Business Agility Now Podcast
Episodes
Tactical Tuesday: Leading Change
22 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you're a change agent, such as a SAFe Practice Consultant (SPC), your job is to bring about change—even if the organization doesn't want to chang...
Tactical Tuesday: You Are Not Alone
15 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Emily Lint, senior technical Release Train Engineer at ICON Agility Services, is here to remind you not to be critical of yourself when dealing with t...
A Good Versus Great RTE
08 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What's the difference between a good Release Train Engineer (RTE) and an exemplar RTE? Glenn Smith, SPCT and director of Nimbility, explains in this e...
Tactical Tuesday: Don't Go It Alone
01 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jeroen Jan Elzinga, CEO of Connected Movement, explains the key advantages of collaboration. Like what you hear? Connect with Jeroen ...
Tactical Tuesday: Business Value
24 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Business Owners assign business value during events such as PI Planning, they're considering a lot more than just a number. In this episode, Piot...
Tactical Tuesday: Moving from RTE to STE
17 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you're a Release Train Engineer (RTE) aspiring to become a Solution Train Engineer (STE), what should you consider before making a move? In this ep...
Tactical Tuesday: Communities of Practice
10 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Picture this: Your organization continues to train internal SPCs as it undergoes an Agile transformation. How do you manage that growing community to ...
Mastering Lean Portfolio Management
04 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"It's hard to master, yes, because there's so much value. You need to have the right people to help you disseminate that advice, to apply the right ap...
Remember the Power of Why
03 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What's the best way to motivate people during an Agile transformation and set them up for success? In this episode, Quinn Dodsworth, Agile learning co...
Tactical Tuesday: Follow Through on This Key Metric
27 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Following through on the information output from a Value Stream Mapping (VSM) workshop is critical. Just as important is paying attention to a small b...
The Value of Strong Partnerships
21 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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 pa...
Tactical Tuesday: Engaging Leadership
20 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If an organization's executives and managers don't understand the new way of working associated with an Agile transformation, how can they lead effect...
What's Driving the Need for Business Agility in Eastern Europe?
14 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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 the...
Tactical Tuesday: Show Them the Numbers
13 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Tactical Tuesday: Focus on Principles
06 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Changing your mindset can change your behaviors. In this episode, SPCT and Strategic Advisor Hiroaki Nakaya explains why this is so important to a suc...
Driving Innovation and Unlocking the Power of GenAI
30 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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 th...
Tactical Tuesday: Adopting Agile in Hardware
29 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 C...
Tactical Tuesday: Focus on the Increment
22 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ev...
The Compound Effect
15 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What's the best strategy for an organization undergoing a very large Agile transformation to see tangible, sustainable results? Scaled Agile strategic...
Tactical Tuesday: Make PI Planning Yours
01 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 Str...
Tactical Tuesday: Follow Up to Learn
25 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why is it critical for organizations to follow up and act on outcomes from retrospectives and problem-solving workshops? Steve Adolph, strategic advis...
SAFe and Product Management
19 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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 val...
Tactical Tuesday: Sustainability and SAFe
18 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Organizations practicing SAFe have questions as they work to incorporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) elements into their business stra...
Tactical Tuesday: Managing Change
11 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"Transformation is not big bang." In this episode, SPCT Saahil Panikar shares his tips—from both a human- and value-delivery perspective—to achiev...
Portfolio Leadership
05 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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 styl...
Tactical Tuesday: Working with Tools
04 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Having the right Agile tool is critical to any successful transformation. In this episode, Charlene Cuenca, SPCT and principal consultant with Icon Ag...
Tactical Tuesday: Why Focus?
25 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Shifting to an Agile way of working is much more than checking boxes for standups and user stories. In this episode, Harry Narang, transformation lead...
Tactical Tuesday: Working Smarter in SAFe with AI
18 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How can you embrace AI to accelerate value for your organization and yourself? Dr. Wiselin Mathuram, SPCT at International Business Consultants, share...
Tactical Tuesday: Coaching is Not About You
11 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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. ...
Practicing SAFe to Empower the Warfighter
05 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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 th...
Tactical Tuesday: How to Be Resilient
04 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Coaching can be hard, especially when people are scared and skeptical of change. In this episode, Martha Ann Oliver, SPCT candidate, shares lessons le...
Think, But Don't Worry
28 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Many things can go wrong—and right—in an Agile transformation. In today's episode, Enterprise Agile Coach and SPCT Ray Angelone shares his succinc...
Empowering the Next Generation of Agile Coaches
22 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"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 w...
Tactical Tuesday: Take a Step Back
21 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Lindy Quick, SPCT and transformation architect, explains why taking a step back from your day-to-day activities and remembering to br...
Tactical Tuesday: Back to Basics
14 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 a...
