Business Agility Now Podcast

Advice. Firsthand experiences. Inspiring conversations. Fresh perspectives. You’ll find it all on the SAFe Business Agility podcast—your connection to all things SAFe, and a lot more.

The Government Difference 12/18/2024

The Government Difference “Technology is evolving quickly … and the government is embracing that. And so as they look at modernization and transformation initiatives, how can we look at AI and machine learning and different ways to incorporate these technologies into improving their solutions, improving their services to their constituents, and then integrating that into this whole mindset of agility.” How does a small but mighty Agile consulting firm help government clients tackle the unique challenges and opportunities of large-scale enterprise transformation? Adam finds out in this episode with Beth Hatter, Director of Agile Training, and Jason Fair, CEO of Genesis Consulting Partners. The discussion covers topics including the influx of new, tech-savvy talent seeking to improve government services for citizens, how agencies are adopting a different approach to deliver and manage their products, and the opportunities ahead for both the government and Genesis Consulting. Like what you hear? Connect with Beth and Jason on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here. /episode/index/show/scaledagile/id/34487785

Tactical Tuesday: Engaging Leadership 12/17/2024

Tactical Tuesday: Engaging Leadership As an organization starts its transformation, it’s critical that leadership is actively involved. In this episode, Michael Robertson, Enterprise Coach at Engaged Agility, and SPCT candidate, shares his tips to engage leaders. He also explains why things aren’t always what they seem when leaders appear to be uninterested. Like what you hear? Connect with Michael on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here. /episode/index/show/scaledagile/id/34469690

Tactical Tuesday: Using All of the Tools in Your Toolbox 12/10/2024

Tactical Tuesday: Using All of the Tools in Your Toolbox Organizations know that it’s important to use various tools and approaches to build better systems faster. In this episode, Robin Yemen, Space Domain Lead at Carnegie Mellon University elaborates on that topic and offers a different perspective on specializing. Like what you hear? Connect with on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses . /episode/index/show/scaledagile/id/34354905

A Service-oriented Future 12/04/2024

A Service-oriented Future In this episode, Adam talks to Mike Idengren, Principal Owner of LSA Digital, about the future of IT services. The two discuss topics including the need to move away from the concept of digital transformation and instead embrace continuous evolution, why it’s important to build modular digital architectures that enable rapid experimentation, the challenges of modernizing legacy systems and how to do it, and the critical role of collaboration and communication in designing effective digital solutions. Mike also shares his perspective on why AI is not a magic solution but how it can be helpful. Like what you hear? Connect with on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses . /episode/index/show/scaledagile/id/34284210

Tactical Tuesday: Agile Release Trams 12/03/2024

Tactical Tuesday: Agile Release Trams That’s not a typo in the episode title, it’s a thing. So, what exactly is an Agile Release Tram and how can it provide value to your organization? Em Campbell-Pretty, CEO of Pretty Agile, and SPCT and SAFe Fellow, explains. Like what you hear? Connect with on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses . /episode/index/show/scaledagile/id/33744312

Architecting the Future You Want 11/20/2024

Architecting the Future You Want “Architecture should be leading the delivery, not just the parts … And when I say delivery, I don’t mean the tech delivery. I mean the overall business product delivery.” This episode explores the evolution of digital transformation and the role of architecture in enabling product-centric thinking and Agile delivery. Adam talks to Ravi Purushothaman, Director, Head of Enterprise Agility, and Logan Daigle, Director of Business Transformation, both with NTT Data. The three dive into topics including the importance of architects leading the delivery process, the challenges of transforming legacy “brownfield” environments versus building new “greenfield” solutions, and the need for a holistic, product-oriented approach. Ravi and Logan also share how they think leaders can best support product-centric thinking in any organization undergoing a digital transformation. Like what you hear? Connect with and on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses . /episode/index/show/scaledagile/id/33710867

Tactical Tuesday: Enhance Your Coaching Skills With AI 11/19/2024

Tactical Tuesday: Enhance Your Coaching Skills With AI Whether you’re a Release Train Engineer (RTE), a member of the Lean-Agile Center of Excellence (LACE), a Scrum Master, or another type of coach, artificial intelligence (AI) can enhance your skills. Roni Dolev Tamani, Lead Lean-Agile Coach with AgileSparks and SPCT candidate, explains how. Like what you hear? Connect with on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses . /episode/index/show/scaledagile/id/33709227

