The Business end of Agility Podcast, hosted by New Zealand's Business Agility Meetup community, brings you real-world stories from innovative organizations and forward-thinking leaders locally and around the globe. We explore all facets of business agility, from adaptive leadership and evolving company cultures to emerging ways of working, processes and technologies. By sharing diverse insights and lessons learned, our goal is to equip organizations to continually adapt, take advantage of change, pioneer new ideas, and thrive in an increasingly complex business landscape.
In today's fast-paced and rapidly evolving world, leaders face unprecedented challenges in the workplace. Melissa Crawford, a technologist and futurist, shares her insights on navigating this evolving landscape. She emphasizes the synergy between HR and technology, urging leaders to focus on "Team Human" and embrace AI thoughtfully. In this episode, learn about three key focuses Leaders need to have right now, and discover how to balance tech advancements with human connection for a thriving future.
28 Aug 2025
The Power of Mattering with Dr Zach Mercurio
Why do people stay engaged, loyal, and inspired at work—and in life? According to researcher, speaker, and author Dr. Zach Mercurio, the answer lies in one of the most overlooked human needs: the need to matter.
In this insightful episode, we dive deep into the themes of Zach’s latest book, The Power of Mattering, and explore how creating a culture of significance can radically improve leadership, employee engagement, motivation, and wellbeing.
Discover how small, intentional interactions can spark transformation in the workplace and beyond. Learn practical strategies to help others feel seen, heard, and valued—whether you're a leader, educator, parent, or someone who simply wants to show up with more purpose.
To learn more about Zach’s work or get a copy of his books for yourself, check out his website https://www.zachmercurio.com (https://www.zachmercurio.com/) or purchase his books, The Power of Mattering and The Invisible Leader, through amazon or the links below.
https://www.zachmercurio.com/the-invisible-leader/ (https://www.zachmercurio.com/the-invisible-leader/)
https://www.zachmercurio.com/the-power-of-mattering/ (https://www.zachmercurio.com/the-power-of-mattering/)
28 Jul 2025
Creating great teams through Self Selection - with authors Sandy Mamoli and David Mole
What if everything you think you know about building great teams is backwards? Sandy Mamoli and David Mole, authors of 'Creating Great Teams', discovered something revolutionary when they ditched management spreadsheets and let people choose their own teams. The result? A measured 20% productivity increase and a method now used by thousands across multiple countries.
They reveal why managers consistently get team selection wrong, share their battle-tested framework that transforms team dynamics, and explain why treating adults like responsible decision-makers produces extraordinary results. Essential listening for any leader tried of playing chess with people's careers.
Where to find the book
The Pragmatic Bookshelf (https://pragprog.com/titles/mmteams2/creating-great-teams-second-edition/)
Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Creating-Great-Teams-Second-Self-Selection/dp/B0DXNKVZRK?crid=IU29TUDSHGEP&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.uPsJRl2h-8JEQWjMQ08FUg.-2VPOZTPdHcqz5QDgqRponv9a6ySSUhG_A6Nkl-0hUg&dib_tag=se&keywords=creating+great+teams,+self+selection+second+edition&qid=1745795724&sprefix=creating+great+teams,+self+selection+second+editio,aps,264&sr=8-1&linkCode=sl1&tag=nomad8-20&linkId=72c21ff9137d4a869208ebcda2d7ad26&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl)
To find out more about Sandy, David and Nomad8 https://www.nomad8.com/about-us (https://www.nomad8.com/about-us)
6 Jun 2025
Modernising HR, if it’s not on your agenda, it should be
HR Expert Natal Dank discusses the evolution of Human Resources from a support function to a strategic business driver, sharing insights on global HR trends and equipping organizations to thrive through change in this interview.
22 May 2025
Supporting culture in turbulent times
Emma Kirkman discusses how leaders can nurture a strong organizational culture during turbulent times, emphasizing the importance of actions over superficial displays in this interview.
22 Apr 2025
Cutting through the noise - taking communication to the next level
Communication isn't just about emails, presentations and the intranet - it's fundamental to solving core business challenges.
In this episode of The Business End of Agility, we delve deep into the art and science of effective communication with our expert guest Eithne Sweeney.
We’ll be covering the reality of communicating in the modern workplace. We’ll talk about the simple process of communication and how multiple sources of noise get in the way of a message being received. Eithne shares her experiences of detecting miscommunication, identifying noise and reducing it. We’ll chat about the key ingredients that turn everyday communication into a strategic tool and get practical with some insights for leaders to sharpen their communication skills- and get better organisational impact.
If you're a business professional striving to unlock greater agility and efficiency within your organization, this episode will provide actionable insights to help you communicate clearly, decisively, and effectively.
Tune in to move beyond the noise and harness the power of purposeful communication.
