In this stimulating session, we delve into the realm of mindfulness, demystifying the misconceptions surrounding it. Have you ever questioned, "Is mindfulness really effective? What does it truly mean? Mindfulness is BS! You're not alone!

We challenge preconceived ideas and explore how mindfulness can significantly contribute to your professional growth within the digital product sphere. Mindfulness isn't about nebulous spirituality or empty jargon; it is a practical instrument that can enhance your focus, fortify problem-solving abilities, improve overall productivity and innovation.

As we navigate the session, we'll provide you with clear insights into how you can incorporate mindfulness strategies into your everyday work routines. From managing stress during high-pressure deadlines, sparking creativity, to improving team dynamics, mindfulness offers the secret to unlocking untapped potential within digital product creation.

Embark on this enlightening expedition with us, and unravel how mindfulness surpasses clichés, transforming into a potent asset in the rapid-paced digital innovation sphere. Let's debunk the myths, embrace the possibilities, and harness mindfulness to propel your capabilities and knowledge to new heights

In July 2023 I attended a course at MIT (Boston, MA); Crisis Management and Organisational Resilience. This presentation covers the main findings of that course, how systems thinking and agility overlap with Crisis Management, and how the consistent use of agility as a basis for organisational thinking creates a foundation for organisational resilience.

Customer centric digital offerings are complex operations that require multiple disciplines to work together.  Much like a production line in a factory, many stages add value along the way, creating customer value.  The efficiency and effectiveness of customer value delivery depends on how well this value stream is managed.  Part of the problem is digital teams simply don't get the time to internally transform. 

This interactive workshop explores value streams, problems we see today, how to transform them, and potential solutions and benefits associated with better managing these. 

Government organisations in Australia need to keep pace with the service expectations that we enjoy in the world of private industry.  As a result, Agile and Lean transformations are sprouting up all over local, state and federal government - with varying degrees of success.  With just over ten years of experience in the transformation of multiple government agencies and departments (as a government employee), Tyler will expose some of the things to expect when embarking on the journey; sharing hard lessons, hints, tips and critical concepts (and groups) to work with as you unfurl your change agenda!

If you went to a restaurant and the staff told you the Chef never tries their cooking, do you think you would feel a bit uncomfortable? How can they know what they are dishing out and serving up is good quality if they have not tried it for themselves? And even if they did try it, what if what tastes good to the Chef does not work for someone else's palette? The same principle goes for Leaders and Agile Coaches alike. If we do not take the time to step back and test our approaches with ourselves, we are surely setting ourselves up for a feast of humble pie.  

Josey will share how a recent human experience and period of vulnerability has reminded her first-hand what it can feel like when you are confronted with having to eat your own cooking, how it has lifted her own human-centred approach to behaviour change and how this wake-up call is changing her approach to agile teams and transformations by sharing her own personal transformation journey from the past 12 months which has seen her shed waste (in the form of losing 70 kilos), changing her mindset (with food as well as agility experiments), and all the failures, learning and successes along the way (bonus burn down chart included!) 

Introduction  

Hackathons are a great way to build innovation in a company. They provide a platform for employees to come together and collaborate on new ideas. Hackathons can also help to foster a culture of innovation within a company. 
 

Flybuys is running its first companywide Hackathon on 6 September 2023. This internally organised event intends to increase innovation and inspire collaboration between Tech and other business areas.  
 

A company-wide engagement survey has the Innovation sentiment as of June 2023 at 67%. The hackathon is an experiment to validate the assumption that the event can increase the innovation sentiment and foster creativity in individuals and teams after the hackathon.   

But it doesn’t stop there. What are the non-tangible signs of innovation? What do we witness when an idea is born from a team and followed through to realise its value?  

Abstract  

Hackathons have been said to increase collaboration, creativity and innovation in organisations but do they really? By the time the LAST Conference 2023 is held in Sept, the Flybuys’ experiential Hackathon would have been concluded. I will bring all the details to the conference fresh from the oven. 

In this experiment, we closely follow the journey of team born ideas and the observed behaviours of said team members. We share personality shifts, how team members respond to full ownership of their idea, and how this behaviour differs to company lead initiatives. Our Coaches will observe multiple teams, compile findings, and for the purpose of presenting shifts and patterns. 
 

In this session, we will, from a practical standpoint:  

• Discuss the benefits of hackathons and how they can be used to build innovation in a company 
• Explore whether Hackathons can serve as catalysts for driving creative problem-solving and sparking ideas 
• Examine the challenges, team dynamics, techniques and best practices that unlock a culture of innovation from the findings of the Flybuys Hackathon experiment.  