Tactical Tuesday: Let's Talk About Predictability 11/12/2024

Tactical Tuesday: Let's Talk About Predictability When an organization is building a product for its customers, why does predictability rise to the top as most important? Javier Morillo, SPCT candidate and Agile coach at Estratecno explains. Like what you hear? Connect with on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses . /episode/index/show/scaledagile/id/33706852

Reimagining SAFe® 11/06/2024

Reimagining SAFe® “The language people are using now is ‘we’re on this continuous journey of improvement’ and the ability to adapt the Framework has always been there. … Rather than make it something that you have to discover for yourself, we want to make it part of the fabric of the Framework.” In this episode, Adam talks to Andrew Sales, Chief Methodologist at Scaled Agile, about making SAFe more accessible, understandable, and adaptable for organizations. The two discuss the why behind reimagining SAFe, the focus on clearly explaining the purpose and rationale behind the practices, the intentional design of the new Big Picture and reworked articles, and the future evolution of the Framework. Like what you hear? Connect with on LinkedIn. Check out the new . Explore SAFe courses . /episode/index/show/scaledagile/id/33708797

Tactical Tuesday: Team Collaboration 11/05/2024

Tactical Tuesday: Team Collaboration If an Agile Release Train (ART) is a team of Agile teams, how do you make sure your teams are collaborating effectively? In this episode, Mohamed Zouaghi, Lean-Agile coach and transformation architect, shares his tips. Like what you hear? Connect with on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses . /episode/index/show/scaledagile/id/33422062

Tactical Tuesday: PI Planning's Powerful Tool 10/29/2024

Tactical Tuesday: PI Planning's Powerful Tool “Why do we do PI Planning? It’s so expensive.” When a leader or manager asks that question, how do you respond? Alex Menzinsky, an SPC, RTE, and Agile Coach in Spain shares his very convincing answer in today’s episode. Like what you hear? Connect with on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses . /episode/index/show/scaledagile/id/33421992

Enterprise Strategy Room 10/23/2024

Enterprise Strategy Room “The value of the enterprise strategy room is to bring forward the information that the enterprise leaders need to do their jobs, enable others to be successful, and support the things that most need support at that moment.” Tune in as Adam talks to Rebecca Davis, Methodologist for the Framework Team, and Saahil Panikar, SPCT and CIO at Atlas Revolutions, about the concept of an enterprise strategy room—a tool designed to help leaders reconnect portfolio performance data to the overall enterprise strategy. The discussion dives into what benefits the enterprise strategy room aims to achieve and why it’s the right forum to make informed decisions to drive the business forward, the growing need to focus less on transformation and more on achieving the benefits of having transformed, and pitfalls to avoid. Like what you hear? Connect with and on LinkedIn. Read the article. Explore SAFe courses . /episode/index/show/scaledagile/id/33485232

Tactical Tuesday: Lessons Learned From a PI Planning Event 10/22/2024

Tactical Tuesday: Lessons Learned From a PI Planning Event In this episode, Stefano Giovannini Agile Transformation Director at Capgemini Invent, shares a story from the field about a recent PI Planning event that he and his team supported for a financial services company. He shares what they learned and what they’ll do differently in the future to improve. Like what you hear? Connect with on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses . /episode/index/show/scaledagile/id/33421927

Tactical Tuesday: Nature as Inspiration for Continuous Improvement 10/15/2024

Tactical Tuesday: Nature as Inspiration for Continuous Improvement What does an ant have to do with SAFe and becoming a more effective organization? Ludvig Åhlin, Lean-Agile Coach at Swedbank and iSPCT candidate explains in today’s epsiode. Like what you hear? Connect with on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses . /episode/index/show/scaledagile/id/33421872

A Manager's Role in SAFe 10/09/2024

A Manager's Role in SAFe “In all the SAFe transformations I’ve been involved in, there have been struggles for managers. I often meet people who suddenly have their staff moving into teams and ARTs, and those people get a lot of guidance, training, and support from coaches. And they’re well-equipped to take on that mindset shift. But for managers ... they are left to somehow figure it out themselves.” In this episode, Adam talks to Mikael Broomé, Lean-Agile coach and SPCT candidate at Think Flow in Sweden, and Dr. Steve Mayner, VP Framework, Methodologist, and SAFe Fellow at Scaled Agile, Inc., about new guidance that offers managers much-needed support throughout this transition. The trio discusses topics including the challenges managers face, why investing in training and development for managers is crucial, and why organizations should create parallel career paths for managers. Like what you hear? Connect with and on LinkedIn. Read the new guidance article, . Explore SAFe courses . /episode/index/show/scaledagile/id/33382572

