Do you need an emergency fund as a change agent—whether you are acting as Scrum Master, Product Owner, or agile coach—because conflict is inevitable, but change is not? Speaking truth to power probably comes at a price.
In my experience, speaking truth to power, pointing at the emperor’s new clothes and the reality in the trenches, is necessary a trait for every change agent — including Scrum Masters and agile coaches — in organizations that lack strong leadership.
Learn more, how this form of professional honesty can backfire when the incumbents, privileged by the existing system, strike back.
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Typically, speaking truth to power as a means of change emerges from individuals or small groups of like-minded individuals within an organization.
According to a recent study directed at the path of acceptance of new social norms, the tipping point for social change in an organization is around 25%. It shows that a committed minority can have a lasting effect once it manages to attract others who are willing to join the cause.
In the ‘agile field,’ this effect is often referred to as bottom-up initiatives. For example, teams start using Scrum without being instructed in doing so. We also know from experience that the window of opportunity for this kind of agile grassroots initiative is limited. Sooner or later, the proponents of this change will come into conflict with existing organizational structures that no longer can be overcome by sheer will-power or ignoring or bending established practices for the benefit of the team or cause. The Scrum Guide refers to them as impediments outside of a team’s control; they are one of the reasons for the role of the Scrum Master.
In these situations, the impediments need to be addressed, and typically this requires the support of the leadership. However, what if the management is not interested in supporting the initiative? What if the status quo is lucrative and comfortable at the same time? Lip-service is cheap, and walking the ‘agile talk’ may put the incumbents out of well-paying jobs.
I do believe that it is the duty of a Scrum Master or agile coach to address these impediments nevertheless, to point at organizational debt and individuals that harbor personal agendas, to force the issue of sustainable change. That is what servant leadership is about: you lead, meaning you step forward into the conflict, you put yourself in harm’s way while others are waiting to see what will happen to you.
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In my experience, speaking truth to power is required in organizations that lack strong leadership. By strong, I mean leadership that understands that predictive planning and reductionist management techniques are ill-suited to support an organization’s strive for sustainable competitive advantage in the complex markets of the 21st century.
Usually, everyone supports the goal of gaining a sustainable competitive advantage, including the incumbents. Where opinions start diverging is the answer to the question of what to do with the spoils of achieving this level of change.
It is helpful to take some of the following issues into account for the analysis:
Given this plethora of rational reasons, it is not surprising that the incumbents of a legacy organization are often not willing to strike their colors without a conflict.
There are often four factions with the organization:
The trick for a successful speaking-truth-to-power campaign is to identify the agilists among the senior leadership team and ask for their support to convince the machine-room agilists to change their approach. In this triage situation, avoid wasting resource on the refuseniks.
If you feel the need to voice your opinion, to point at the obvious that the incumbents nevertheless reject, if you embrace the idea of speaking truth to power, also brace yourself for impact. It may well be that there are not agilists among the senior leadership team in your organization and that everyone you are facing is either a refusenik or a machine-room agilists.
In this case:
If you follow the route of becoming a trouble-maker, pick your battles wisely — a dead servant leader is a useless servant leader. Also, make sure to secure at least some emotional support from people near you. A bonus indeed is to follow Corinna Baldauf’s example and create an emergency fund for the moment it becomes clear that you do not have a future in your organization. Just be prepared.
Maybe, I am a hopeless romantic, but I do believe that you need to stand up and fight for a cause you believe in. Sometimes, this is a career-limiting step, or it might even get you fired. Sometimes, you will need to quit instead of submitting to a system that is just wrong.
What is your experience? Please share it with us in the comments.
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