Red Sky in the Morning

Like a red morn that ever yet betokened,
Wreck to the seaman, tempest to the field,
Sorrow to the shepherds, woe unto the birds,
Gusts and foul flaws to herdmen and to herds.

—William Shakespeare

This was the sunrise I awoke to in my hotel in Iași, Romania at the end of March. A red sky is an indication of impending turmoil—sailors take warning—and indeed Iași experienced thunderstorms and heavy rain that day. More interesting though is that it allowed me to look inward, and consider what I need to be on the watch for. It is easy to slip into complacency, to take life for granted, even to indulge in first world privilege. I was in Iași attending the DevExperience conference, and that day I was scheduled to offer a keynote address, coincidentally entitled "Writers of code, awake from your slumber". The theme for the day was certainly one of watchfulness.

I was edgy and nervous all morning, having had just 3 hours sleep, and preparing to give a talk I'd never given before. Actually, no matter how many times I get up in front of a group of people to talk, I am frequently struck by a sense of something between fear and awe. My body trembles and my heart beats in my throat, as if it's visible for all the world to see. Interestingly, I've observed that when I don't experience this feeling, I am less able to show up whole, and what I have to offer seems flat and uninteresting. It is this nervous energy, this momentary inner turmoil that seems to fuel my completeness. And this is as it should be. It reminds me not to take my privileged position as an invited guest for granted. I was not in Iași for prestige, but to be of service.

Two weeks later I gave a talk in Kiev entitled "Take Back the Space" a second Spring call for workplace revolution. Both talks were requests, as Jesus of Nazareth is quoted as saying, to "stay awake and keep watch". The IT industry, for all its talk of transformation and workplace revolution is blithely—and blindly—slipping into the shoes of its oppressors. Consulting companies and executive management have appropriated the Agile movement, in order to make it palatable within the existing status quo, and the once champions of this rebellion are choosing comfort over courage, and security over truth. It's understandable, and yet, to my thinking at least, it is unacceptable. These talks, my writing, and my workshops on citizenship are my attempt to speak this phenomena aloud, in the hope that we stay alert.

Catching up

It's been two months since I last corresponded. My plan to send monthly updates has gone awry, family life and other priorities interrupting the intended flow. April was a month of birthdays for us, my two sons in the USA, Rayna and Zoë here, with Asrai's birthday following in mid-May. A year ago, on 26th April we landed in England. It was Zoë's first birthday, so this year, her second birthday, was her first real party, and quite a thrill for her. It's a joyous thing to be a parent a second time around and I'm blessed to not be working full-time, so plenty of time to be with the family.

2016-17 was a slow year, work-wise, and had its own share of interrupts. This year I'm hopeful that I can make a living doing what I enjoy doing, and continuing to be present for new opportunities. In April I had some private work; another public CSM; and the pleasure of facilitating one of my favorite workshops, Storytelling, to which 12 people attended to explore narrative and metaphor. Coming up in May is another Scrum Exchange (just two places remaining if you're interested), and I'll be facilitating the experimental Why of Scrum workshop. I'm hoping to get enough interest in my Emergent Agile Leadership workshop to make it happen in London in the summer and San Francisco in the autumn. The Brussels one looks set to go and the participants are in the process of selecting the date. Detail of these workshops and events can be found in the listing below.

I wish you all an enjoyable International Workers' Day today, and a bright and merry month of May.
Tobias


March & April Writing


1st May 2017