CERTIFIED AGILE LEADERSHIP
Virtual CAL Delivery Update
UPDATE: As of March 2020 and due to Covid-19, the Scrum Alliance has temporarily granted CAL Educators the ability to deliver virtual workshops. We’ve redesigned our CAL workshop to be delivered virtually and feedback has been, in a word, outstanding. In many ways, our virtual CAL classes are more collaborative and impactful than our in-person classes. We’re also limiting the workshop to 12 attendees to increase the amount of collaboration and immersion.
Racial Equity Discounts
I want to ensure that this outstanding leadership training experience is made available and affordable to people of color and women. To that end, I offer a significant (over 50%) discount as a means of honoring those folks. Please reach out to me at bob@rgalen.com to request your special discount for a specific event. And please don’t be shy about asking.
CAL-2 UPDATE
As of November 2020, we’ve submitted our CAL-2 delivery format and strategy to the Scrum Alliance for approval. We’re currently planning to kick-off our first CAL-2 cohort in Q2 or Q3 2021. We’re excited about that, so look for future announcements in our monthly newsletter…
Upcoming Scheduled CAL Classes.
We post all of our CAL classes on Eventbrite. You can view upcoming classes here.
BACKGROUND
In 2015-2016 the Scrum Alliance began development of a new certification targeted directly to leaders who are tasked with creating and/or operating in agile software development environments. While the focus is clearly on Scrum, the larger focus is on generic leadership skills in all agile contexts. Bob Galen was an early adopter of delivering CAL workshops and began delivering them in 2017. As of 2020, he is one of ~40 approved CAL educators.
In late 2020, the Scrum Alliance has decided to refactor it’s CAL-I certification. The new class takes the form of 3, 1-day certifications:
CAL-E for Essentials of Agile Leadership
CAL-T for Team Leadership
CAL-O for Organizational Leadership
Beginning in January 2021, we’ll be replacing our original CAL-I offering for an organizational leadership audience, with the CAL-Essentials plus CAL-Organizations, 2-day class.
If delivered in a virtual format, the class will be delivered in 3.5 hour “chunks” over 4 days, either in a morning or afternoon session. We’ve found that splitting it up this way allows for a more immersive and less exhausting experience. In person, it will be a jam-packed 2-days.
At the end of the class, attendees will receive the CAL-E and CAL-O certifications.
It IS possible for someone to ONLY attend the CAL-E part of the class (1-day, 2 3.5-hour sessions) IF you’re interested in attending a CAL-T certification later to compliment it. Note: we don’t run CAL-E + CAL-T classes publicly. But we do occasionally run CAL-T public classes independently for those who wish to integrate all three classes in their leadership learning journeys.
RGCG - CAL
If you study the VersionOne State of Agile surveys for the last 10 years, you'll see a trend that the teams aren't the key challenges standing between organization's transitioning to agile approaches. It's the management-tier that is the ongoing challenge. And the survey clearly shows that we've not spent enough time assisting our leaders in making the shift.
Well the CAL changes that. We're incredibly enthusiastic about the addition of the CAL to our coaching practice. We've been coaching leaders for the past decade. But the CAL gives us a much more holistic package of strategies & tactics to focus on. The certification also helps to gather attention to the seriousness of leadership training with respect to agility.
The point being - CAL is a wonderful vehicle for Growing the next generation of Agile Leaders.
November 2018 - Public CAL class in Dallas, TX
Our Class differentiators
Many of the Scrum Alliance CSTs and CECs have far too limited real world leadership experience. While they've studied leadership academically and try to empathize with the challenges, in a word, they really can't. They lack the seasoning and experience to truly understand agile leadership development.
What sets Bob Galen and our CAL classes apart is the depth and breadth of our real world experience—
Bob has been leading software teams for over 25 years and agile teams for nearly that long.
Bob has had roles in software development, software testing, architecture, operations, and project management.
Bob has had senior level leadership roles at the Director, VP, and C-level in a variety of organizations.
Bob has worked in small, start-up companies to large, enterprise level companies. So, he viscerally understands the challenges of scale.
Bob has worked with distributed teams for over 15 years - both nearshore and offshore models from a wide variety of cultures.
Bob has been coaching, both at the team, management, and leadership level for over 15 years
Bob has an incredible understanding of, respect for, and empathy for the craft of leadership.
And all of this experience is weaved into the materials of our CAL classes - the stories, examples, breakouts, and the focus.