Facilitating engaging and productive meetings can be a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be. Lego Serious Play, a unique and innovative facilitation methodology, offers a fun and interactive approach to problem-solving and decision-making. This presentation will introduce Lego Serious Play and explore how it can inject creativity, collaboration, and enjoyment into facilitation processes, ultimately leading to more effective outcomes and increased participant engagement.

Griffith University's Digital Solutions is changing its operating model from plan, build, run to something more relevant and hopefully with that comes value for staff and students and a bit of fun. 

Imagine what it would be like if you had the opportunity to build-in an agile and lean mindset and practices from the very beginning? Not having to fight with a pre-established culture or ways of working. Sounds ideal right? Well, that notion is put to the test as I tell the story of rapid scaling and dealing with customers who work different ways. In this talk I will discuss our journey of growth at MediRecords, establishing our ways of working, growing from 2 teams to 12 and how we used our agile and lean mindset to overcome the big challenges we had along the way.

Alongside the growing awareness of neurodiversity is the growing diversity of the neurodiverse. 

In a dynamic world where projects often face complexities and uncertainties, the path to success lies not merely in defined roles but in shared objectives. 'Goal over Roles' reflects a philosophy that prioritizes delivering excellence in project delivery through a Human-Centered Agile approach.

This enlightening session explores the synergy of roles such as Business Analysts, Product Owners, Delivery Leads, and Solution Leads, coming together to harmonize their efforts. By embracing a human-centric perspective within Agile methodologies, teams unlock the power of empathy, collaboration, and iterative feedback.

Join us in a transformative journey where traditional boundaries fade, and the focus shifts to achieving optimal value delivery. Discover how a Human-Centered Agile mindset enriches project outcomes, adapts to evolving user needs, and fosters a culture of continuous improvement. Let's embark on a path where projects thrive, not by roles alone, but through the collective pursuit of project excellence with humanity at its core.

Personal Kanban is simple in nature. It has only two rules. But do you really follow those two rules and take advantage of this amazing personal time management process? 

I want to share how I've used Personal Kanban over the last 7 years as the Group Manager - Queensland for Elabor8. I have grown this office from myself to a team of 40 people in 2023. Personal Kanban has been integral in how I manage my day, supporting this business growth and it has created up to 60 days of increased productivity per year!

This talk will share how this is possible to create that amount of increase productivity, as well as sharing 3 different forms of how I've used Personal Kanban over the years. You'll leave with practical tips of how you too can increase your productivity dramatically.

Discover practical tools for empathy-driven innovation practices incorporating Design Thinking and Systems Thinking principles. Get hands-on with practical tools to integrate human-centric design principles to your projects and within teams and organisations, along with opportunities for further upskilling. Join this interactive workshop that reveals how to navigate complexities in a digital world, anticipate user needs, and create real innovations aligned with human behaviour. Learn from over 10,000 hours of design thinking practices, collaborate, and infuse innovation into your professional practice. #inspired #lastconference #designthinking

As we dropped into our work from home life, our organisations were fully behind us doing this.  “You go home and just keep working, organise yourself as you need, there is nothing in the way of you doing this” they said. “Just keep working from where you are.”

“Free at last, free at last!” was the cry of our people.

Not so fast.

Just as we are really settling into this world of digital nomads, present parents and free flow work environments that fit us like a second skin, we fast forward to today, in the now, where people are being, let’s call it encouraged, into work environments that some thrive in, some wither in, their innovative and beautiful petals dropping off into the blissful abyss of “how cool is it to be face to face in the office”

As we move ahead with our desire for innovation and design with empathy, how do we cultivate an all inclusive culture regardless of where you’re working from, tailored for both the people we are working with as well as ourselves - let’s create inclusive environmental empathy as a workplace!

Throughout this session I will share my experience as a coach, what it looks like to create and excel in a virtual environment, and hopefully spark  global discussion about what does our work and coaching environment, look like moving through 2023 and beyond, it may not be what you think it is….

User stories are the cornerstone of agile requirements. Teams use them to plan and deliver solutions that meet their users’ needs. Beyond just solution requirements, user stories focus on value delivery from the perspective of the user, describing the capabilities needed, as well as the benefits they would provide. 

However, user stories can be tricky to write in a way that they are understood by our stakeholders and the delivery team. It’s easy to think everyone is on the same page and we’re all in agreement on what is expected, but then find we’re wrong. All too often, stories are not delivered in a sprint due to them being too big, not scoped correctly, or missing detail.

