People often ask me “what do you do for a living?” My immediate thought, of course, is the scene from Office Space, where the HR consultants ask “what would you say you do here?” as I chuckle quietly to myself.
But then I give a variety of answers, depending on the context of where and when the question is asked. Since Agile is fairly ubiquitous these days, saying I’m an Agile Coach sometimes gets head-nods. Saying I’m a Product Management Consultant elicits more excitement, with the occasional follow up question. But sometimes, if I’m feeling like a smarty-pants, I’ll say “I get paid to get people to talk to each other.” And while it may sound cheeky, it’s largely true. Stripped down to the core, much of what we do is setting up the organizational framework for people to connect around their work and talk about it. And you know what? I think that’s incredibly valuable.
Mark Pushinsky and I had a consulting gig 15 years ago with an online dating company. This company had three major components: the front-end UI, the backend customer profile database, and the matching engine that would pair people based on those profiles. Shortly into our time onsite, we had a meeting with the three people who headed up each of those areas. It was an hour-long meeting with a lightly structured agenda - nothing revolutionary. However, I’ll never forget what one of them said to me afterward. He said “That’s the best meeting we’ve ever had here.” I was stunned. As it turns out, while they were all very gifted at optimizing their own areas of responsibility, they had never sat down together to talk about where and how their work should intersect. It should be noted that these three individuals had desks back-to-back on the office floor.
With email, Slack and myriad other digital workplace tools, it's easy to get lost in the noise and forget the magic that happens when people simply talk to each other. Outside of work, we’re driven by texts, emails, and social media, genuine human interaction can sometimes feel like a lost art. However, it's more crucial than ever. When we talk to each other, we build connections and foster understanding. It's not just about exchanging words; it's about sharing experiences, emotions, and perspectives. With conversation, we build empathy, and we begin to appreciate the other person’s puzzles, which are often similar to our own. Some of the most innovative solutions to complex problems emerge from conversations. Brainstorming, sharing ideas, and debating different viewpoints are all part of the magic of dialogue. When people talk, they can find new ways to tackle challenges and discover unexpected solutions.
Conversations are the foundation of relationships, whether they're personal or professional. Engaging in genuine, two-way communication creates trust, respect, and rapport. The world is diverse, and so are the people in it. When we engage in open conversations, we have the opportunity to bridge cultural, ideological, and generational gaps. Dialogue can often break down those barriers quickly, and lead to a shared understanding of the problems to be solved. Some information can be exchanged quickly and easily using digital tools. But that information is 10 times more valuable when the people exchanging it have reached a shared understanding of their objectives and outcomes. In an age of constant distractions, talking to each other brings us back to the present moment. It reminds us to be fully engaged and attentive.
That’s really the essence of Agile though, isn’t it? It serves as a framework for assembling individuals to engage in discussions about complex challenges with vaguely outlined solutions. The Agile coach takes on the role of a safecracker, methodically testing different combinations to unlock the collective knowledge within the room. The true magic of an Agile Coach lies in their ability to facilitate these conversations, which significantly enhances the collective problem-solving capabilities of the group. I've witnessed this phenomenon repeatedly while working with various clients where it was clear I was not the subject matter expert. All we really do here is get people to talk to each other. So the next time someone asks what I do for a living, I’m going to tell them I’m a magician, and then engage them in a conversation to learn more about their story.
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