Recap: Agile Champions Connect – an afternoon full of energy, inspiration, and connection
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On November 6, we hosted our annual in-person Agile Champions Connect — the event where Agile professionals come together to share knowledge, inspire one another, and celebrate the strength of our community. This year was no exception. With a wonderful mix of insights, practical stories, and personal experiences, it became an afternoon that will resonate for a long time.
A programme full of valuable sessions
We had the honour of welcoming several fantastic speakers, each offering their own unique perspective on change, collaboration, and growth within organisations:
- Erik Cremers – Business & Information Consultant at APG
Erik introduced us to the world of multi-team dynamics, the topic of his recently completed PhD. His insights into collaboration at scale inspired many to rethink how we can help teams thrive in complex environments. - Mark Heistek – Agile/DevOps Transformation Coach at Port of Antwerp-Bruges
Mark openly shared both the challenges and successes of the transformation within a large IT organisation. His experiences strengthening collaboration between business and IT offered fresh perspectives on sustainable change. - Karin van Ooijen – Transformation Coach at Allianz Direct
Karin invited us to explore how to inspire teams toward self-organisation, even within a Laloux Orange organisation. A session that was both thought-provoking and surprisingly relatable.
And of course, our Amigos Jeroen, Edwin, and Els, who brought great energy to the room:
- Jeroen Venneman – Transformation Consultant
Jeroen kicked off the event with an interactive opening and facilitated the programme all the way to the networking drinks. - Edwin Clerkx – Agile Coach
Edwin gave us a behind-the-scenes look at the Agile transformation at Brabant Water and, through a hands-on challenge, showed how powerful learning-by-doing can be. - Els Verkaik – Agile Coach at Schiphol Group
Els took us into the subcultures within organisations and helped us discover how to spark change, even when people say: “Things are fine the way they are.”
Why Agile Champions Connect?
With Agile Champions Connect, our goal is to strengthen the Agile Champions community. This annual in-person event offers an inspiring and energising afternoon in which we:
- share knowledge
- discover new insights
- exchange experiences with other Agile professionals
- build new connections that extend beyond the event itself
In addition to the annual in-person event, we also host three online Connect sessions per year. Together, they create a continuous heartbeat that keeps learning, growth, and connection alive.
For everyone who wants to make a difference
The Connect event is not only for Agile Champions who have followed the Amigos training.
We actively encourage Champions to bring other friends of change. After all, learning together becomes even more powerful when you bring your own environment along for the journey.
Would you like to become an Agile Champion yourself? You can! More information is available here:
👉 https://amigos.nu/leren/trainingen/agile-champion-programma/
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From frustration to action
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In the book Expedition Agility, you’ll find a variety of exercises designed to make the journey toward agility lighthearted and engaging. In each blog post, we highlight one of these practices to inspire you and invite you to experiment with it.
This time, we’re exploring the exercise “The Wall of Complaints.”
Venting — the healthy way
In times of change, frustration can easily build up within teams and organizations. Small irritations pile on top of each other, and before you know it, they start to affect the atmosphere.
Even though friends of change focus on making things a little better every day, sometimes it simply helps to let off some steam. Complaining isn’t necessarily a bad thing — as long as it leads to action.
The exercise “The Wall of Complaints” offers a safe and structured way to bring frustrations to the surface and turn them into concrete improvements. It’s an opportunity to clear the air, name the issues that deserve attention, and come up with solutions together. Instead of getting stuck on what’s not working, this exercise helps you create positive momentum toward real change.
The Exercise: The Wall of Complaints
- Invite a group of people to talk about the change initiative.
- Ask each participant to write down what’s not going well, what’s annoying them, or what they’d like to see done differently — one complaint per post-it note.
- Stick the notes on a large sheet of paper or a wall: this is your Wall of Complaints. Discuss what’s on the wall — that alone can be a huge relief.
- Once everyone has vented, take a step back and look at the wall critically. Group the post-its by theme, then discuss which themes are most important to address. Which ones have the biggest impact? Which cause the most friction? Give everyone three stickers to place on the themes they find most urgent. You’ll quickly see where the group’s priorities lie.
- Select one or two themes to focus on.
- Start brainstorming about the first theme. What could we do differently to reduce this frustration? Everyone writes their ideas on post-its — one idea per note.
- Post all ideas on a new sheet and discuss them. During brainstorming, every idea counts — no judging or debating yet. Ask questions only to clarify.
- Group similar ideas together. Then give everyone three stickers again to vote for the most promising solutions.
- Pick the top-voted solution and flesh it out together.
- Decide on the first concrete step you can take. Who will take the lead in making this happen?
After building your Wall of Complaints and sharing frustrations openly, you’ve not only released tension but also gained clarity about what truly matters. Grouping and prioritizing the complaints helps you see where the most energy is being drained — and where the biggest opportunities for improvement lie.
Brainstorming solutions shows that every problem can be solved, as long as the team is willing to take it on together.
The real power of The Wall of Complaints lies in transforming negative energy into constructive momentum. With a clear first step and support from your colleagues, complaining is no longer the end of the story — it becomes the start of a shared journey toward improvement and growth.
