A funny thing happened on the way to the essay this week. I was distracted by feedback from a colleague on a workshop Jeremy Willets and I developed and delivered this week. We discuss why the phrase work entry describes how work gets to teams and organizations, and why "work intake" masks problems in the real world. We also have a visit from Susan Parente and her Not A Scrumdamentalist column. This month Susan answers a listener's question about whether it makes sense for a Scrum Master to also play other roles on a team. Do you have questions that you would like Susan, Jon, Jeremy, Tony, or myself to answer? Leave a voice message at 01.440.668.5717 or an email at [email protected]. Re-read Saturday News Chapter 4 of Coaching Agile Teams by Lyssa Adkins, discusses the idea that a team, individual, or organization follows a path from a learner to mastery to a teacher using the Shu Ha Ri metaphor. The concept of Shu Ha Ri represents a continuum of learning. In martial arts or any demonstrable activity, practitioners must learn and practice before they can take the next step forward. Carol Dweck, in her book Mindset, postulated that even the most gifted athletes need an open mindset to succeed in the long run. To progress across the continuum of learning everyone needs to put in the work. I suspect that for many, the Shu state is the hardest to accept because we all want to believe we are special and we are all impatient to meet the prize of mastery. Remember to buy a copy of Coaching Agile Teams by Lyssa Adkins (SPaMCAST Amazon affiliate line https://amzn.to/38G0ZD3) and read along! Previous Installments Week 1: Logistics and Introduction - https://bit.ly/3A1aNTe Week 2: Will I Be A Good Coach - https://bit.ly/3nzDAHg Week 3: Expect High Performance - https://bit.ly/3Rl4fFf Week 4: Master Yourself - https://bit.ly/3zL8t2n Week 5: Let Your Style Change - https://bit.ly/3Q8zHWa Next SPaMCAST The SPaMCAST 716 features our interview with Jeff Perry. Jeff and I talked about consciously guiding a career in technology. We also wrestled with the difference between a series of jobs and a career. Jeff delivers a ton of hard-won advice.