Testimonials
It was a great pleasure meeting all of you and sharing experiences on our Agile journey of self-development. Bob, this was an amazing course that allowed us to step out and really embrace leadership. The rest is up to us to lay seeds, take action and help our organizations mature their agility. You are all AWSOME and I was lucky to join such and outstandingly diverse group—Enterprise Agile Coach, 2020
The class provided great grounding on the role of leadership in an agile organization. Bob's experience in the technology industry brought real world examples and wisdom to the lively discussions that this course encourages. I highly recommend that you bring your entire leadership team along to this course—VP Software Development, 2017
I wish I had a video of the CAL class with Bob Galen. I would watch it regularly, just like my favorite movie or show. The knowledge shared is that good—Chief Product Owner, 2018
Bob, I learned more from your CAL training then I have in any of the other Agile trainings I have participated in with my team. I appreciate your active listening style, and that your answers to questions were always collaborative and open ended. Thank you!—Senior Director of Product Management, 2018
The class was beyond helpful to me. I started using my newly practiced and polished leadership skills the very same day the class ended. Thank you, Bob, and Rhiannon Galen-Personick—Director, Product Solutions, 2019
Bob Galen and Anjali Leon. I want to express my sincere “Thank You” for the class you two hosted this week. The beginning of the class slides drew me in with, “Leading agile teams with empathy, skill, and heart. The art and science of transforming yourself into an outstanding agile leader.”. I can honestly say you delivered. It means more to me than words in a post, but I’ll try…I took the CAL-I class knowing it would cover topics such as trust, coaching, leading teams, guiding change, scaling, etc. But I did not expect such thought-provoking conversations and new perspectives on so many things like agile supportive organizational structures and cultures (and their anti-patterns), or new insights on leadership and coaching at the level you shared, or even the encouragement I received for self-care, journaling, reflecting, modeling, growing, being intentional and being present. It was an amazing week and I’m a much better leader and person for it. Thank you!—Agile Delivery Manager, 2020
Class Overview
Leading agile teams might be one of the hardest things you’ve ever done. That is if you want to do it effectively and congruently. The agile methods have moved beyond hype and novelty to embed themselves in nearly every software company in the world. That’s sort of the good news. That these methods are here to stay and have the potential to be a game changer.
The bad news is that it takes a leadership transformation to effectively make agility work. You see, you can’t just “go Agile” and not change your leadership style, habits, approaches, and posture. It also requires a culture shift. All of which point to you as a key guide to lead your teams through all of these changes. But there has been a lack of focus on leaders and the requisite leadership skills in agile contexts.
Well, the good news is that this course is intended to address exactly that challenge. And do it in a practical way. Sharing stories, practices, and real world experience in into the dynamics of effective agile leadership. If you are looking to become a skilled agile leader, then this class is a wonderful way to kick-off that journey.
CAL—E Learning Objectives
CAL-E is the baseline class for discovering your personal alignment towards agile leadership. It’s an inside-out journey that will springboard you on a personal discovery and change journey.
These are the high-level learning objectives the Scrum Alliance has established for the CAL-E.
Understanding Why New Thinking and Approaches Are Required for An Increasingly Complex, Unpredictable and Volatile World.
Exploring a Different Type of Leadership.
Growing your Self, Situational and Social Awareness.
Establishing a Growth Mindset.
Increasing your Respectful Engagement.
Our critical focus points for the class:
We’ll explore two personal tools: Leadership Agility and CliftonStrengths.
Developing a detailed Agile Leadership Journey personal MindMap.
Exploring the dynamics of an Inside/out agile mindset.
Refine and practice the power of your storytelling.
Huge focus on providing effective feedback leveraging Crucial Conversations & Radical Candor; and practice in Dojo’s.
CAL—T Learning Objectives
CAL-T is the baseline class for discovering how to hire, build, grow, and inspire High-Performance teams in your organizational agile contexts. Your teams are where the rubber meets the road, and you have to care for and feed them well as an agile leader.
These are the high-level learning objectives the Scrum Alliance has established for the CAL-T.
Discovering new approaches to leading teams in an increasingly complex, unpredictable and volatile world.
Learning what it takes to lead High-Performing teams.
Keys to helping grow & develop your teams for high-performance.
Strategies to inspire effective collaboration across Multiple teams.
Learning to be a much more effective influencer as a leader.
Our critical focus points for the class:
How leaders creating the space/culture for High-Performing agile teams.
Creating, growing & developing teams and individuals.
Establishing team-centric AND healthy metrics.
Explore the iContact case study and mine it for powerful lessons-learned.
Practice your Coaching, coaching, coaching techniques in a dojo format.
CAL—O Learning Objectives
CAL-O is the baseline class for discovering how to effectively lead your organizational shift to Organizational and Business Agility. This class focuses on culture, organizational design, and leading thru change with broad strategies and specific tactics.
These are the high-level learning objectives the Scrum Alliance has established for the CAL-O.
The Importance of Leadership and Culture in Enabling Agility
Organizational Design, Constraints and Enablers
Organizational Change
Our critical focus points for the class:
The leader’s role in culture-shaping is a KEY component of the discussions.
