The calling of the Agile Explorer

You might think: “This is almost the same as the title of an essay by Tobias Mayer.”

And you are absolutely right.

I came across the term in February of 2020 when I read his wonderful book The People’s Scrum for the first time.

Working in continual improvement for over 15 years, it’s been relatively easy to explain what I do. But it was a lot more difficult to explain the why of it and how I feel about it.

Just before I became a freelance consultant I read Steve Jobs’ biograpy and was bitten by the famous Think Different commercial from 1997. It screamed at me “You can bring change”.

With that, over the years I have defined my mission as “making the world a better place starting from the work floor.”

Then last year I read this:

“The agile explorer, our agent of change, is one who seeks knowledge and journeys into unchartered territory. He/she is a dreamer and a fearless adventurer who, through actions, inspires others to journey alongside.

…

He/she is there to listen, think, inspire, confront, agitate, challenge and open the collective organisational eyes to new possibilities, seeding new ways of being.”

It struck strings. Music to my ears. This is who I am. This is who I want to be as a professional. As a human being.

What about you?

If you are in any way involved in continual improvement, as a consultant, scrum master, agile coach, trainer, director, manager,… here’s my call:

Do not settle for the status quo.

Challenge the things that are.

Look for dysfunctions, bring them to the surface and put a spotlight on them.

Respectfully confront

Inspire.

And never, ever accept “this won’t work here”.

Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do!