This session will explore how to write effective user stories using the 3 “S’s”. These three simple guides can help us to assess our stories to ensure they are sized appropriately and well understood.

The first “S” is “Simple sentence”. After all, a user story is a small, one-line representation of a solution requirement. They need to be clear, concise, and unambiguous. Being simple helps us manage them through the delivery lifecycle, from inception and writing acceptance criteria, through to elaborating the detail, just in time.

To find out more, as well as discover the other 2 “S’s”, come along to the session to learn how to create effective user stories using the 3 “S’s”.

Check-in is often the fastest way to get people to check out. For standup ceremonies the common pattern followed of “yesterday I did, today I am doing” can often feel like micromanaging, mechanical or just a “progress update” for some teams. This format leans away from natural speech patterns and can mean that important information is lost. From my personal experience team members often already know what is happening at a high level which can be the default update using this format. 

If you have observed your team members feeling like they have to rush through, just going through the motions or approaching it as a “tick and flick”, you may benefit from trying the FAB format. By re-aligning to natural speech patterns as well as asking the right questions, teams can be more effective at synchronizing effectively instead of just checking in, so why not make standups a little more FAB? Leave this session armed with an easy to remember, easy to understand standup pattern that can bring the “human” back and unlock real ceremony value.

How can 200 ping pong balls and an inflatable flamingo (and  more) help you improve flow in your organisation? We’ll tour through both principles and practices we’ve seen help and hinder teams in their quest for agility at scale. Avoid mistakes in this heady quest by hearing about those we’ve made on the journey. 

In today's fast-paced and ever-changing world, navigating through a series of personal losses and challenges can significantly impact our mental health and ability to focus. When faced with such adversities, it's natural for the mind to freeze, and critical information can seemingly be wiped out, making the path to regaining courage and moving forward seem even more daunting. However, in these difficult times, it becomes essential to embrace strategies that foster resilience and deep focus, especially for improving mental well-being.

As David Goggins once said, "When you think you're done, you're only at 40% of your total potential." This conference talk delves into the transformative power of applying the concept of "Monk Mode" as a catalyst for personal growth and achievement, with a particular emphasis on its positive impact on mental health and cognitive functioning. Attendees will gain valuable insights into how Monk Mode can help overcome the paralysis of the mind caused by personal losses, enabling them to navigate through these challenging moments with clarity and determination.

Abstract Bullet Points:

1. Understanding the concept of "Monk Mode" and its application for deep focus work and personal growth.

2. Recognizing the impact of personal losses on mental health and learning to recollect courage to overcome challenges.

3. Embracing Monk Mode as a Resilience Tool for Mental Health:

   • Exploring how Monk Mode can bolster mental resilience during times of loss and adversity.
   • Strategies to improve mental well-being through the practice of Monk Mode techniques, overcoming cognitive blocks.

4. Nurturing Deep Focus amidst Adversity:

   • Utilizing Monk Mode to restore focus and concentration, aiding in mental clarity and emotional stability.
   • The positive impact of deep focus on mental health and cognitive functioning during challenging circumstances.

By attending this talk, participants will not only discover the wisdom of David Goggins' motivational words but also gain practical insights into navigating through personal losses while prioritizing mental health. They will learn to harness the power of Monk Mode in cultivating resilience, improving cognitive functioning, and nurturing a positive mental state, ultimately leading to personal growth and overall well-being.

The advent of the internet brought about a seismic shift in human interaction, communication, and industries as a whole. Now, we stand on the precipice of another monumental transformation brought about by the convergence of four potent technologies: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Quantum Computing, Blockchain with smart contracts, and the Metaverse.

Each of these technologies in isolation has the potential to usher in significant changes in the way we live and work. However, their combined power, interconnecting and augmenting each other, can herald an era of transformative change unprecedented in human history.

In this discussion, we will take a systems perspective, exploring the possible implications of a unified system leveraging these technologies working in tandem. We will discuss how they can interrelate and enhance each other's capabilities, and also delve into the challenges that future technology teams may face in harnessing these technologies.

Moreover, Phil will assert the need for a significant shift in our conventional thinking to fully leverage the potential of these technologies. To make a paradigm shift from the linear, siloed thinking to a more holistic, integrated mindset that envisions the synergistic capabilities of AI, Quantum Computing, Blockchain, and the Metaverse as a unified system. This, Phil believes, is the pathway to unlocking unprecedented possibilities that these technologies, in tandem, promise to deliver.

