Something came up on the September 20th Kazi stream about how to maintain your energy level as a change agent, which is incredibly hard at times. And, on a related note, the challenge of knowing when it’s time to leave.
Change Agency is…HARD!
The harsh reality is that every Scrum Master and Agile Coach in any instance, situation, or context is a CHANGE AGENT. You are in a role that is trying to guide folks along a change curve to a new state.
And being a CHANGE AGENT is, in a word, HARD!
There’s no other way to say it. In many ways change agency reminds me of the Energizer Bunny in that you/we need to “bring it” every minute of every day. We have to bring enthusiasm, energy, positivity, engagement, and a can-do attitude every day to our work.
If you find yourself lacking on the energy front for too many days in a row, you have to seriously reconsider your choice of jobs. It’s that simple.
Now, moving beyond the confrontational statements, I’d like to shift gears and talk about ways to recharge your batteries as a change agent. Because I don’t want you to quit and move on. I want you to succeed. The world of agile needs you. It needs all of us intrepid optimists who see their organizations working in a new and better tomorrow.
But we need to be energized and here are some ideas on how to recharge and reignite your energy:
Potential Energizers
1) Find a mentor – someone internal or external who can provide guidance. Someone who you admire their own ability to navigate the challenges of change agency.
2) Find a coach – many change agents are coaches who forget that they themselves might need a coach. Find someone you trust who can coach you.
3) CoP – create and/or join a Community of Practice. This is a community of like-minded change agents who are working hard to share tools, tactics, and techniques to be a better practitioner.
4) Vent station – find a person, a group, or a place where you can simply vent. Where you can get things off your chest without judgment or problem-solving. Whoever is your vent station needs to be a great listener.
5) Self-Care – I think the number one priority for any change agent is taking care of themselves first. This could be diet, exercise, quiet time, writing code, virtually anything that renews their energy and focus. I think of that airline notion of putting the oxygen mask on yourself first.
6) Getting away – one of the most effective energizers is getting away from your work. Take a walk, an afternoon off to see a movie, or a day off. Take a long vacation with your family. Anything you can actively do to separate from your context will help you renew.
7) Meditation – I personally don’t meditate much. But I know many people who get lots of renewal from quietly meditating on a regular basis.
8) Reframing or Systems Thinking – often simply reframing the challenge can help us. Putting on a systems thinking hat and looking holistically at our situation often puts things in a better context. Or gives us a perspective that is less draining.
9) Grateful / appreciations – far too often we focus only on the negative or challenging aspects of our roles. One way to re-energize is to focus on what we’re grateful for in our roles, our jobs and in our lives. Do it every day and see how it impacts your journey.
10) Formal learning – one of my favorite recharge actions is learning. I love to go to conferences and classes where I encounter a whole new tribe of people to learn from and interact with. I always return from these events with a fully charged battery and lots of new ideas to try.
Also reflecting whether the problem could, simply be you?
Often, I blame the system or the organization for my lot in life – for the challenges. But when I reflect on things, I realize that I play a significant (if not majority) role in them.
Point being—a part of your recharge efforts should be reflecting on the role you play in each situation. What baggage have you bring to the table and how is it interacting with your context? What about your personality type and your default leanings when it comes to interactions? And what are your triggers and how are they impacting how you perceive (and react to) things?
The key point is to take stock of yourself as well and honestly consider the part you might be playing in your context and frustrations.
Wrapping Up
Back to the original premise in the opening. I’m not sure when it’s time to “say when” and move on. That’s an individual decision derived from a myriad of context points.
That being said, if you are a change agent and burning out a bit, I’d recommend trying some of the recharge options I laid out above before you move on.
And if you do decide to move on, I highly recommend our Meta-cast series on the topic.
Stay agile my friends,
Bob.