SAFe Business Agility Podcast

Following through on the information output from a Value Stream Mapping (VSM) workshop is critical. Just as important is paying attention to a small but mighty metric that has to do with quality. Stefano Giovannini, business agility director at Capgemini Invent, explains and shares a real-world example. Like what you hear? Connect with Stefano on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here.

"You can't do it alone. If you need to do everything for your client … then you're also blindfolded in only looking one way. You need to get many partners all together … so we have multiple visions, multiple cultures, and can be flexible. “ What started as a small network is now Connected Movement, an international consultancy that taps into the value and power of partnerships. In this episode, Adam talks to Jeroen Jan Elzinger, CEO, and Sukie Kang, SPCT, executive coach, and transformation architect about how the company is bringing people together to solve customers' problems. The trio discusses topics including why understanding cultural differences is important to extend their reach and expertise in more regions and markets, why building a diverse network and team is a strength, and they share examples of how communication styles and decision-making processes vary greatly across different countries. Like what you hear? Connect with Jeroen and Sukie on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here.

If an organization's executives and managers don't understand the new way of working associated with an Agile transformation, how can they lead effectively? In this episode, Sukie Kang with Connected Movement shares his tips for coaches to help leaders become fully engaged. Like what you hear? Connect with Sukie on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here.

"Whenever I work with companies, I always challenge the leaders and the managers to rethink what they are paying the people for … are you paying them to stare at the screen from nine to five or are you paying them to actually generate outcomes?" In this episode, Adam talks to Oskar Kawecki, the first SAFe Practice Consultant-T (SPCT) in Poland, about the state of business agility adoption in Eastern Europe. The two discuss topics including the strong industries that are accelerating the need for companies to better adapt to changing market conditions, younger workers seeking more flexible and empowering work environments, and how SAFe can help enable those cultural and generational shifts to solve real business problems. Like what you hear? Connect with Oskar on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here. 

What's the best way to help Business Owners do their jobs better to empower an Agile transformation? In this episode, Kurt Jäger with KEGON explains why part of it involves speaking their language. Like what you hear? Connect with Kurt on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here.

Changing your mindset can change your behaviors. In this episode, SPCT and Strategic Advisor Hiroaki Nakaya explains why this is so important to a successful transformation for any organization. Like what you hear? Connect with Hiroaki on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here.

"Partnerships make a lot of sense to me … I feel that if two different parties come together and align on goals, then there are so many wonderful things that you can do." Today's conversation between Adam and Benjamin Perlzweig, EMEA and DACH partner development manager at Atlassian, explores a wide range of topics. The discussion covers Atlassian's push into generative AI to provide customers with actionable insights and help them drive ROI, the importance of partnerships and collaboration in the software industry to create better solutions, and how the company is fundamentally shifting its mindset about how to help its customers. Like what you hear? Connect with Benji on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here.

Organizations building hardware products realize the need to adopt Agile ways of working. But many struggle with how to do it. In this episode, Rune Christensen, a strategic advisor with Scaled Agile shares his advice and experience around what experiments to run and investments to make. Like what you hear? Connect with Rune on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here.

If your organization is laser-focused on epics, features, and user stories, you may want to shift your attention to something else that can have an even greater impact on your product or solution. Michele Lanzinger, strategic advisor at Scaled Agile, explains what and why in this episode. Like what you hear? Connect with Michele on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here.

What's the best strategy for an organization undergoing a very large Agile transformation to see tangible, sustainable results? Scaled Agile strategic advisor Travis Moorer shares his tips in this episode. Like what you hear? Connect with Travis on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here.

Organizations that focus solely on the planning part of PI Planning are missing out on the larger goal of the event. In this episode, Scaled Agile Strategic Advisor Michele Lanzinger explains why. Like what you hear? Connect with Michele on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here.

Why is it critical for organizations to follow up and act on outcomes from retrospectives and problem-solving workshops? Steve Adolph, strategic advisor with Scaled Agile, explains in this episode. Like what you hear? Connect with Steve on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here.

“More and more IT organizations are realizing that there's more to agility than just managing your projects in an Agile fashion … to deliver the value on your agility, you need to orient teams around outcomes to have them really relate to the business that they own and empower them.” In this episode, Adam talks to SAFe® Fellow Yuval Yuret about the evolution of product management. The conversation covers topics related to Agile transformation and product management, including how technology is driving change in the financial industry, the difference between how technology organizations apply product management compared to consumer product companies, and how a product operating model can help organizations become more product-centric. Like what you hear? Connect with Yuval on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here.

Organizations practicing SAFe have questions as they work to incorporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) elements into their business strategy. In this episode, Odile Moreau, strategic advisor at Scaled Agile, offers tactical advice for including ESG using a popular prioritization model in SAFe. Like what you hear? Connect with Odile on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here.

“Transformation is not big bang.” In this episode, SPCT Saahil Panikar shares his tips—from both a human- and value-delivery perspective—to achieve a successful Agile transformation. Like what you hear? Connect with Saahil on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here.

