Disagreement means learning

It is invigorating to have back and forth between fellow agile professionals.  It represents the give and take of knowledge between people.  People inevitability disagree about subjects, and the practice of Agile is no different. This week, I would like to talk about disagreement.

One of the more exciting books about leadership is “Team of Rivals,” by Doris Kearns Goodwin.  The central thesis of this book was that President Lincoln had a unique leadership style where he relied on the opinions of political rivals in his cabinet to help him better manage the events of the American Civil War.  Having a room full of devil’s advocates made Lincoln a better leader.  Numerous other articles and books have also surfaced which emphasize that diversity of opinion and perspective is necessary for success and innovation.

Lately, a coach from Europe has challenged my blog posts and discussions on the Google Plus Agile community.  Some people would recoil from this pushback; I do not.  This individual has credentials and plenty of experience in the field, so while I may disagree with his opinion, I respect his perspective.  I am a firm believer in disagreeing with people without being disagreeable.

My approach to Agile and Scrum centers around the Agile Manifesto and Agile Principles.  The Scrum Alliance gave me formal training as a Scrum Master.  Finally, I have spent nearly four years as a scrum master shipping software with domestic and offshore development teams.  I have seen some things and done some stuff.  My experience colors my agile knowledge and opinions.

The product owner has the most challenging job in the scrum.  The Scrum Master is a Coach, Therapist, and often the bad cop who keeps things moving forward.  Finally, the development team generates shippable code each day and are the unsung heroes of the process.  I live this experience every day and hope each of you who read this blog gains from my knowledge.

Disagreement is healthy, and if you are unwilling to consider other opinions and activities, you will not grow as a Scrum Master.   Listen to others who you disagree with; you never know what you might learn.

Until next time.