Weseeresistancetochange.• Weseelackofunderstandingorsupport.

Agile—andthewaywe’redoingitwithjustCertifiedScrumMastertrainingandCertifiedScrumProductOwner®training—isnotenough.Weneedsomethingmore.

That’swhyCALwascreated.Peoplearesaying“WelovethefoundationalScrumMastertraining.WelovetheProductOwnertraining.It’sfantastic.However,wecan’tgetAgileworkingandwecan’tgetScrumworking.Pleasehelpus.”

ThisiswhereScrumAlliance(andtheCALprogram)enteredthepicture.

TheCALProgramisdesignedtogivepeopletheunderstandingthattheyneedtocreateacontextwhereAgilecanbesuccessful.

CALisaboutlookingbeyondjustScrumatateamlevelintothelargerAgileOrganizationalcontext.IThat’swhyScrumAllianceislivingtheirvisionoftransformingtheworldofworktolookbeyondjustScrumandvisualizeAgileasalargermovementandhowtosupportthat.

CALI

CALIisa17hourleadershipdevelopmentoffering.Itismostcommonlyofferedasa2-3daytraining.Attheend,peoplereceivetheirCALIcredential.

TheCertifiedScrumMaster®(CSM®)Training—byhavingatwo-daytrainingonthebasicsofScrum—didamazingthingsforthecommunity.ItputAgileonthemap,withatwo-dayCSMprogram.IseeCALIasputtingtheAgileOrganizationonthemap.Iseethis

ashavingaprofoundimpactonourwholecommunitytogetAgileworkingatamuchbroadercontext,andtogetAgiletobeeffectiveinmuchdeeperandprofoundways.

Tounderstandthis,let’stakealookatthelearningobjectivesthatdefinetheCALI.Ihaveputthemintothreegroupsseewecanseethekeyareas.

1. Organizational• Culture• Structure• Governance• Trust&Collaboration• Productivity&Metrics• EmployeeEngagement• DelightingCustomer• ManagementTrends

2. Leadership• DevelopmentFramework• Feedback&Behavior• Present,Aware,Engaged• Coaching

3. Change• Complexity&Uncertainty• HumanSystems• ChangeManagement

Whenseenthisway,CALIisactuallygivingthebasicbuildingblocksformakingAgilesuccessful.(afterwehavethebasicsinfrastructuresinplace,ofcourse).Forasolidfoundation,ScrumMaster,ProductOwner,ScrumDevelopertrainingisagreatplacetostart.

CALIactuallycreatesthefoundationneededneedtomakethosethingswork.

Itdoesn’tmatterwhetheryouareusingScrumorKanbanorDigitalorDevOps.TheCALIexperienceisdesignedtocreatethecontextforallofthosethingstoworkmuchmoreeffectivelybylookingatthislargercontextoftheorganization,leadership,andhowweapproachchange.

CALII

ThenextstepisCALII,whichgoesevendeeperandbeyondjusttraining.Therearethreecomponents:advancededucation,validatedpracticeandpeerworkshop.ThegoalistocreateaverycapableAgileleader—eitheramanagerorcoach;achangemakerofsorts—whoisabletohelpinspireandgrowpeople.Inordertoreceivethecertification,attendeesneedtogothroughpeerworkshopstosharetheirlearninganddemonstrateworkingknowledgeofthematerial.

ThekeyCALIIareasare:

• AgileLeadership• AgiletheOrganization• AgileApproachesChange

Theinvitationisforyoutogoonyourjourneytogrowasaleader.Sometimesthroughmisunderstandingyouthink,“Oh,I’mnotamanager.Thisisn’tforme.”CALisforanybodywhowantstoleadeffectivechangewithAgile:AScrumMaster,aCoach,ateamlead,amanager,adirector,anexecutiveoraninspiredteammember.It’sforanybodywhowantstoshowupasaleadertocreateamazingoutcomesaroundthem.

CALisforanybodywhowantstoleadeffectivechangewithAgile.

EveryCALIisUnique

ThenextthingIwanttosharewithyouisverysurprising.Astonishing,evenforsomepeople,isthateveryCALIisunique.MyleadershipjourneyisdifferentfromtheotherCALEducators.EveryonewhoisaCALEducatorhashadauniquejourney.Wehavedifferentunderstandingsofwhatittakestogetahigh-performanceorganizationandofwhatgreatleadershipis.We’veallhaddifferentleadershipjourneys.

Now,thequestionis,whoseleadershipisbest,orwhichoneisbetter?That’snotreallyrelevantorimportant.What’sreallyimportantistoseethat

thereareactuallymanywaystogrowperformance.TheinvitationistotakeCALIofferingsfromdifferentinstructorsbecauseEducatorshavedifferentwaysanddifferenttechniques,differentapproaches,anddifferenttoolsorviewsonmindset.

WithCAL,Educatorsarerequiredtoteachaleadershipdevelopmentmodel.IteachmyownleadershipmodelthatIcreatedspecificallytogetacceleratedgrowth.OtherpeoplemayuseLeadership360°,LeadershipAgility,orsomeotherleadershipmodel.That’showeachCALIprogramisunique.

TheinvitationistofindtheCALEducatorthatinspiresyou.One

whoseapproachfeelsrightforyou.

QuestionsabouttheCALProgram

Question:IsitpossibletouseCALdirectlyafterCSM?

