[6] AIPM Conference Talk: Key roles in an Agile Transition @ Scale

At the 2023 AIPM National Conference, our team found one of the highlights to be the talks delivered by visionary speakers, that not only captivated the audience but also left an indelible mark of inspiration. Each speaker brought a unique perspective, sharing valuable insights, groundbreaking ideas, and thought-provoking experiences.

This particular talk was given by Mr Ben Morrell and Ms Sarah Neal, senior leaders from Telstra Corporation Limited. Ben has over thirty years' experience in a variety of IT and consulting roles, and excellent communication skills which enable him to lead effective teams and win the support of technical and non-technical people at all levels. Similarly, Sarah has a string international track record of blending her strategy, change management and coaching expertise to deliver outcomes for organisations.

In the context of Telstra’s transition to their Agile at scale model which commenced mid-2019, Ben and Sarah spoke on the topic of "Key roles in an Agile Transition @ Scale," sharing their experiences and insights on how they embraced the changes an Agile delivery method can bring.

With Telstra's transformative journey into the Agile at scale model being focused on fostering customer-centric outcomes through enhanced collaboration, reduced hand-offs, and the deployment of the right capabilities, the transition relied on two crucial roles: coaches and group scrum leads.

Coaches played a pivotal role in steering teams toward agility by initiating successful launches, celebrating milestones, and ensuring continuous reflection for ongoing learning. Their dynamic approach, responsive to evolving team and organisational needs, proved instrumental in preventing regression to old practices and promoting a customer-centric focus.

The introduction of group scrum leads as custodians of Telstra's systems of work addressed gaps in the transformation, combining expertise in senior stakeholder management and project delivery. Acting as facilitators, group scrum leads encouraged collaboration, fostering ownership and accountability among team members and overcoming resistance to change.

The talk underscored the importance of simultaneously addressing behavioral and practice changes in organisational transformations, emphasising the need to modify mindsets and behaviors to ensure the effective adoption of new methods and practices.

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