Why do so many companies fail to achieve their strategic goals?

One key reason is the lack of focus on how they operate - there’s lots of time invested in new strategy, goals and initiatives - but little thought of what needs to change across the organisation to achieve these cross-functional goals.

The key to improvement is not another “big organisational transformation” but a more adaptive effective way of working.

Red flags for teams not delivering value

Killer Questions for Agile Teams: Are We Truly Delivering Value?

Before the pandemic, while working with a client, I was tasked with collating assessments for over 30 so-called "Agile teams." Each team was judged against 40 questions, each with five defined scoring levels. This assessment had been running for years, a soul-destroying exercise for both me and the teams

You know it’s been a solid twenty-three years since the Agile Manifesto was signed when you start feeling like the grandparent at the party who remembers “the good ol’ days.” Yep, the schisms in the agile community are real, and I often find myself thinking, "Why am I still teaching teams to estimate?"

Agile Australia 2024

This year at Agile Australia I was fortunate to be chosen to speak, and the topic was “Frameless - empower your Agile transformation”. Amid the noisy social media debates declaring whether Agile is dead or alive, I believe it’s crucial to stay focused on what really matters: helping organisations transform to more modern, engaging, and effective ways of working. Rather than getting lost in the noise, we should address the real issues that organisations face, rather than simply claiming, “Agile is dead!” as clickbait. 

Continuing the theme of recapping Agile Aus 2024, we started the day with a lot of inspiration, and yes, I will admit, a few tears—which was not what I was expecting!

A round up of talks Day 1 Agile Australia 2024

This year, I attended and spoke at Agile Australia 2024 in August. Coming off the back of a big tour of Europe, which included speaking at Agile 2024 in Manchester and running a masterclass workshop with Matthew Skelton, it was a period of enquiry and curiosity, mixed with the inevitable anxiety that comes with preparing for two major talks.

20% of employees feel lonely on a daily basis.

77% of the world's workers are either checked out or actively opposing their employer.

70% of a team's engagement score is dependent on the manager.

As a manager - you play a huge role in the mental health of your employees!

What one thing can you change today that’s people positive?

It's good for business.

Is being dateless such a bad thing?

In the fast-paced world of modern business, many organisations still cling to a date-driven approach to managing projects and initiatives. This industrial era thinking is…well… out of date!

Shift away from a date-centric mindset to focus on what truly matters: delivering value to customers!

We’ve arrived at the finale of this how-to-save-yourself from a big batch wasteful, ineffective, and unenjoyable planning process. In this instalment, I want to provide you with practical recommendations that can equip you with the confidence to remove quarterly planning for yourself, your teams, and your organisation.