The Government Difference
18 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"Technology is evolving quickly … and the government is embracing that. And so as they look at modernization and transformation initiatives, how can...
Tactical Tuesday: Engaging Leadership
17 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As an organization starts its transformation, it's critical that leadership is actively involved. In this episode, Michael Robertson, Enterprise Coach...
Tactical Tuesday: Using All of the Tools in Your Toolbox
10 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Organizations know that it's important to use various tools and approaches to build better systems faster. In this episode, Robin Yemen, Space Domain ...
A Service-oriented Future
04 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ne...
Tactical Tuesday: Agile Release Trams
03 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Architecting the Future You Want
20 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"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 busin...
Tactical Tuesday: Enhance Your Coaching Skills With AI
19 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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, artif...
Tactical Tuesday: Let's Talk About Predictability
12 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When an organization is building a product for its customers, why does predictability rise to the top as most important? Javier Morillo, SPCT candidat...
Reimagining SAFe®
06 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"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. ...
Tactical Tuesday: Team Collaboration
05 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 Zoua...
Tactical Tuesday: PI Planning's Powerful Tool
29 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"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...
Enterprise Strategy Room
23 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"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 ...
Tactical Tuesday: Lessons Learned From a PI Planning Event
22 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Stefano Giovannini Agile Transformation Director at Capgemini Invent, shares a story from the field about a recent PI Planning event ...
Tactical Tuesday: Nature as Inspiration for Continuous Improvement
15 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 expl...
A Manager's Role in SAFe
09 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"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 movi...
Tactical Tuesday: Increasing HR's Impact on an Agile Transformation
08 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes, how you frame something can make all the difference. In this episode, Mylène Boutet, Manager of the Lean-Agile Center of Excellence (LACE)...
Tactical Tuesday: Making SAFe® Stick
01 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As your organization progresses through an Agile transformation, how do you make SAFe—and ultimately business agility—stick? In this episode, Bapt...
I Learned it in a Band
25 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"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 ru...
Tactical Tuesday: The OSCAR Model
24 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Looking for another tool to add to your coaching toolkit? In this episode, Tim Jackson, SPCT, Agile coach, and trainer, explains the OSCAR coaching mo...
Tactical Tuesday: Are Small Batches Always Best?
17 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What's the difference between transaction costs and holding costs? Is working in smaller batch sizes always best? SPC Aishwarya Radhakrishnan with Del...
AI Powered Value Streams
11 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"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 ...
Tactical Tuesday: Improving Flow
10 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 Va...
Tactical Tuesday: Engaging Conversations with Senior Leadership
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 Lanzing...
Inspect & Adapt: An RTE's Perspective
28 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"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 ...
Tactical Tuesday: Framing Value Organization
27 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A lot of changes happen when companies organize and reorganize around value, which can feel overwhelming. In this episode, SAFe® Fellow and SPCT Eric...
Tactical Tuesday: Enabling Flow and Tactical Technical Practices
20 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Working in smaller batches increases flow. But splitting a sticky note into smaller pieces doesn't guarantee that those doing the work will achieve bu...
SAFe for Hardware
14 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Tactical Tuesday: Prioritizing Your ESG Goals
13 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Organizations worldwide are creating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives to demonstrate their commitment to social issues and meet...
Tactical Tuesday: Facilitating Dependencies
06 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 importan...
Connecting Strategy to Execution at Vodafone
31 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"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 ...
Tactical Tuesday: The Dichotomy of Leadership
30 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Middle managers often feel lost, including within a SAFe organization. In this episode, Konrad Swistelnicki shares three points to summarize how middl...
Tactical Tip: Moving Couches
22 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How is moving a couch the perfect metaphor for joint problem-solving and joint cognition? Gene Kim explains in this episode. Like what you hear? Conne...
Build Your Career with Intent
17 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"We chase job titles, and then we chase salary, and we chase status, but we don't chase our version of happiness and success." In this episode, Adam t...
Tactical Tip: The Science of Giving Orders
16 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you're an indirect leader, for example, a Release Train Engineer (RTE) or business owner, how can you ensure your intent is accurately communicated...
Tactical Tip: An Evolving Hardware Landscape
09 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Ali Hajou, an SPCT and self-proclaimed Agile nerd, shares his take on the many elements contributing to the challenges and evolving l...
Tactical Tip: Drive Executive Engagement
02 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Leadership involvement can make or break any Agile transformation. In this episode, Alena Keck, head of the Lean-Agile Center of Excellence (LACE) at ...
Tactical Tip: Getting Buy-in
25 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How can you help an existing Agile Release Train (ART) be successful and ensure that any new ARTs you launch can do the same? Heidi Hatch, Agile coach...
Drinking the Agile Kool-Aid
19 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"I got to teach a group of high school kids some Agile basics. The kids went through a couple of iterations to design a classroom. Then they had to gi...
