On May 5th, 2023, I received my CST certification. From that day, I embarked on my first mission as a CST: to train 100 CEOs to become CSMs within a year. Starting with the first cohort on June 10th, 2023, I have reached and surpassed my goal, with 207 CEOs trained as of June 23rd this year. This achievement was covered by the media, highlighting Roger Chou as Taiwan’s first CST.
Definition of CEO and Free Courses
The term CEO refers to senior executives of a company, which may include general managers or deputy general managers, and leaders of companies with over 100 employees. At PM-ABC, I provide free courses for these CEOs, while the exam fees are paid by the individuals themselves.
Reflections on Training 200 CEOs to Become CSMs
After achieving the goal of training 200 CEOs to become CSMs, I firmly believe: “Where there is a will, there is a way. The greater the will, the greater the power.” In fact, no one sets out to train 100 CSMs for free after obtaining their CST, but for me, training CSMs is no longer a difficult task.
Over the past 10 years, my mentor, Bill Li, and I have jointly trained many CSMs. By “jointly trained,” I mean that my courses account for at least half of Bill’s courses, with him guiding and assisting me.
Within three years, we jointly trained 1,600 CSMs. However, among these 1,600 CSMs, not many were able to make a significant impact in their companies.
Setting CEOs as the Target Audience for Training
After interviewing over a dozen CSMs, I discovered that they were unable to change the mindset of senior executives or the company culture and practices, resulting in ineffective efforts. Therefore, I decided to target CEOs for training, as they have the influence to change company processes and culture.
Although company culture is not entirely dictated by the CEO, they can serve as the catalyst for transformation. With qualitative changes leading to quantitative ones, I set a goal to train 100 CEOs, hoping that at least 50 companies would successfully implement Agile practices as a result.
Success Stories from Non-IT Industries
I specifically targeted non-IT industries because the limitations of Scrum often discourage non-software industries from adopting Agile practices.
However, there are many success stories in non-IT industries around the world, such as Tesla and Sweden’s Gripen fighter jet. Therefore, I positioned my efforts towards non-IT industries. After a year, many non-IT companies have achieved success, proving that my approach was correct.
The Impact of the Course on Companies
After returning to their companies, not all general managers were able to exert influence. Some only gained an additional certification, but some truly used Agile to transform their companies.
For example, one participant named Wei Bifen, the chairman of Hsinya Digital, told me after the course that their projects previously failed to produce results because of the clear division of labor between departments.
After the course, she understood the importance of cross-functional teams and realized that forming a team composed of people from different departments was essential. Here is her complete message:
Message from Chairman Wei Bifen on July 16, 2023
First Day of Learning Insights:
Teacher, I feel that today’s course has changed my approach to my company’s software development team processes the most.
My thinking has shifted slightly from before. Previously, I divided the development team based on their specializations.
For example, those who understood HR better were assigned to develop HR-related projects; those who understood finance better were assigned to finance-related projects; those familiar with web development handled web-related projects.
As a result, everyone was working on their own projects, and each project took a long time to complete.
After today’s course, I realized I need to adopt Scrum to revolutionize my approach. We need to become an agile and cross-functional learning organization.
For instance, we should all focus on completing the finance part first, even if some team members are not familiar with it. Through learning, they will understand it, and this way, we can complete and launch one project after another. As we learned in today’s course, it’s like slicing a cake vertically, not horizontally!
As everyone knows, the market is changing rapidly. If we wait until everyone finishes their individual projects, it might take a year. It’s better to have the team fully focus on completing one project at a time, meeting market launch or product release needs, and creating the greatest benefits and value for the team and the company. This is what I have understood after learning Scrum today.
Extending the Duration of the Mission and the CEO Community
His words deeply moved me, prompting me to extend the duration of my mission. Initially, my goal was to train 100 CEOs, but I have now extended it to a second group of 100 CEOs.
I also established a CEO community, organizing regular activities and inviting General Manager Zhang Ji-Tsung to serve as the president, with monthly meetings.
Establishing such a community of senior executives is not easy, but we remain committed to it.
Global Agile CEO Award
Additionally, I founded the Global Agile CEO Award, with the inaugural ceremony held on December 3rd last year. Out of 37 participants, 15 received awards, which made me feel that my work is truly meaningful.
This year’s CEO Award will have its deadline at the end of August, and I hope more CEOs who have obtained their CSM certification will strive for this honor.
Returning to the Original Mission
After achieving my goal, I will return to my original mission. When I obtained my CST, I set two missions: to train 100 CEOs to become CSMs in the short term, which has been accomplished and even exceeded; and to promote 100 companies to become Agile organizations within the next 10 years.
So far, I have achieved this with three companies: the nation’s largest telecommunications company, the largest network communications company, and the largest construction company in the south.
The third company, in particular, has been especially inspiring. Agile transformation in the construction industry is extremely challenging, but they have been humble and eager to learn. From the chairman to the general manager, 62 people across two groups have obtained their CSM certification, which has deeply moved me.
The Story of the 200th CEO CSM
The 200th CEO is Yang Guozhi, the General Manager of Fuhong Network Company. We also took a precious commemorative photo together.
Continuing to Launch the Third CEO Goal
Although I have achieved the goal of training 200 CEOs to become CSMs, my mission is far from over. If you are a CEO or a senior executive, you are welcome to sign up for PM-ABC Public relations qualifications .
PM-ABC CEO CSM Course Public relations qualifications
News Media Coverage
Transforming Taiwan’s Agile Landscape: Dr. Roger Chou Trains 200 CEOs to Become Agile Leaders in One Year
- tcpttw.: https://www.tcpttw.com/2024/07/114683/
- Yahoo: https://ynews.page.link/SmZ9m
- Matchnews: https://m.match.net.tw/pc/news/life/20240702/8023514
- yam: https://n.yam.com/Article/20240702117175
- WolNews: https://news.owlting.com/articles/740194
- PCHome: https://news.pchome.com.tw/living/tcpttw/20240702/index-71989221580058334009.html