Agile Australia 2024 Conference:
Professional Insights and Lessons from Personal Experiences
Agile Australia 2024 was a deeply enriching experience, sparking a range of reflections and insights on Agile practices, leadership, and personal growth. I came with a keen interest in exploring different Agile mindsets and frameworks and understanding the Agile community’s perspectives on its status in Australia. What struck me most were two deeply personal stories from the speakers that resonated with my life experiences. As I share my reflections, I’ll weave lessons from various speakers that tie into these themes.
Eddie Betts’ Loss and the Impact of Value Alignment
Eddie’s story about losing the life of his AFL coach, Phil Walsh, profoundly impacted me. Betts highlighted how aligning personal values with team values is crucial for success. He admired Coach Walsh not just for his coaching but for how well his values aligned with those of the team. This sense of belonging and shared purpose was instrumental in Betts’ fulfillment and performance. This principle of creating a unified direction and purpose in leadership is something I deeply resonate with. For Example — In an organization, having clear and purposeful individual roles, along with a connection to team objectives, helps align everyone with both tactical and strategic goals. This focus on business objectives propels the organization forward.
Brian Osman’s Te Ao Māori Journey Through Loss
Brian’s experience with loss profoundly shaped his approach to leadership and integrating Te Ao Māori values with Agile practices. Te Ao Māori emphasizes the significance of the connections between people and the natural world. After losing his mother years ago, Brian deeply inherited and shared the importance of unity, care, and connection. By drawing on these values, caring for one another and working together as one team is paramount, reflecting the deep connections that helped him navigate his grief.
My Reflections on Resilience, Knowledge, and More…
Sandy Mamoli’s insight on building resilience through adversity resonates deeply with me, especially as I navigate my struggles, including the recent loss of my father 5 months ago. Sandy’s perspective echoes my father’s advise: “Knowledge is something nobody can take away from you.” This reinforces that resilience is cultivated not just through academic achievements, but through personal experiences and challenges.
Regeneration in Agile Practices
Andrew Noble and Genny pointed out, that regeneration through small, intentional changes is crucial for continuous improvement. Team Topologies were also pointed out as a good way to design team structures that enhance efficiency, communication, and adaptability. At Jetstar, teams are structured into distinct Domains and utilize the “Capacity model”. For instance, Domain groups concentrate on critical business goals, with capacity and budget considerations continuously integrated.
Agility in Paramedicine
Caidyrn Roder and Nick Roder compared paramedicine to agility, emphasizing that both rely on strong teamwork. Clear, purposeful roles are essential for achieving common goals. Additionally, fostering a Just Culture — where accountability and responses to challenges are system-focused to ensure a positive outcome.
In my role as an Agile Delivery Manager, I embrace this approach by fostering high-performing teams and adapting team structures.
Agile Values and Innovation
Julia Steel highlighted Agile values and organizational values should be aligned. They are essential for achieving meaningful outputs and outcomes. This concept ties into Quinton Quartel’s approach in “Getting to the Next Phase of Agile — FAST”, where he accelerates self-organization leveraging frameworks like Open Space technology and Product Management to drive innovation and effectiveness. His approach complements the idea that resilience paves the way for innovation and effective problem-solving.
Embracing Personal Stories at Work
Tomy Oonoonny’s “Workplace Wonders” emphasizes the importance of personal stories and cultural elements at work. Tomy stated that “habitual responses stem from underlying beliefs”. As we are all storytellers, as Catherin Seal’s “Once Upon a Payphone” talk emphasized, we can enhance team dynamics and authenticity by discussing and respecting diverse opinions.
Living in the Present and Navigating Change
Reanna Browne’s reminder to focus on the present moment to shape a better future resounds with me. We can build a stronger and more adaptive future by developing resilience and embracing collective support in the present.
Finally, Raechelle McLean’s Change 101 workshop, introduced the “Bridge’s Transition Model”, highlighting the process of navigating change through endings, neutral zones, and new beginnings. I learned that this was Raechelle’s favorite Change model and I agree — as it gives a “Human perspective” through “Behavioral Interventions” illustrating how people adapt to change from beginning to end.
Summing Up
Losing a loved one is undoubtedly one of the most challenging experiences we can face. It can feel like we’re stuck in a prolonged neutral zone, caught between what has ended and what is yet to begin. Integrating insights on resilience, present-moment awareness, and enhancing teamwork into our daily lives and work, can improve our ability to manage change more effectively. Keep in mind, that though change is a constant, the memories and lessons from our experiences remain with us. These will guide us through each new phase.