Finally, we will highlight the importance of adopting an agile framework for developing proof-of-concepts and underscore the need for a shift in our conventional thinking to fully leverage the potential of these converging technologies.

With little more then a whiteboard conversation  and a whole lot of ambition to double down on it's greatest asset, it's people we share  A&G's incredible journey to high performance teams at scale. As a Challenger brand we have paved our own way through to better and celebrated some incredible improvements along the way. Hear about the joys, the set backs and how from the very start the Greyhound and the Corgi were always going to find a way through.

Agility in technology and development teams is great, an Agile Enterprise focused on the greater good is amazing. This presentation explores how to create a totally Agile Enterprise doing great things for customers, themselves, others and the planet. We delve into how to lead a complete Agile transformation across the whole organisation to achieve amazing results for customers, the organisation and planet. 

What does an Agile Coach, a Trainer and Pilates Instructor have in common? Well as it turns out, a lot!

As a seasoned Pilates client, when I started my Pilates Instructor training in 2020, I expected to learn how to cue Pilates classes and create classes that were interesting for my clients. I did not expect to engage my Agile Coach and Trainer skills, mindset and experience.

In this talk, I will share the story of how I realised my skills as an agile coach and trainer were transferrable to my new role as a Pilates Instructor. Agility skills such as adaption, flexibility, listening, creativity and facilitation have helped me to be a better Pilates Instructor.

In today's dynamic world, traditional recruitment practices for core Agile roles like Scrum Masters, Product Owners, and Agile Coaches often fall short. The lack of role understanding, misalignment of expectations, and over-commodification of roles contribute to this challenge. But fear not! Join us for an enlightening talk as Craig and Michael present their innovative approach to hiring the best Agile talent. Discover how we can break free from outdated practices and embrace a more effective, skill-oriented approach to recruiting top-notch Agile professionals. Don't miss this opportunity to revolutionise your recruitment process!

Industry 4.0 marks our current technological era, blending physical, digital, and biological systems. All the advancements in society and technology over the past couple of years means we could fast be approaching the 5th Industrial Revolution. In this talk I will cover the predicted future and how Agile will continue to play a role for individual, team and organisational success. 

A storytelling game with a twist that can transform your work, relationships and well-being!

The Agile Manifesto values of Customer Collaborations and Valuing individuals & interactions cannot be lived without listening well.  Listening is the most important and most underrated leadership skill today. When we access listening from the heart, deep change can happen enabling us to uncover better ways of working, delivering and supporting each other to do it.

This session will offer the participants an opportunity to practice and experience a quality listening moment and discover each other differently while sharing and reflecting on their practice experiences.

LISTEN FOR… is a simple yet powerful card game in which the stories of everyday life become the catalyst for transformative change through the power of deep listening.  The more you play, the more you develop key skills to live a more connected, meaningful and sustainable life. 

The game is based on over a decade of applied research by Percolab, Samantha Slade’s book Going Horizontal and is linked to the international framework of Inner Development Goals;

BEING - vulnerability, authenticity and openness to change

THINKING - finding meaning and seeing patterns 

RELATING - Relating to oneself and others with kindness and compassion

COLLABORATING - embracing different perspectives, building trust

ACTING - Sustaining a sense of hope in uncertain times

The LISTEN FOR… game is inspired by many traditions and movements from storytelling and neuroscience, to appreciative inquiry and developmental learning. Its power is that it quickly opens up space to share, listen, and sense-make around difficult subjects — in a light and transformative way. The game's simplicity holds a depth that gives players a powerful way of connecting and creating shared understanding. Pulling cards diffuses power dynamics because nobody is deciding what should be talked about. This creates a space for magic and sense-making

An elite F1 racing team is designed to deliver optimum performance up to and including the driver. The F1 Team has a responsibility to optimise these critical components (tyres, aerodynamics, fuel efficiency, analysis of track conditions etc.) that drive performance of the system including starting at the top with the driver's performance.
Similarly, as agile, system and lean practitioner practitioners of high performing teams, we have a holistic responsibility and commitment to all of the components of a system including the 'driver' of that system, be it a GM, head of business, Tribe/Platform lead, or Scrum Master/Product Owner.
Performance coaching is based on the science of optimising human motivation and behaviour for any given endeavour. The self-coaching Leadership canvas is a lightweight coaching framework designed to improve a Leaders personal performance.
The canvas brings together over 20 years of performance coaching experience of business leaders designed to improve self-awareness, understanding, motivations & targeted actions.
In this workshop simulation participants will test drive the self-coaching leadership canvas working in groups of 3. The canvas will provide guidance on how to use highly effective and less well-known leadership coaching tools for the purpose of self-coaching performance. 