“The portfolio leadership team are real human beings and they sometimes got into the position that they're in from being really good at a certain style of leadership that worked really well for execution and they're now asked to think from a more strategic point of view and … nobody helps them get to that point.” In this conversation, Adam talks to Rebecca Davis, SAFe methodologist on the Framework team about the importance of portfolio leadership and why it's back on people's radars. The two dive into topics including the difference between portfolio leaders and portfolio managers, the challenges portfolio leaders face, and the new, simplified Framework article that provides guidance on who should be on a portfolio leadership team and the critical behaviors and responsibilities that can make that team successful. Like what you hear? Connect with Rebecca on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here. Read the new Portfolio Leadership article here. Learn more about the 2025 SAFe® Summit Sorrento, Italy here.

Having the right Agile tool is critical to any successful transformation. In this episode, Charlene Cuenca, SPCT and principal consultant with Icon Agility Services, explains why, shares her tips about when to implement one, and how to use it to collect key data. Like what you hear? Connect with Charlene on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here.

Shifting to an Agile way of working is much more than checking boxes for standups and user stories. In this episode, Harry Narang, transformation leader and Agile coach with Skillbook Academy discusses the importance of understanding the why behind Agile practices, rather than just implementing them at face value. Like what you hear? Connect with Harry on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here.

How can you embrace AI to accelerate value for your organization and yourself? Dr. Wiselin Mathuram, SPCT at International Business Consultants, shares real-world examples and actionable advice.  Like what you hear? Connect with Wiselin on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here.

What makes a good coach? Niko Kaintantzis, SPCT at Kegon in Switzerland, explains in this episode. Like what you hear? Connect with Niko on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here.

“We're starting to see that lightbulb moment in folks' minds to say, ‘It's okay to be a little bit vulnerable. It's okay to talk about some painful things.' It's hard to do that within the government world because of the old ways of thinking and working, but we're starting to break those barriers down.” In this episode, Adam talks to Scott Sinclair, Agile Coach within the U.S. Army PEO and Shawn Lowe, SPCT at Accenture about driving successful transformations in a government context. The trio dives into topics including the need for strong leadership to overcome cultural resistance to change, clearly communicating to explain the why behind the transformation, and the importance of defining and measuring the impact of the changes, rather than just monitoring metrics. Like what you hear? Connect with Scott and Shawn on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here. This podcast panel was recorded in October 2024.  --- On October 1, 2024, PEO EIS rebranded to PEO Enterprise to reflect a more modern, Agile organization that includes enterprise software and technology services. To learn more about PEO Enterprise, visit their website.

Coaching can be hard, especially when people are scared and skeptical of change. In this episode, Martha Ann Oliver, SPCT candidate, shares lessons learned and practical tips to stay resilient.   Like what you hear? Connect with Martha Ann on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here.

Many things can go wrong—and right—in an Agile transformation. In today's episode, Enterprise Agile Coach and SPCT Ray Angelone shares his succinct wisdom about how to handle those existing and potential challenges. Like what you hear? Connect with Ray on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here.

“I was really nervous and scared starting my first [Agile Release] Train. It would have been awesome if I had a mentor or coach initially to help me with that. You have to have mentors in your life. Those areas that I struggled with as I was growing my career, I reflected on ‘how can I make it better for others?' and that's what I strived to do.” In this mentor-focused episode, Adam talks to Sarah Blaesing, an SPCT at TEKsystems who found her passion in tech and determination while balancing her roles as a working mom and military spouse. The conversation covers topics including finding career success by building connections and being willing to take risks; developing and empowering others, especially women, in tech and Agile careers; and how she created a unique academy program that provides newly certified Agile coaches and practitioners with hands-on experience and mentorship. Like what you hear? Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn to learn more about the SAFe Academy at TEKsystems and check out their Agile Transformation Services. Explore SAFe courses here.

In this episode, Lindy Quick, SPCT and transformation architect, explains why taking a step back from your day-to-day activities and remembering to breathe can provide important perspectives and help spark new ideas. Like what you hear? Connect with Lindy on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here.

Whether you're working with a customer who is just starting an Agile journey or further along in the process, it's important to meet them where they are. In this episode, Ramesh Nori, SPCT, consultant, and transformation architect shares his advice for getting back to basics in your research, approach, and actions, to help that customer succeed.   Like what you hear? Connect with Ramesh on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here.

“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.

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.

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 Robin on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here.

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 Mike on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here.

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 Em on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here.

“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 Ravi and Logan on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here.

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 Roni on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here.

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 Javier on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here.

“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 Andrew on LinkedIn. Check out the new Big Picture. Explore SAFe courses here.

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 Mohamed on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here.

“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 Alex on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here.

“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 Rebecca and Saahil on LinkedIn. Read the Enabling Strategic Alignment with an Enterprise Strategy Room article. Explore SAFe courses here.

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 Stefano on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here.

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 Ludvig on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here.

“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 Mikael and Steve on LinkedIn. Read the new guidance article, The Role of People Managers in SAFe. Explore SAFe courses here.

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 Mylène on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here.

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 Baptiste on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here.

“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 Tim on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here.

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 Tim on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here.

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 Aishwarya on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here.

“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 Millie, Brian, and Devan on LinkedIn. Sign up for a special extended nVeris trial offer here. Explore SAFe courses here.

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 Mahesh on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here.

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 Michele on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here.

“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 Gerben on LinkedIn where you'll also find his I&A blog series. Explore SAFe courses here.

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 Eric on LinkedIn. Explore SAFe courses here.