Who is Mike Freislich?
Here is what Karen has to say about Mike:
I first met Mike through the Scrum User Group. What I love about Mike is that he didn’t seem to be afraid of anything. He would tell a senior manager at a client exactly what he thought, and in a way that they would listen and respect what he was saying. I think that kind of courage and honesty is an asset in anyone, but particularly an agile coach.
What is something people usually don’t know about you but has influenced you in who you are?
“According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.” - Jerry Seinfeld
I found myself at a crossroads a few years ago. I had hit a creativity ceiling at the organisation I was working with and wasn’t feeling inspired to grow further there; or perhaps I was simply feeling more than a little rebellious with a baby on the way, and my father diagnosed with cancer. Either way, I decided to quit my job of 10 years and look for something else to do (in that order). The first two opportunities that I was lucky enough to be presented with were both exciting. The first was getting back into a more hands-on technical role with people I knew well, who were working on a large-scale technology project in SA-education, and the other was to assist with kick-starting Agile in SA with a respected former colleague. My highly rational thought process at the time was to base my decision primarily on fear. In other words, whichever job scared me the most would be the one I’d go with. Since I share Jerry Seinfeld’s view (at least on the number one fear), the thought of standing in front of people and evangelising, training and coaching Scrum was indeed terrifying. So it is primarily due to my fear of public speaking that I pursued a role in Agile coaching. This decision has fundamentally changed how I look at the world, organisations, teams, relationships, problem solving and myself; I believe for the better :)
What would have become of you, if you were not doing the job you do today?
Hmmm… Difficult! When I’m surrounded by complexity, I often fondly consider the thought of selling ice-creams on the beach; in the rain. Or perhaps I’d still be writing rave-music, and have long-balding-hair. Paradoxical!
What is your biggest challenge and why is it a good thing for you?
Sustainable Pace! Possibly my biggest challenge over the last few years has been my work-life balance. Raising a young kid, and travelling every other week doesn’t leave much space for down-time. Because of this, I’ve spent some time reflecting on what’s important to me. Having been raised with an overburdened sense of responsibility, it’s difficult to say “no”. I think I find it easier to say “no” on behalf of others than for myself a.k.a. “protect the team”! In a creative work environment there is almost always more potential work than can be done. I found myself taking it too personally when I wasn’t able to keep up, or find some way in which to optimise things to allow for everything to get done. I’m starting to learn to go a little easier on myself. I’ve cut back on my travel (I suspect to the disappointment of my employer), and try to incorporate an art-of-the-possible mindset. It’s still a struggle, but it’s getting better - I think!
What drives you?
The knowledge that it’s a journey. The desire to do things that add value, stop doing things that don’t, and inspire others to do the same. That, and to have fun! Oh and… the look in my daughter’s eyes when she smiles.
What is your biggest achievement?
Health - 150 sit-ups & 27 pull-ups this morning :) Travel - Standing on the summit of Half-Dome, Yosemite, CA - A life long ambition finally realised! Family - My daughter is still alive and happy despite me Love - Louise said Yes! Professional - Having the courage to step away from the keyboard to coach Agile - only to start the next job and create a Gantt Chart?!
Is there a piece of music that has a special meaning for you?
Most recently, purely due to the powerfully emotive story-telling, I’d have to say Lucy Spraggan’s “Tea and Toast”. Being a hobbyist musician myself, I can also say that was extremely sentimentally attached to about 500 original compositions that died a horrible death, along with my hard drive … “cluck cluck”, but that’s a story for another time.
What is the last book you have read?
Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - to my 5 year old daughter. To be honest, I’ve been reading surprisingly little recenty - perhaps it’s time to start so I’ll have a better answer when asked next time. I’m slowly meandering through the following books in multi-threaded fashion:
Start with Why - Simon Sinek (really speaks to me so far)
The Leader’s Guide to Radical Management - Stephen Denning
Logical Stupidity - Peter Greenwall
Hmmm.. looking at the list above, I see a lot of WIP and nothing DONE. Go Figure.
What question do you think we should also ask and what is the answer?
Does Agile get any easier the longer you do it?
Does life get easier the longer you live? Perhaps. Perhaps not. An understanding of the Agile fundamentals have become muscle-programming over time. Although, rather than making it easier for me, the nature of the questions on my mind have changed and perhaps gotten deeper. In some cases this has lead all the way to self-doubt and deviation from some fundamentals. Then, returning to the basics with renewed respect has been the inevitable outcome. It’s a journey. It’s still hard. Every cycle exposes something new.
Whom do you think we should ask next in South Africa?
Julius Malema? Agile and Politics aside, I’d pay to see his answer to some of these questions. Then again, perhaps I wouldn’t :)
Whom do you think we should ask next, not in South Africa?
Since this is a South African version of the book, I’m racking my brain for Agile South African’s, who are out of the country at the moment. Peter? Are you back yet? :) Perhaps Marius de Beer?
How would you define your relation to the South African Agile community?
To be quite honest, despite having been involved to some degree in it’s inception, I’ve been distant for a while. Work & Life - refer to Q3. The people I’ve had the privilege of meeting through the community over the years have always been inspiring, in their knowledge and their desire to work at improving things. It’s always good to know I’m not alone in chaos!
Cape Town, May 2013
How to connect with Mike
Twitter: @MikeFreislich
Linked In: za.linkedin.com/in/mikefreislich