Tactical Tuesday: Increasing HR's Impact on an Agile Transformation 10/08/2024

Tactical Tuesday: Increasing HR's Impact on an Agile Transformation Sometimes, how you frame something can make all the difference. In this episode, Mylène Boutet, Manager of the Lean-Agile Center of Excellence (LACE) at Amadeus in France, shares how she helped the HR department have a bigger impact on the company’s Agile transformation. Like what you hear? Connect with on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses . /episode/index/show/scaledagile/id/33365287

Tactical Tuesday: Making SAFe® Stick 10/01/2024

Tactical Tuesday: Making SAFe® Stick As your organization progresses through an Agile transformation, how do you make SAFe—and ultimately business agility—stick? In this episode, Baptise Galea, manager of the Lean-Agile Center of Excellence (LACE) for FedEx in Europe, shares three key tips around people, communication, and culture. Like what you hear? Connect with on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses . /episode/index/show/scaledagile/id/33268967

I Learned it in a Band 09/25/2024

I Learned it in a Band “I had a bet with some folks during an engagement a couple of years ago … that if I ever say ‘SAFe says’ then I have to do 10 burpees. That’s the rule because it’s not about dogma. It’s about how can we facilitate conversations and find different ways to explore things.” In this episode, Adam talks to Tim Jackson, SPCT and Agile coach, who actually learned about Agile and product management from being in a band. The two discuss topics including why it’s important to be pragmatic when implementing frameworks like SAFe, the value of effective discovery to understand the real problems and goals before jumping into a solution, and the distinction between consulting and coaching and how to be aware of your own limitations. Like what you hear? Connect with on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses . /episode/index/show/scaledagile/id/33206607

Tactical Tuesday: The OSCAR Model 09/24/2024

Tactical Tuesday: The OSCAR Model Looking for another tool to add to your coaching toolkit? In this episode, Tim Jackson, SPCT, Agile coach, and trainer, explains the OSCAR coaching model and how to use it to guide a conversation and help people take meaningful action on something that is important to them. Like what you hear? Connect with on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses . /episode/index/show/scaledagile/id/33176452

Tactical Tuesday: Are Small Batches Always Best? 09/17/2024

Tactical Tuesday: Are Small Batches Always Best? What’s the difference between transaction costs and holding costs? Is working in smaller batch sizes always best? SPC Aishwarya Radhakrishnan with Deloitte explains and shares clarifying examples. Like what you hear? Connect with on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses . /episode/index/show/scaledagile/id/33072892

AI Powered Value Streams 09/11/2024

AI Powered Value Streams “How do we get you from a culture of getting things done to a culture of process innovation at the core? We can compute what the opportunity value of a change would be and how speeding up your processes and increasing your throughput … actually relates to real-world value and real-world returns.” In this episode, Adam talks to Millie Paniccia, Brian Paniccia, and Devan Corona with TecVeris about the company’s AI-powered value stream mapping platform, nVeris. The group talks about why Millie’s and Brian’s personal experiences led them to start TecVeris and how that founding mission motivated the organization to make value stream management more collaborative, interactive, and accessible to more organizations and industries. The discussion also dives into how nVeris uses AI to help organizations quickly and collaboratively map out value streams and quantify the business impact of improving their processes. “For a lot of people, when they see their value stream mapped out end to end, that’s the first time they’ve ever seen it in their lives. Seeing future states and what could become with a little process innovation is another aha moment. We keep those in mind at every step of the process.” Like what you hear? Connect with , , and Devan on LinkedIn. Sign up for a special extended nVeris trial offer . Explore SAFe courses . /episode/index/show/scaledagile/id/33003797

Tactical Tuesday: Improving Flow 09/10/2024

Tactical Tuesday: Improving Flow It’s not uncommon for Agile teams to encounter challenges as they try to improve efficiency in their product delivery flow. In this episode, Mahesh Varadharajan, SPCT and SAFe practice lead at KnowledgeHut explains why this happens and offers some insights and tips on how to overcome those challenges. Like what you hear? Connect with on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses . /episode/index/show/scaledagile/id/32974192