(https://www.linkedin.com/in/eithne-sweeney-59968a/)
To see more content from Eithne and to sign up to Eithne's weekly newsletter https://www.eithnesweeney.com/tips-tools (https://www.eithnesweeney.com/tips-tools)
Music intro - Smack That by Matrika
1 Feb 2025
Governance, Agility and Humanity
Authors Tony Ponton and Phil Gadzinski, in their book Govern Agility, emphasize the need for organizations to adopt lightweight, dynamic, and adaptive systems that enable faster feedback, better risk management and compliance, and more flexible models. While we might hope that Agile on its own could achieve this, it must be supported by the right governance at all levels of the organization.
In this session, Tony joins us to share insights gathered over years of experience working with organizations. He unpacks how to create a modern governance system that fosters the right culture and behaviors, builds trust and visibility, supports autonomy and alignment, and creates opportunities—all while highlighting the critical role Humanity plays in this process.
About Tony
Tony Ponton is the co-author of the best selling book - "Govern Agility" and has three decades of expertise in agility, leadership, and governance. He specialises in organisational change, transformations, implementing agility, operating and governance systems. Tony has written for the Cutter Consortium Journal and authored the white paper that introduced the concept of Dynamically Adaptive Organisations to the landscape of organisational understanding. He co-created "The Remote Agility Framework" and serves as a Heart of Agile guide for the global Heart of Agile movement.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonyponton (https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonyponton)
Purchase the Govern Agility book at https://lnkd.in/gPMV_5dy (https://lnkd.in/gPMV_5dy)
Website: www.governagility.com.au (http://www.governagility.com.au)
Phil's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phillipgadzinski (https://www.linkedin.com/in/phillipgadzinski)
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/matrika/smack-that
22 Dec 2024
The age of AI (Part 2) - Is your business leveraging AI?
So you’ve embraced that AI is here, and perhaps you’ve even done some experiments and had a few exciting productivity gains? But how do you incorporate AI into the very fabric of your business. How would functions like marketing leverage AI? What do you need to incorporate into your Business Strategy? How does AI change the future skills of your workforce?
Join us in this episode, where we will explore these aspects with our panel as part of our series on AI.
In this podcast our guests are;
Andy Cooper (https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy766cooper/) Avid Researcher, User and Speaker on AI,
Justin Kabbani (https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinkabbani/) Expert AI Coach & Consultant and former Advertising CEO
Laura Powers (https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurampowers/), CEO at Business Agility Institute
Where to find more from our guests
Justin
- linkedin/in/JustinKabbani
- justinkabbani.com (http://justinkabbani.com)
- aimarketingsummit.com.au (http://aimarketingsummit.com.au)
Laura
- linkedin/in/LauraPowers
- businessagility.institute (http://businessagility.institute)
- lpowers@businessagility.institute (mailto:lpowers@businessagility.institute)
Andy
- linkedin/in/Andy766Cooper
Music credit
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/matrika/smack-that
20 Nov 2024
Unlocking the Z factor in your organisation
Future of Work expert Luke Goetting shares insights on how organisations can unlock their Z factor by adapting to the changing needs of multi-generational workforces and emerging customer needs.
15 Sept 2024
The Future of Work - going beyond coping to thriving
In this episode we are joined by the amazing Author and Speaker Kevin Empey to explore just what is the Future of Work, and what it means for organisations, leaders and individuals today. We cover a lot of ground - looking at everything from the relationship of Future of Work with Agility, to how organisations can bring the topic of Future of Work into their strategy, and right through to the competencies needed for individuals to be 'future-fit' in today's changing world.
Find out more about Kevin here https://workmatters.ie/ (https://workmatters.ie/)
Kevin's book Thrive https://workmatters.ie/resources/ (https://workmatters.ie/resources/)
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/matrika/smack-that
13 Jul 2024
A little creativity never hurt anyone
Topics around employees over the last few years has been hounded by words like ‘disengagement’, ‘The Great Resignation’, ‘Quiet Quitting’, ‘Workplace Bullying’, ‘Burnout’ and the trend of declining mental health. It makes for a grim read.
In this podcast we’re to look that in the eye, flip it the bird and see how we can bring some light back into organisations, combining leadership, creativity and play to support increasing employee engagement, retention, performance and innovation.
20 Jun 2024
Change it Up
These days change is occurring so rapidly you can’t even finish saying VUCA* before something else is disrupting you or your business. Today’s episode is called ‘Change it Up’ and we’ll be exploring different ways on how you can grab business change with both hands. We’ll look at the different aspects of managing and leading change like that will help us to better future proof, and empower your leaders and teams to navigate and thrive in an ever-evolving landscape.
*VUCA - volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity.
