The problems with Apprentices

 

From what some of us are hearing, there are some problems associated with the Apprentices. Some are being injected into agile projects "improperly", some appear to be inappropriate for the position, some have not fully accepted the role, or there is some other issue. What is happening?

 

Note also that some of the following are also problems FOR apprentices. (Would you consider them a problem for yourself if you were an apprentice?)

 

Perhaps, more accurately, the "problem" is with Apprenticeship as practiced at a given company(ies). This page is to discuss and define the problem.... (For suggested solutions, see ApprenticeprogramSuggestions)

 

I have noted which ones I have experienced...JHL

 

• Apprentice selection process does not make sense

 

• on my team, the apprentice doesn't think she was "selected" but in fact the local lean-agile champion says he selected her. Why? What were his criteria? (What was he thinking?)
• selected by an IT manager to take the company CSM course, partly to fill a quota - JHL

 

• furthermore, she was given no context for this shift - no expectations or instructions. And, when we started Sprint 0 with a portion of her team, she was still fulfilling all her old responsibilities for the rest of the team, and with outside organizations doing BDUF (Big Design Up Front)
  • similar experience - JHL

 

• apprentice given no context/description of what the apprentice role would be, what it would require, how long it would take, etc.
  • Yep. JHL

 

• some apprentices are not sure of their career path (as in, how do I get rewarded for taking this role?) - JHL

 

• the apprentices do not have a job description of any sort for the SM role. In other words, they don't really know what they are apprenticing for. See ScrumRoles for a proposed job description.
  • variation: apprentice has never seen the SM role played in a project before becoming an apprentice. - JHL

 

• some apprentices are unsure how they will be evaluated
  • Don't know, but suspect this is the case, if they are thinking -- JHL

 

• some apprentices are skeptical that agile will last
  • similar experience - JHL

 

• some apprentices are wanting to add "scrum master" to one or more other roles they are also playing on the same project
  • similar experience; not sure whether power grabbing or just lack of understanding - JHL

 

• some apprentices feel that they can't become a real scrum master until the "original" scrum master is gone. So they want to push. This attitude is not conducive to collaboration between SM and Mentor.
  • similar experience, I think. JHL

 

• some sense that some apprentices are "grabbing power" (a rather natural thing in an open environment that seems to reward that) -- but is this a bad motivation for a new apprentice? (Rhetorical question?)
  • Similar experience, I think. JHL

 

• people wanting to protect their livelihood, so "let's be a SM"
  • Similar experience, I suspect - JHL

 

• a sense that "I'm a PM, and basically that's the same as SM, with a few minor variations and some different terms". This is partly a result of having no clear definition of the SM role.
  • Yep. JHL

 

• unwilling to accept that PM no longer "owns" project success, budget, etc.
  • Yep. JHL

 

 

Solutions??

 

Once we have defined the problem, perhaps we can collect our suggestions to improve this situation, and once they are distilled, get them to the right parties in the company?

 

• Side ironic comment : Wait a minute! I thought apprentices were a solution. You mean they are a block?

 

See ApprenticeprogramSuggestions

 

See also.. OpenspaceforApprenticesmmentorissues

 

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