Tactical Tuesday: Engaging Conversations with Senior Leadership 09/03/2024

Tactical Tuesday: Engaging Conversations with Senior Leadership How do you talk to a senior leader about why agility is good for your organization? In this episode, SAFe® Strategic Advisor and SPCT Michele Lanzinger shares some key suggestions. Hint: it has a lot to do with language. Like what you hear? Connect with on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses . /episode/index/show/scaledagile/id/32614287

Inspect & Adapt: An RTE's Perspective 08/28/2024

Inspect & Adapt: An RTE's Perspective “I think there is magic in SAFe, and it’s called Inspect and Adapt because it’s such an important moment for an [Agile Release] train at a company to inspect the product delivered.” In this episode, Adam talks to Gerben Kollaard, Release Train Engineer (RTE) at the Dutch Tax Authority. The two discuss Gerben’s experience switching from the commercial insurance industry to a government context where Inspect and Adapt (I&A) workshops were not being done regularly or effectively. Gerben highlights the challenges of defining and identifying customers at a government organization and how that impacts the Agile mindset and practices. He also shares some of his favorite facilitation techniques for problem-solving workshops, including the 50-percent solution mindset. Like what you hear? Connect with on LinkedIn where you’ll also find his I&A blog series. Explore SAFe courses . /episode/index/show/scaledagile/id/32765377

Tactical Tuesday: Framing Value Organization 08/27/2024

Tactical Tuesday: Framing Value Organization A lot of changes happen when companies organize and reorganize around value, which can feel overwhelming. In this episode, SAFe® Fellow and SPCT Eric Willeke from Shaping Agility shares his tips for what to focus on and when, as well as four key things to do to achieve flow throughout your portfolio. Like what you hear? Connect with on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses . /episode/index/show/scaledagile/id/32614262

Tactical Tuesday: Enabling Flow and Tactical Technical Practices 08/20/2024

Tactical Tuesday: Enabling Flow and Tactical Technical Practices Working in smaller batches increases flow. But splitting a sticky note into smaller pieces doesn’t guarantee that those doing the work will achieve business goals. In today’s episode, Strategic Advisor and SPCT Rune Christensen explains why and how enabling team members on solid old and new technical practices can be a big advantage. Like what you hear? Connect with on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses . /episode/index/show/scaledagile/id/32614217

SAFe for Hardware 08/14/2024

SAFe for Hardware What can we learn from someone who has spent a large part of his career taking software things and bringing them to the hardware world? A lot it turns out. In this episode of Business Agility Now, Adam talks to SAFe® Fellow and Methodologist Harry Koehnneman. The two discuss topics including the significant challenges the hardware industry faces and why hardware organizations have been slower to adopt Agile ways of working compared to software organizations. Harry also shares how growing recognition of the integration of hardware and software in complex systems has sparked him and his team to bring guidance and best practices for applying SAFe to hardware. Like what you hear? Connect with on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses . /episode/index/show/scaledagile/id/32574262

Tactical Tuesday: Prioritizing Your ESG Goals 08/13/2024

Tactical Tuesday: Prioritizing Your ESG Goals Organizations worldwide are creating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives to demonstrate their commitment to social issues and meet sustainability goals. In today’s episode, Odile Moreau, SPCT and strategic and ESG advisor at Scaled Agile, shares how you can use SAFe to achieve those goals. Like what you hear? Connect with on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses . /episode/index/show/scaledagile/id/32549492

Tactical Tuesday: Facilitating Dependencies 08/06/2024

Tactical Tuesday: Facilitating Dependencies If you’re a Release Train Engineer (RTE) leading one or many ARTs, it can be challenging to coordinate everything that needs to happen during important events. In this episode, Mahesh Varadharajan shares his tips for leading large groups successfully. Like what you hear? Connect with on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses . /episode/index/show/scaledagile/id/32357292

Connecting Strategy to Execution at Vodafone 07/31/2024

Connecting Strategy to Execution at Vodafone “Be bold … it takes courage to do things differently.” In this episode, Adam talks to Alena Keck and Silke Eggert from Vodafone about their journey toward digital transformation and Lean Portfolio Management. Hear about the challenges, opportunities, and the cultural shift needed to implement participatory budgeting. The group also discusses why it’s important to have a culture that allows for experimentation and fun, the value of attending conferences and events as a team, and why it’s critical that leaders take risks and lead by example. Like what you hear? Connect with and on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses . /episode/index/show/scaledagile/id/32336307

Business Agility Now Podcast

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