Todays Guest
Natasha Redman is one of Melbourne’s leading change management specialists, a Kath and Kim superfan and a passionate agile and modern change enthusiast. She has worked across a range of industries and technologies and with many of Australia’s favourite corporates.
With a strong background in change leadership, she founded Casa De Cambio (Spanish for ‘House of Change’) in 2019 because she saw a real need for sustainable change. Right alongside Natasha hosts a successful podcast (also called Casa de Cambio!) about change, technology, innovation and leadership.
https://www.casadecambio.com.au/about (https://www.casadecambio.com.au/about)
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/casa-de-cambio/id1484318776 (https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/casa-de-cambio/id1484318776)
https://www.linkedin.com/in/natasharedman/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/natasharedman/)
7 Jun 2024
The age of AI - is your business ready? (Part 1)
AI is not going to change the world; it already is. Statistics show up to 40% of roles could be impacted in today’s workforce, while on the flip side McKinsey Global Institute states AI could generate an additional 13 trillion in the global economy by 2030. Businesses that leverage AI will be able to process data and make decisions faster, offer their customers increased personalisation, and reduce their operating costs. But is AI at the top of businesses' agenda, a part of their strategy? Are businesses already working to harness this new technology enough? Do they understand how to evaluate and act to integrate AI into their business?
Join us in this episode, where we explore exactly what AI can already do and what it is forecasted to do and hear some real-world examples of what businesses are and are not doing in the race to be ready.
Guests : Andy Cooper (https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy766cooper/) Avid Researcher, User and Speaker on AI, Ryan Ashton (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanashton/) Social Commentator, Fractional CRO and Justin Kabbani (https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinkabbani/) Expert AI Coach & Consultant and former Advertising CEO
Links mentioned in this episode:
AI’s used by the guests
https://www.read.ai/ (https://www.read.ai/)
https://fireflies.ai/ (https://fireflies.ai/)
Co-Pilot (https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-mechanics-blog/how-microsoft-365-copilot-works/ba-p/3822755)
https://suno.com/ (https://suno.com/) and https://udioai.ai/ (https://udioai.ai/)
https://chatgpt.com/ (https://chatgpt.com/)
https://midjourney.co/ (https://midjourney.co/)
More from Ryan
Ryan’s Star Wars video he mentions in the episode here (https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ryanashton_ai-maythefourthbewithyou-activity-7192478636048814081-I1Sj?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop)
Ryans AFQY Channel https://www.youtube.com/@afqy-afewquietyarns3835 (https://www.youtube.com/@afqy-afewquietyarns3835)
More from Justin
AI Marketing event link http://theaimarketingsummit.com.au/ (https://www.linkedin.com/safety/go?url=http%3A%2F%2Ftheaimarketingsummit.com.au%2F&trk=flagship-messaging-web&messageThreadUrn=urn%3Ali%3AmessagingThread%3A2-NmFkOGM4YjUtODE1NC00ZmZjLWEwOTItNDYwNDkzNTZkN2ZjXzAxMA%3D%3D&lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_messaging_conversation_detail%3Bf%2FoLUFHVRDqL58JEWkE5yQ%3D%3D)
More from Andy
https://www.softed.com/nz/news/generative-ai-what-it-means-for-your-business/ (https://www.linkedin.com/safety/go?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.softed.com%2Fnz%2Fnews%2Fgenerative-ai-what-it-means-for-your-business%2F&trk=flagship-messaging-web&messageThreadUrn=urn%3Ali%3AmessagingThread%3A2-NmFkOGM4YjUtODE1NC00ZmZjLWEwOTItNDYwNDkzNTZkN2ZjXzAxMA%3D%3D&lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_messaging_conversation_detail%3Bf%2FoLUFHVRDqL58JEWkE5yQ%3D%3D)
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ai-revolution-continues-exploring-latest-35c0c/ (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ai-revolution-continues-exploring-latest-35c0c/)
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/matrika/smack-that
License code: AB6H5ODRCYMU87DD
30 Apr 2024
Does your organisation lack community?
In the space of Business Agility much is said about culture, but culture can be hard to define, shape and nurture - what if we started with something more basic - something that we’ve been doing for thousands of years but seem to have forgotten?
In this episode we’ll be chatting with Beth Gervase, Business Agility Lead at ANZ on the importance of Community in organisations, why it’s vital for creating resilience in your organisations, what leaders need to be thinking about, and what each of us can do now to start building community.
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/matrika/smack-that (https://click.pstmrk.it/3s/uppbeat.io%2Ft%2Fmatrika%2Fsmack-that/vZub/npm0AQ/AQ/34789f1e-1bfc-453b-af97-ee86641540d8/4/_NjcHV24Vr)
License code: I0MGVCZNAUB0XRGY
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Podcast Authority Score: 15 / 100
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