Organisations undertaking agile transformations often talk about gaining momentum in the transformation. This is a very useful thing, in that once momentum is gained, the focus of transformation efforts (coaching, etc.) can be targeted to where they can best be used.

In this talk, we will talk about the formula for momentum and how to measure and apply this, with a focus on sustaining an appropriate level of transformation momentum. We will focus both at the organisational level as well as at the delivery team level, and I will share some of my experience in agile coaching, both what has worked as well as what hasn't. 

Creating a productive self organising team that delivers work aligned with strategy and business expectations can be difficult, especially if the culture of an organisation doesn't naturally lend itself to the level of empowerment discussed by the likes of Marty Cagan. This session will provide a model for empowering teams with the autonomy they need to create fantastic solutions to problems faced by customer and the business without leaving leaders feeling like they have no input or role to play in guiding the team.

What do Michael Jordan, Steve Jobs, Bruce Lee, Oprah, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Selena Gomez and the Wu Tang Clan all have in common? They all practice mindfulness! 

Mindfulness, a practice rooted in ancient traditions, has garnered growing interest in contemporary settings due to its potential to enhance mental well-being and cognitive abilities. By developing a deep understanding of mindfulness principles and techniques, individuals can tap into their creative reservoirs, fostering a mindset open to novel ideas and embracing experimentation.

Moreover, mindfulness equips individuals with the capacity to regulate emotions and manage stress, promoting cognitive focus essential for innovation and decision-making.

This interactive talk will give attendees the opportunity to experience the positive impact of mindfulness on a personal and professional level

We all know that long-lived, stable teams are more performant then short-lived, rapidly changing teams.

But what attributes do we see in these teams that enables this performance? What are the common patterns of behaviour that provide these teams with their endurance.

In this session we will look at the common attributes and patterns we see amongst enduring teams. We call this the 6 C's of Enduring teams. But what are they and what do they provide the teams that enables this performance and endurance?

What things should you encourage to help teams establish this behaviour?

The Scrum Master and Product Owner roles (along with the "team") are well understood and described in the Scrum Guide as well as many other frameworks and publications. As organisations begin to mature and scale, a lot of anti patterns start to emerge with these roles, as well as adding traditional roles (such as change, release and project management) and additional agile roles (such as Agile Coach and Release Train Engineer). Given the simplicity of the three roles in the Scrum Guide for a single team versus the challenges of scaling, do we need to take another look at the team roles to help solve the confusion that so many organisations continue to face as well as question of value?

Join us as we ponder the question of whether we have outgrown the roles of Scrum Master and Product Owner or whether we just need more clarity on what these roles actually mean in the context of true business agility. 

If anyone is going to understand the need for a good Long Game and Short Game it’s someone in a family of golfers. If one of these is off results will suffer. So is true in business and taking an organisation from a little bit of Agile and modern ways of working to a lot more of it!

Jacinta will share the strategies and approaches used to expand the use of Agile ways of working at APA in her role as Agile Centre of Excellence Lead.

Short Game – Learn how Jacinta jumped in to support teams who were already on the Agile Journey. How Agile Ways or Working were set up and tailored due to the very different nature of the teams. From large programs to single teams.

Long Game – When influencing change in an organisation it’s important to plant little seeds that can be introduced that over time lead to greater Agile adoption. Also to have top down and bottom up support. Jacinta will share her approaches in the hope that you can be inspired to try these in your workplace.

Being 'product-led' is fast becoming a hot, aspirational topic for leaders and organisations. Perhaps some of you have witnessed successes in neighbouring organisations or industries, competitors, or indeed in locally-optimised pockets internally. Whilst the value of being product-led is gaining recognition, scaling from a localised pilot to whole of organisation can be challenging. 

This session will give you an understanding of what it means to be product-led, where to start, and several key lessons learned from my experience of implementing a product-led approach at scale, which can help you navigate the journey towards becoming a product-led organisation.

As a global travel company, Flight Centre was hugely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic due to the halting of travel and laid off over 80% of its staff. As borders began to open, we were tasked with designing and delivering an ambitious program to redefine  how the company could transform to become an omni-channel retailer. We hired over 80 people, trained them and launched our Agile Release Plane. There are many stories to tell along the way, but the program was delivered on time and under budget. A team of scrum masters were key to helping achieve this and we would like to share our pretty cool story.