Brett Palmer's Journey to Become a Certified Scrum Trainer

March 21, 2017 - I send a job offer to Brett Palmer as full-time agile coach.

March 23,2017 - Brett declines the full-time offer, and requests a contract opportunity.

March 25, 2017 - I reply that any 1099 work will not include my investment and support for the CST. I wrote:

I'm going to think some more about what this means on the CST process, though, given the cost and investment and the network I bring for that. I'm not there yet if it's not full-time (which is what the Scrum Alliance was trying to help and address with the ECST program).  

The CST is such a lure towards money that most would rather train full time rather than train and coach. Even if training & coaching, it's hard to find where to draw the line on train vs long term investment in the company, community, etc.  

For example, train four times a month and coach the rest? Train twice, coach most and spend some time visiting clients, on free coaching calls, supporting a and running an other low-margin classes? 

I feel strongly the latter is best for individuals, teams and companies in our area long term. Results will take time, but I don't see any other way. 

I can't, in good conscience, expect an independent to give up a good income from training just for what I think is "best for the company and community." It doesn't make short term economic sense. That's why I made stock options/ownership part of the offer.

April 6, 2017 - Brett accepts the initial full-time offer, stating among other things:

Your offer is really quite generous, and says a lot of your confidence in me...I will do everything possible in my capacity to help grow the R9 brand...my loyalty now is R9.

May 13, 2017 - Arranged co-train for Brett with CST #1. Two days off and direct cost of $15,552.00.

June 7, 2017 - Arranged co-train for Brett with CST #2. Three days off and travel costs.

July 16, 2017 - Arranged co-train for Brett with CST #3. Four days off and travel costs.

July 23, 2017 - Second co-train for Brett with CST #2. Three days off and travel costs.

July 30, 2017 - Second co-train for Brett with CST #3. Three days off and travel costs.

August 1, 2017 - Arranged co-train for Brett with CST #4. Five days off and travel costs.

August 21, 2017 - Arranged co-train for Brett with CST #5. Two days off and direct costs of $11,004.

Summer and Fall, 2017 - Brett had over 7 weeks of training, all of which helped to present him as the best candidate possible. This includes CSD, multiple CAL, Large Scale Scrum (LeSS), Lean Kanban University and ORSC certifications. Brett had over 40 days of co-training, all paid for as an FTE. Brett is not billable for majority of the time.

October 24, 2017 - November 1, 2017 - Brett's trip to Dublin, Ireland for the Scrum Gathering. He does not pass the Trainer Approval Committee (TAC).

December, 2017 - Brett submits an expense report totaling over $30,000.

April 13 - 19, 2018 - Brett travels to Minneapolis Scrum Gathering, passes the TAC.

April 22, 2018 - Brett Palmer quits Rocket Nine Solutions.

Brett is now independent, doing business as "Brett Palmer & Associates" with two classes a week, including Orange County. He has a "code of conduct" that "anyone who violates this code of conduct may be sanctioned."

The Biggest Lesson of the Last Five Years

Five years ago I was deep in a agile transformation at what would become Dell Technologies, kicking off another transformation that would be, in my opinion, one of the most successful, mature growth paths I've seen teams on, and beginning to dig into the paradigm shift of LeSS.

But those would pale in comparison to the larger, more painful lessons I would learn.

I would be lied to and betrayed by someone I knew in the agile community for years, someone I helped mentor. This cost me directly over $100,000, and a lost opportunity costs of another $100,000 - $200,000, as well as a business strategy delay of two years. I wish I could say I was strong enough to not have emotional costs as well.

This terrible experience lead me to change long-held beliefs. Based on it, I no longer believe in:
 - Theory Y. This person had self-interest over team or company and planned and executed on it over a long time. As soon as he had his Certified Scrum Trainer credential, he quit within within weeks.
 - The Retrospective Prime Directive. To still believe this would mean that he "did his very best" over the course of over a year being invested in, given numerous certifications (CAL, CSD, LKU and more), over $30,000 of direct expenses including travel to the Dublin Scrum Gathering and several other cities across the US, and then give notice right after becoming a CST...THAT is very best? If so, I would hate to see his worst, or even his average. Now, it might be that it was his "best" performance, pretending to be a team-player, loyal employee and that he would pay back this trust and investment, but I don't think that's what is meant.
 - Self-organization and self-management. Although I still believe in these, it is now only within the boundaries of ethical people of sound mind. Do you really believe self-management works towards society's best with criminals? Or with people that are mentally unstable? It just amplifies the bad.
 - Teal and Green Organizations. If someone is manipulative, nefarious, scheming, then they use those to bend others to their will, either through persuasion, guilt, pressure, lying or other negative approaches for their own benefit and the detriment of their team and organization. It would only be, sadly, through traditional controlling tools of signed contracts, layers on retainer, and other threatening tools with repercussions that would stop a selfish person from taking everything they can.
 - Community that sticks up for each other. One of my first surprises what that another small agile training company began using this new CST right after he left my company. "An obvious oversight, for sure. I'll call to let them know about the situation, and they'll correct it right away, letting him know its not right." Nope. Their President will say that she won't "get involved." Ummmm...you're already involved because you're profiting off of someone that I've spent all the time and money to become a CST, apparently for your classes in Birmingham, Los Angeles and Salt Lake City. Nice.

I'll share the other, less painful, lessons learned later this week, including losing several hundred thousand dollars. Yes, less painful. Losing that much money wasn't as painful as what my ex-employee, and his new primary training company, did to me.