Leadership Circle Profile or Collective Leadership Assessment is THE assessment tool for this module!
Explore a deeper dive assessment of scaling patterns without solely focusing on a specific framework.
Organization-centric Metrics
iContact case study will wrap-up quite a few ideas.
In late 2018, I was certified to use and coach three instruments from The Leadership Circle.
Leadership Circle Profile (leadership or manager versions)
Collective Leadership Assessment
As of 2019, Private CAL I class deliveries will be leveraging the Collective Leadership Assessment as the centerpiece instrument for leadership team/group cultural assessments as it relates to agile leadership.
We will also be leveraging the Leadership Circle Profile in our CAL 2 offerings during the latter half of 2020. Leveraging it in public and private cohorts. Depending on the cohort, we will be reviewing group and/or individual profiles.
Class Format
In an on-site or in person format, each CAL class is a 1-day, 8 contact hours, experience.
In a virtual delivery format, each 1-day CAL class is structure with—
1-2 hours of pre-work; (reading, videos)
2, 3 ½ hour virtual sessions via Zoom; across 4-days for the CAL-E+O series.
1-2 hours of evening homework spread across the 4-days
We limit class size so as to increase your collaborative learning experience. We target ~12-15 attendees per class. No more than 15 guaranteed. And we also have a minimum class size of ~6-8 attendees to keep the group dynamic and diverse.
Each class makes use of:
Individual reflection;
Group discussion;
Slides, handouts, videos, reading;
Zoom room breakouts;
And Dojo-style (triad) practice sessions.
Class materials are delivered via Dropbox in both formats. You’ll get a workbook, study materials, access to several e-copies of Bob’s books, including Agile Reflections for Agile Leaders. And your access will remain permanently—so that you can follow the evolution of the classes’ materials and focus over time.
Pair-Instructors
Bob tries to invite co-trainers to each of his CAL classes. People he has co-taught with in the past include—
Jennifer Fields
Peter Fischbach
Rhiannon Galen-Personick
Aanu Gopald
Anjali Leon
Mary Thorn
Not only do you get two great agile leaders for the price of one, but you get a diversity of experience, examples, stories, tactics, and strategies shared.
While we don’t guarantee a co-instructor with every class, it’s a habit that we try to maintain. Review the marketing / event materials of each specific CAL class looking for specific co-instructors.
And we’ve also been known to invite “guests” to our virtual classes as well. They usually visit for a day or two to share on specific topics.
attendee profile
The CAL E+T+O series is designed to transform your leadership—
Style
Tactics
Approaches
Behaviors
Models
In the same way that your organization must shift and change during a successful agile / digital transformation.
Does attending the class automatically do that for you? Of course not. But you’ll leave with the KEYs to begin, navigate, and advance that journey on your own.
The CAL-T class is focused on team-level and focused leadership and management. Line managers and up will gain value from the class. As would senior Scrum Masters and agile coaches. In addition, senior product managers or product owners would also gain value.
The CAL-O class is focused on the organizational-side of leadership and management. The sweet spot for the class is a company’s entire cross-functional leadership team engaged in an agile transformation. Often, the broader the organizational representation, the better. Senior leaders (C-level, VP, Director, and Sr, Managers) will strongly benefit from this path as well.
pricing
Regular pricing for the CAL E+O 2-day experience is $1,750 per attendee. Early Bird discounts are always available for a limited number of seats.
For private classes, there are organizational / team level discounts available. Minimal class size is 12 for private classes; while our public class size is 12-15 attendees. Reach out to discuss your group needs and discount levels. We feel there is tremendous advantage to sending your entire leadership team to the CAL and will do whatever we can to make the costs approachable.
For public classes, there are also group discounts (for 3+ individuals from the same company) available.
And finally, if you’re experiencing a hardship (unemployed, underemployed, contractor - self paid, etc.) but really want to attend, please reach out to us. We usually reserve several heavily discounted seats in each public class for folks who need a bit of help.
Your GUide
Bob Galen has held senior leadership (C-level, VP, Director) roles within software development organizations since the early 1990’s. He has led small and large teams (+200) focused on software development, product/project management, testing, and operations.
Always a student of leadership, he’s been on the forefront as management and leadership techniques have moved towards “the team”. An early adopter of agile methods, Bob has had in-the-trenches experience in building three successful agile technical organizations that have served as models of “agile done right”.
Bob has broad and deep experience leveraging Extreme Programming, Scrum, and Kanban, having been a practitioner since the late 1990’s. In 2013, Bob became one of ~90 CEC level coaches with the Scrum Alliance. He coaches cross-organizationally around the world in helping clients achieve improved performance. Often called a “Coach of Agile Coaches”, Bob has included his deep and pragmatic experience in this class.
Point being, you’ll learn from someone who’s been there, and done that, with respect to agile leadership and the challenges.