co-training

[Tim Korson]

From CST applicants, I'd like to hear other's experience about how co-
training has worked for them in terms of successful strategies to find
co-trainers, what the expectations of your co-trainers have been, etc.

From current CSTs, I'd like to hear what your criteria are for both co-
training and ultimately giving someone a reference.

Tim

[Vernon]

What I expect of someone interested in co-training with me is a serious effort to make it easy on my part.

If someone is interested in co-training in one of my scheduled courses, instead of expecting that I tell them when I might have a class they could co-train I expect them to check my public postings and contact me, in advance, to check if they can join as a co-trainer. Assuming no one else has already requested to co-train during the same class, I will very likely oblige. I don't offer revenue sharing. The co-trainer would be responsible for all of their expenses in participating.

Another alternative I entertain is if a candidate wants to conduct training in their local geography and is able to pull together a class, with them taking care of all of the logistics, where I can come in and conduct the course with the candidate as a co-trainer. In this case I expect that the candidate and I will split the proceeds of the class and that the class size will be large enough to cover all expenses plus a reasonable return for opportunity cost associated with not being able to provide training elsewhere. I give preference to areas I can reasonably reach from my geographic location (China) with limited travel time and time zone differences.

Generally I expect to co-train with someone multiple times before I would be willing to provide an endorsement and in no case would co-training, including multiple co-training assure and endorsement. Usually the first time I co-train with someone I would anticipate them taking one or two topics, conducting an exercise, and participating in question and answer sessions. The second time we co-train I would anticipate them taking on some additional topics and exercises, and demonstrating marked improvement in any areas identified in the previous co-training session(s).

For an experienced trainer with excellent skills and a clear understanding of Scrum two co-trainings might be enough to secure an endorsement. Someone less experienced or with obvious gaps would need to participate in additional co-training. I would expect a period of time to elapse between co-training sessions and I would also encourage co-training with someone else between co-training again with me if practical. If that is not practical I would expect the candidate has performed no fewer than two rounds of non-certified training between our co-training sessions.

I hope the candidate community finds this useful, and again extend my welcome to anyone who might be interested in co-training with me.

Thanks,
Vernon

[Vernon]

[Vernon]

[Nigel Baker]

I have three similar rules:

Quality

Mutually beneficial.

Ease of Organisation

1. I won't let co-training affect the quality of my work or the Scrum message - And since the UK public training is so competitive, I wouldn't want to take the risk of co-training with a potentially quality affecting candidate in a public setting. I am more than willing to co-train in a Certified or non certified context in a session created or organised by an applicant.

2. But I can't co-train for "free" - I have to pay my way. As an independent trainer my income is solely based on my working and luckily (or unluckily) I get booked far into the future. There needs to be something that doesn't effect my livelihood too much. Don't expect me to sacrifice time, money, family to help you without some form of recompense. If I was still in a big company, I would be far more likely to give time away "cheaply" as I would be salaried. So, big company CSTs could be a good angle to approach if you are concerned about funding. I would look on CST as an investment. And it is an investment of many different things. (Reading back, that sounds like I am asking for a bribe or something!) What I mean, is that do not take CST likely. As has been said in the gathering sessions as well as on email, you'll need to invest lots of effort, emotion, time, money into your application. It is not easy. If you need others assistance, you need to make it mutually beneficial.

3. Ease of organisation: I am not going to put in a huge effort to help you organise. If you build it, I will come. (To misquote "Field of Dreams") but I am not going to be holding your hand helping you create the appropriate situation - You need to do all the hard leg work yourself. This is why it is unlikely for me to co-train on one of my own private courses. The pain in getting *me* into the building is enough, without trying to arrange someone else into the situation. If you can somehow make this painless for me, I am open to the idea!

For me the best option is a private CSM course arranged by you with one of your clients led by me - organised far in the future - with you co-training aspects of the course. I would want to co-train multiple times to ensure quality and integrity. The later courses I would want you to lead on. I would be happy to take the back seat in any non certified course from the first event, if you wanted feedback and course review.

You'd get bonus points for appealing to my more human side and making it more mutual beneficial: i.e. location, time of year, client, etc anything that tickles my "interest bone" are all more important to me than money. Extra super bonus for Las Vegas. :-)

Finally, co-training doesn't mean I'd recommend you. You need to be confident in your abilities yet modest enough to take some critical feedback.

Regards,

Nigel

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Nigel Baker

Agile Consultant and Coach

Certified Scrum Trainer

Mobile: 07714 213960

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[Arne Åhlander]

My rules for co-training:

I am happy to co-train with CST candidates. Either during one of my scheduled classes or during a class that the candidate market, promote and arranges.

I expect the following from a candidate:

1. Being a CSP

2. To give satisfactory answers to my control questions about Scrum

3. To have conducted Scrum trainings before (not necessarily co-trainings with a CST)

4. To make co-training easy on me (preparations, travel arrangements, practical issues and so forth.)

For co-training during one of my scheduled classes I expect the following:

1. A request to co-train 

2. High quality during the topics covered by the candidate (I will feel free to cut in at any time)

3. For the candidate to cover her or his expenses for co-training

For co-training during a class arranged by the candidate I expect the following:

1. I need to be available at the dates in question

2. A request to co-train at least 3 months ahead of the class

3. That the class size will be large enough to cover all my expenses plus a reasonable return for my participation. (I am running a one man operation and cannot afford to work for free).

Feedback and possible endorsement

After a co-training I will give feedback to the candidate. Co-training with me will not automatically result in me giving an endorsement for the candidate. Before giving any endorsement to become a CST I expect to be co-training more than one instance with a candidate.

• During the first co-training I expect the candidate to cover 2-3 topics, run an excercise and participate in Q&A sessions. 

• In later co-trainings I expect the candidate to cover additional topics and exercises I also expect to see improvements in areas discussed during feedback sessions after prior co-training occassions.

• I suggest to have at least two months between consecutive co-training sessions with me. I encourage candidates to co-train with other CSTs in addition to me.

Arne Åhlander, CST