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I think it’s fair to consider companies offering Agile training and certifications to be custodians of the Agile philosophy. Our team was sent to a week long SA

I think it’s fair to consider companies offering Agile training and certifications to be custodians of the Agile philosophy. Our team was sent to a week long SAFe Agilist certification course. Our management was notably absent. I think Agile fails because the manifesto says nothing about management’s role other than “business people and developers will work together.” It’s no surprise then that management fills their version of their role to be whatever they want- usually to the detriment of the developers and the core Agile principles.

jdlshore 5y ago
> I think it’s fair to consider companies offering Agile training and certifications to be custodians of the Agile philosophy. God no. There’s some good training out there, but a whole lot more bottom feeders. I include all the certification mills in that category. Certifications are a racket. > Our team was sent to a week long SAFe Agilist certification course. Our management was notably absent. Par for the course, sadly. > I think Agile fails because the manifesto says nothing more about management’s role other than “business people and developers will work together.” Agile’s a big tent and a lot of people have written about agile management. Johanna Rothman is particularly prolific. (I have a few things to say about it in my book, too.) If managers aren’t learning about Agile management, it’s because they’re not looking, not because the information isn’t out there. Although I think part of the reason they’re not looking is because Scrum was so successful, and Scrum is fairly anti-management, or at least has nothing to say about it. (Scrum’s success has been both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, Agile probably wouldn’t be on everyone’s lips today if XP was still carrying the torch. On the other hand, Scrum’s surface simplicity and cash-grabbing certification scheme opened the door to some truly awful training.)

jdlshore 5y ago

> I think it’s fair to consider companies offering Agile training and certifications to be custodians of the Agile philosophy. God no. There’s some good training out there, but a whole lot more bottom feeders. I include all the certification mills in that category. Certifications are a racket. > Our team was sent to a week long SAFe Agilist certification course. Our management was notably absent. Par for the course, sadly. > I think Agile fails because the manifesto says nothing more about management’s role other than “business people and developers will work together.” Agile’s a big tent and a lot of people have written about agile management. Johanna Rothman is particularly prolific. (I have a few things to say about it in my book, too.) If managers aren’t learning about Agile management, it’s because they’re not looking, not because the information isn’t out there. Although I think part of the reason they’re not looking is because Scrum was so successful, and Scrum is fairly anti-management, or at least has nothing to say about it. (Scrum’s success has been both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, Agile probably wouldn’t be on everyone’s lips today if XP was still carrying the torch. On the other hand, Scrum’s surface simplicity and cash-grabbing certification scheme opened the door to some truly awful training.)