Confessions of a Scrum Master (Pt. 3): Embracing Change

 By Nicola Brown

It's true. Taking a step from the familiarity of the 'known' into the void of the 'unknown' takes courage. But what kind of Scrum Master would I be if I wasn't willing to push away my apprehension and summon the courage to make that step? 

I had grown very accustomed to the familiar and I could navigate that space but the truth is that the familiar was no longer what I wanted. And it was far from the cliché that it was 'breeding contempt'.

More than anything, I felt that this ‘familiar’ was no longer allowing me to fulfill my purpose. And of course, if I learnt anything from the ‘panorama’ of the last 2 years, it’s that I need to live my purpose daily.

So, a few months back, I tip-toed from the familiar, with glances in the rear-view mirror, and opened the door into the unknown.

I know I am being a bit melodramatic, but this is how it felt.

But what have I taken from the experience? Many things - but I'll just mention my top 4.

1. The importance of a single step. Any change…all change…begins with a first, single step. There’s no need to even analyze what may lie beyond that first step…just take it. After you’ve made it, then decide what the next step will be. Do you want to continue in the same direction? Do you want to pause for a while? You decide. 

2. Be real and open enough to recognize when something is no longer a fit for you.

3. Act, even when you're writhing with fear. Accept that it is present, but don't let it anchor you. Perhaps, consider that first step as your experiment…a proof of concept of sorts. And for each step after that, you tweak your approach to move you closer to your goal.

4. Make sure you have someone to lean on. We all need support and change is hard. It's easy to feel daunted, even the strongest among us do, but having a support system - someone who'll help push you, when you may be on the brink of giving up - makes a huge difference.

Bonus!
Perhaps, my greatest lesson, so far - the need to bury preconceived notions. 

Creating a picture of what the experience will look like and mulling over all the ‘what-ifs’ and ‘woulda-coulda-shoulda’, does absolutely no good. So when those thoughts appear, figure out how to push them to the back of your mind so that you can focus on the matter at hand.

It’ll be a constant work-in-progress, but it’ll be worth it.

'Til next time,

Nicki

Read Confessions of a Scrum Master Part 1 and Part 2!