Answer:Yes,itispossible.Therearenopre-requisiteforCALI.

Question:DoIneedtodomyCSPbeforeIdoCAL?

Answer:No,theCALiscomplementarytoanyfoundationalScrumtraining,andprovidesafoundationforgettingAgiletoworkinorganizations.

Question:Mydepartmentdirectorwantstounderstandif/whyIlearnScrumfirstorshouldIlearn/takeCALfirst?

Answer:IrecommendthatyoushouldtakeCALfirstbecauseitcreatestheoverallstructure.Inoneinstance,wewaitedforabouttwomonthsbeforeanyScrumtraininginthecaseofanexecutiveIwasworkingwith.WecreatedahealthyorganizationalenvironmentusingthefundamentalsofCALI.SherealizedwhywewaitedforScrumtraining—itwouldn’thavemadesensebeforeCALI.OnceyoucreateasupportiveorganizationalcontextforAgile,thenintroducingScrumiseasyandnatural.

Question:WhatdoweneedtogetCALcertification?

Answer:Thisisuptoindividualeducator.WhatItellpeopleinmytrainingisthatiftheyareawakeandlisteningforthewholetwodays,theywillreceivetheCALIcredential.That’smyrequirement.TherearesomeveryspecificreasonsthatIhavethisapproachtosupportpeoplelearningrapidly.WiththeCertifiedScrumMaster®training,there’satestaftertheclass.TheCALcertificationisCALI+allthreecomponentsofCALII.

Question:Ifeveryone’sCALIisdifferent,howdoyoumanagetokeepastandardtocertification?

Answer:TheCSMmeansthatpeopleunderstandthebasicsofScrum.WithCALI,itmeansthatpeopleunderstandthebasicsoforganizationsandleadershipcompatiblewithAgile.Wehavelefttheworldononerightanswer,andtherearemanygoodanswersaroundthesetopics.Sothecertificationmeansthatparticipantsunderstandonepath.Let’suseametaphortounderstandthis.

ImagineCALIislikeanicecreamcone.Somepeoplehavethechocolateone.Somepeoplehavethevanillaone.Somepeoplehavethestrawberryone.Buteveryonehasanicecreamcone.Theyallhadadelicioustastydessert.That’smyunderstanding.We’revalidatingeveryonewhosegonethroughthisCALItraininghashadexposureandanunderstandingofthesekeyconcepts.Butwhichapproachtothesekeyconcepts?

That’swhatI’msaying:they’reallgoodicecreams.Butwhatflavordoyoulike?ChooseanEducatorthatyouresonatewith.TrydifferentCALstohaveavarietyofviews,experienceandskill.Whohasleadershipqualitiesthatyouareinspiredby?WhatCALEducatorhasgonethroughtremendousgrowthontheirindividualleadershipjourney?

Thekeyelementofaneffectivechangemakerandaleaderisonewhohashadchallengesandajourneyofgrowth.Thiswillthenhaveanimpactonyourownleadershipjourney.Thiswillprovidetheexperienceandtoolsneededtobecomeapowerfulandeffectiveleader.

Question:Istherearisktospendtoomuchtimewithmanagementratherthanteams?

Answer:Withoutmanagementleading,thereisnochange.Itisreallyabouthavingmanagementowningthechangeinitiative.So,they’retheonescreatingtheorganizationalculturalcontextforsuccess.

Question:WhenIlearnedScrumyearsago,IheardthepracticewouldbringculturalchangebecauseaScrumMasterwillbethechange.

Answer:ScrumMastersplayaveryimportantroleofsupportingchangeatagrassrootslevel.However,unlesswehaveleaderswhoareleadingthisnewwayofbeing—thisAgilemindset—wearenotgoingtoseelastingchangeacrossandwithintheorganization.Infact,ScrumMasterswhoarepushingforachangeinculturewithoutthesupportofmanagementareactuallygoingtointroduceorganizationalconflictanddamagetheorganization.Withouthavingleadershipleading,itgoesawry.

Question:IsthePMI-ACPacompetingcertificationtoCAL?

Answer:Idon’tthinkitis.MyunderstandingofthePMI-ACPandothercertificationsisthatthey’remuchmorefocusedonAgileandatacticalandstrategiclevel.TheCALisuniqueinthatitismuchmorefocusedataculturalandleadershiplevel.MyCALIinparticulargoesverydeepintocultureandleadership.

Question:LeSSisaframeworkthatscalesScrumwithsomesuccess.DescalingorganizationisredesigningorganizationstructurethatimpactsCulturedeeply.Didyouseeinyourexperienceanylimitationindoingthisway?

Answer:LeSSisoneapproachtoimplementingScrum.

WhatmyCALprogramisdoingistakingitastepbackandlookingatthebroaderorganizationalandculturalcontextasaprimarywayofdoingthings.It’saboutcreatinganenvironmentwhereScrum,LeSS,andotherscalingapproachesmayworkeffectively.

It’scomplementary,notcompeting.

Thequestionthenbecomeswheretostart.Inmyexperience,asaCECandCST®,it’smoreeffectivetostartwithcultureandleadershipbeforeinvestinginprocessandstructures.

ThispostisbasedontheScrumAllianceWebinargivenbyMichaelKSahotaon“TheSecrettoHighPerformance”.YoucanwatchthewebinarHERE