#6: Apprenticeship

Hi,

This week I've had the pleasure and privilege?of leading a small group on their journey to mastery with the Certified Scrum Professional programme. These advanced courses are my favourite to guide people on as they aren't only a meeting of passionate, experienced minds where I get the opportunity to introduce new ideas and techniques to practitioners but?also a chance for me to continue on my learning journey.

Do you ever genuinely arrive, no matter how far along your path to mastery?

Wherever you are, have a great Thursday!

One Insight I've Had

“During the Renaissance, art apprentices studied under the guidance of a master artist. They usually began their training between the ages of 12 and 14, and served for a period of between 1 and 8 years. Parents of apprentices signed a contract with the master that set out the terms of the training. A typical contract required the master to provide food, housing, and clothing as well as instruction. In some cases the parents paid the master a fee, while in others the apprentice received a salary from the master.

?At first, local craft unions, or guilds, set standards for apprenticeship. The guilds decided matters such the length of contracts and the number of students a master could train. Some guilds would not allow pupils to switch masters during their apprenticeship or to sell their works independently. At the end of the apprenticeship students often had to show a piece of work to the guild to demonstrate that they had mastered their craft. This is the origin of the term masterpiece.” –?Art, Education and Training Encyclopedia

The Renaissance was one of the most progressive and enlightened periods of European and world history. The value of deep apprenticeships, followed by a number of years as a journeyman learning and perfecting the craft, led to so much innovation and the creation of art, architecture and sculpture that still takes our breath away some 600 years later.

Why did we abandon such a valuable process in the skills and personal development of young, aspiring professionals? How do we, as the Agile industry, nurture and grow young talent in a way that helps them evolve in meaningful and progressive ways? Isn’t it time that we look to creating formal apprenticeship and journeyman programs for scrum masters, product owners, developers and agile coaches?

There is very little formal encouragement or requirements for an aspiring scrum master or agile coach to invest in coaching, mentoring and apprenticeship programs that will help them grow their skills and demonstrate their competence to a team of individuals who have mastered the trade. It doesn’t come from the industry itself nor are employers and clients in the sector invested in establishing a respected and recognised apprenticeship program for scrum masters, product owners and agile coaches.

My?YouTube channel?and?Blog?are an attempt to provide a framework of actionable insights and recommendations for aspiring Agile coaches, and as we move from the?Deploy and Improve?series into the?Master and Lead?series, we aim to bring even more valuable knowledge and recommendations for practising scrum masters and agile coaches.

But, we need more.

We need live, online and/or in-person, support for aspiring professionals and we need to be taking an active role in teaching, coaching and mentoring aspiring professionals through their journey from apprentice to journeyman. We need to create safe environments for aspiring professionals to practice, ask questions, receive insights and recommendations, and receive active guidance from a proven, trusted and respected professional in the industry.

It is time for us, as an industry and a respected group of professionals, to come together and design apprenticeship programs that serve the next generation of scrum masters and agile coaches. It is time for us to regulate our own industry and create systems, processes and support structures that unleash people’s creativity and passion.

One Quote

“Many people read books, and whilst books are great, they are simply a point of departure. It’s the time and effort invested in actually being an Agile practitioner that makes all the difference.

In times of stress and pressure, we always revert back to the behaviours that have supported us in the past. If you don’t have actual experience working in an Agile environment, you are not going to be leaning on good practices or behaviours that support your team.

You’re going to be guessing instead.

So, the first step in your apprenticeship is to earn your Agile stripes.” –?What Would Be a Great Apprenticeship for an Agile Coach?

And A Question For You

What do you think would be a great starting point in the apprenticeship journey?

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