Today we re-read Chapter 20 of Badass Agile Coaching: The Journey from Beginner to Mastery and Beyond. Bob notes that Stephen Covey’s seventh habit in his classic, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, is sharpening the saw. This is a reminder that who and where we are today can’t be who or where we are tomorrow. This habit is a prescription for balanced self-renewal. This is the last chapter of Extraordinary Badass; next week we will discuss the afterword and final thoughts. It is fitting to end this book with this call to action. When I announced I was going to re-read this book, a friend and colleague said “I am not sure I want to be badass, it is way too much work.” Yes, getting to be a good — not even badass — coach is a lot of work. Continuous sharpening of your saw, while you are using it, is table stakes in this profession. Ask yourself at least one of these questions every day – then act on the answer:
- What are you doing to extend your knowledge across various sources and capabilities? Self-assess yourself with the Agile Coaching Growth Wheel.
- Are you introspecting on a daily basis? Galen suggests journaling and using your journal to explore your biases and triggers. I find a daily retrospective useful.
- Do you have a mentor or mentors? Ask people you respect; there are a mixture of pro bono and paid opportunities. The idea of mentorship is so important it is in the Agile Coach Code of Ethical Behavior.
- What are you doing to mentor your peers? I find the act of mentoring both fulfilling and educational.
- What are your triggers and how can you avoid or desensitize yourself? Sharpening your saw isn’t learning new things, it includes knowing new things about yourself. Self-knowledge puts a coach in a position to be in control of themselves.
- What firmly held beliefs haven’t you challenged recently? At least work through a mental experiment in which your most closely held belief about agile or how people work is false. How would this change in belief change how you behave? Does that changed behavior fit the world around you better? If so, what should you do?
- Am I taking care of myself so that I can stay on top of my game? Self-care is an often overlooked area of sharpening your saw (in this case, my saw). Bob provides a self-care canvas to help frame a self-care conversation that is more than did you get enough sleep or did you get enough exercise (both important but not sufficient).
Sharpening your saw is time-consuming. Taking the time to improve yourself sometimes represents a short-term opportunity cost, for example, billable time versus time to take a class or go to a conference. Heck, it might even cost real money. Not putting in the time isn’t an option if you want to be a badass agile coach. It is a requirement even if you want to be a mediocre agile coach. You accepted the obligation to work on sharpening your saw the day you became an agile coach (or anything other vocation or avocation).
Buy a copy and upgrade your coaching skills – Badass Agile Coaching: The Journey from Beginner to Mastery and Beyond
Previous Installments:
Week 18: Setting Up a Badass Agile Coaching Community of Practice – http://bit.ly/3JyPT27
Week 17: Dojo Practices – http://bit.ly/3FlftW7
Week 16: Badass Agile Coach’s Guide to Starting Your Day – http://bit.ly/3Y4Kcgy
Week 15: Situational Awareness as a Badass Agile Coach – http://bit.ly/3KnoJMv
