The Product Owner is a value optimiser who turns the client’s needs into value. In Scrum, you create value at the end of each sprint by providing a new product, the increment. In addition to this role there are two other roles within Scrum; the Scrum Master and the Development Team. Earlier we explained the differences between the role of a Scrum Master versus the role of a Product Owner. Having someone who provides high quality in this role is crucial in order to deliver a valuable product to the client.

When I came into contact with Scrum as a trainer circa 2015, I understood from my colleagues that it was a new project management methodology. Training courses according to PRINCE2, ITIL or another best practice were common at that time. At first sight, Scrum seemed very simple thanks to a few books I had read. Until I looked into it in more detail. Let’s go on the path to an Agile transformation. 

What is Agile? It is revolutionary. A completely different approach to work in the 21st century. It introduces different rules to what we’re traditionally used to. Pre-defined plans, processes and hierarchical control mechanisms can often be thrown out here.

This short video gives a good impression of Agile Amsterdam 2018 where Eelco Rustenburg, partner at Gladwell Academy served as keynote speaker.

As lead developer he asked me: “and, what are you going to say we need to do to be Agile? How do we know it’s not complete and utter bulls**t?” A very legitimate question to ask of an Agile coach that is paid to supposedly make things more Agile.

Implementing an Agile leadership approach not only has an impact on employees, but also on management. In an Agile organization, work is done by autonomous, self-managing teams. The employees get more responsibility and work together to decide what needs to be done and how they are going to do it. A traditional, top-down leadership style doesn’t fit in with the development of an Agile mindset, but what does?

In the Scaled Agile framework (SAFe), the highest rank is reserved for the SAFe Program Consultant Trainer. There are only about 50 such SPCT-certified SAFe gurus in the world today. Two of these work at Gladwell Academy: the recently certified trainer-consultants Eelco Rustenburg and Anand Murthy Raj. We looked the two of them up in Amsterdam, the Netherlands to discuss how they see the future of Agile project management in the corporate world.