Tactical Tip: Collaborative Leadership
18 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
From the Lean-Agile Center of Excellence (LACE) to Agile teams, collaboration is key to success. In this episode, Eshan Chawla, SPCT candidate, explai...
Tactical Tip: Keeping Track of Stuff
11 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
RTEs are very busy people, particularly when it comes to keeping tabs on commitments, such as PI objectves, features, and the work that teams committe...
No Story Lost
05 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"If you aren't clear on what your values are and the way that you think about answering questions or making decisions, that doesn't empower people." I...
Tactical Tip: Estimating Story Points
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
More often than not, team members estimate story points based on time—something we're advised to avoid. Jeff Wilson, iSPCT candidate with RTX explai...
Tactical Tip: The Value of Estimation
28 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Agile estimation is a balancing act and it's important to understand the larger purpose behind it. Amogh Joshi with Advance Agility, a Scaled Agile Go...
A Manager's Role in SAFe
22 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"[Middle managers] are the only ones who have certain keys to enable engagement in their organization, and they have unique abilities to create trust....
Tactical Tip: Preparing Great Features
21 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How well does your ART structure its features for the next PI? Harry Narang, a coach and consultant with Skillbook Academy, offers tips to craft great...
Tactical Tip: Delegation in Product Management
14 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When making decisions in product development, how do you decide whether to take them or delegate them? And what does delegating mean in context? In th...
A Mission to Improve Work
08 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"What are the right ways that we can change that organizational wiring so that people can actually do work easily and well? That's really the goal and...
Tactical Tip: An Example of Flow
07 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A key reason to organize around value is to get products to customers faster than your competitors. But the principle is also valuable when it comes t...
Tactical Tip: Baseline Assessments
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What is one of the most important things an organization should do before launching an Agile Release Train? In this episode, Michael Krug, Agile coach...
Growing into Product Management
24 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"When you open yourself up to people and to experiences, the most amazing things can happen." In this episode, Adam talks to Michelle Jimenez about a ...
Tactical Tip: Thriving in a Charged Environment
23 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"Don't come to the table with problems if you don't have ideas for solutions." In this episode, Michelle Jimenez, product manager at Scaled Agile, sha...
Tactical Tip: Participatory Budgeting
16 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Benjamin Scheffold, senior manager of Agile transformation at Deloitte shares his top tips for success in the three key phases of a p...
Creating a Better Hybrid Training Model
10 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"I was deeply skeptical [about hybrid training] as an idea. This goes against all I've learned …This is going to be a challenge for me, but I said, ...
Tactical Tip: Value Stream Mapping + Value Stream Identification
09 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Identifying value streams is a cornerstone element of the SAFe® Implementation Roadmap for good reasons. In this episode, SPC and SPCT candidate Step...
Tactical Tip: Planning for Your Next PI Planning
02 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the spirit of relentless improvement, how do you make your next PI Planning event even better than the last one? In this episode, SPC Marcin Ciesli...
Improv Your Way to Better Communication
27 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"Improv as a teaching tool connects people in real-time, in a real way, and it does it magically." Today's episode is … a little different. Adam is ...
Tactical Tip: Servant Leadership
26 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Helen Fleming, SAFe Coach and SPCT candidate dives into the powerful philosophy of servant leadership, which prioritizes the needs of...
Tactical Tip: I'm an Introvert and I'm a Trainer
19 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Does presenting in front of a large group of people make you anxious? You're not alone. In this episode, self-proclaimed introvert Robert Dunlap, an S...
Managing Technology and AI in the Workplace
13 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"AI is not coming for your job. You don't have to fear AI. You have to fear the person who knows how to use AI better than you do." On today's episode...
Tactical Tuesday: The Impact of Leadership Behaviors
12 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How are your behaviors as a manager or a leader affecting others in your organization? In this episode, Carl Starendal, SAFe Fellow in Sweden, shares ...
Tactical Tip: The Death Spiral of Software
05 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Organizations that focus too much on shiny new software features often forget about other key elements like technical debt, security, and performance....
User Experience Design and Managing Priorities
28 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"We were shipping six linear feet of technical documentation with every system that we sold. And it occurred to me that a lot of what we were document...
Tactical Tip: The Power of Vision
27 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Does your organization have a vision? In this episode, Susan Gibson, CEO, cofounder, and SPCT at Temenos+Agility shares her perspective on how vision ...
Tactical Tuesday: Outcomes Over Outputs
20 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Konrad Swistelnicki, SPCT candidate at Kegon, explains why the evolution of commitment in Agile approaches and in SAFe is a good thin...
Planning a SAFe® Summit
14 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"Be present. Be engaged. Participate in everything and anything—sit at a round table, talk with an expert one-on-one, and network at the partner mar...