Source: Expedition Agility
By: Els Verkaik, Edwin Clerkx & Jeroen Venneman
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The power of invisible rules
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The book Expedition Agility includes various working methods to tackle changing to agility in a playful, light-hearted way. Each blog article highlights one working method to inspire you and to experiment with. This time it is ‘this is how we do it’.
The unwritten rules
The culture of an organization is often hidden in unwritten rules, habits and quiet expectations. Only when we make these implicit behaviors explicit can we understand and address the real culture.
The ‘this is how we do it’ method helps teams to expose these hidden rules, so that an open conversation can be had about them. By shadowing teams and observing how they work together, who makes the decisions and what patterns occur, you gain insight into the deeper layers of the organizational culture.
This working method challenges teams to reflect on the questions they often don’t ask out loud. For example: what do you have to do to belong? And: how do we deal with criticism or change? The answers to these questions not only make the culture visible, but also offer the opportunity to consciously reflect on what works well and what needs improvement.
Format: This is how we do it
- Walk along with one or more teams where the change will start, for example the teams that will be the first to try out a new way of working. Observe how people work, how they work together, what the interaction patterns are, who determines what, what the pecking order and power relations are, etc.
- Name a number of questions to which the relevant teams will give ‘this is how we do it’ answers. Examples are:
– What do you have to do to fit in?
– What do you have to do to not belong? When are you out?
– What are we not talking about?
– Who or what always gets priority?
– How do we deal with compliments?
– How do we deal with people who are critical?
– What is our reaction when another change is announced?
– What makes us run faster?
– Who is actually in charge? - Invite the teams to discuss the similarities and differences in the answers. Also give your observations back to the team. You can ask questions such as: what is the strength of the team? What would we like to improve?
This working method makes it clear that culture is not only something that happens, but also something that we form together. By making the unwritten rules and silent patterns explicit, a shared awareness is created within the team about how they work together and which norms determine daily practice. This provides a valuable opportunity to reflect on what works and what doesn’t – and to jointly determine which elements of the culture should be preserved and which should change.
The strength of this working method lies in making the invisible visible, so that teams can not only grow in effectiveness, but also in mutual connection. The conversation that follows is a first step towards a more conscious, stronger and more open organizational culture.
Source: Expedition Agility
By: Els Verkaik, Edwin Clerkx and Jeroen Venneman
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From an Agile way of working to true agility
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Why this journey?
In recent years, many organizations have started working with agile methods. Teams work in sprints, use rituals and tools, and are supported by agile coaches. This has brought a lot – but true enterprise agility often remains out of reach.
Agility means more than just agile practices. It’s about direction, ownership, value, and leadership – together forming the foundation for sustainable change capacity.
At Amigos, we see that this is exactly where many organizations struggle. That’s why, over the past weeks, we’ve shared a series of posts on the key themes organizations encounter on the journey from an Agile way of working to true agility. In this blog, we bring those insights together.
1: Focus and strategy
“Alignment without direction is like sprinting in the fog.”
Teams work hard and deliver, but without clear strategic goals, there is no cohesion. Agility without focus leads to chaos and high coordination costs.
The key: a compass with clear, connected goals – from top to team.
2: Community and ownership
“Everyone improves something. But together we don’t get better.”
Organizations often buzz with improvement initiatives, but fragmentation is a constant risk. Connected ownership is essential.
The key: Champions ensure improvement initiatives reinforce each other and build communities that sustain improvement over time.
3: Value and ROI
“The investment in change becomes the pain itself.”
Change is too often seen as a cost, because results remain invisible.
The key: make results tangible. Not just output, but outcome: which obstacles have been removed and what that delivered, what value (and at what speed) has been delivered for customers and the organization, what trends are visible in delivering value, and what progress is being made toward strategic goals.
4: Embedding and leadership
“Agility stands or falls with leadership.”
Agile coaches have helped organizations take their first steps. But sustainable agility requires embedding in the line.
The key: leadership – both formal and personal. Champions take ownership, set the example, and anchor continuous improvement into the culture.
What connects these themes?
✨ Agile Champions.
Agile Champions are people who are intrinsically motivated, who take ownership, connect and inspire others, and embed sustainable change capacity.
They ensure that an agile way of working is not the end point, but a breakthrough towards an organization that continuously learns, improves, and delivers value.
The Agile Champion Program
With the Agile Champion Program, you’ll learn how to strengthen ownership, model exemplary behavior, and embed sustainable change capacity.
Whether you join individually or bring the program in-house, you’ll take a concrete step toward lasting agility.
The Champion community
Alongside the program, we organize a Connect event four times a year – open to anyone who wants to stay inspired. The next one takes place on November 6th.
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Agile Champion Connect – new date: Thursday, November 6
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Sometimes things turn out a little differently than planned. Our Agile Champion Connect session was originally scheduled for September 18, but that date turned out to be extremely popular with many organizations for PI events and trainings. And well… of course, we want as many Champions as possible to be able to join. That’s why we’re moving the session a bit further down the calendar.
- The new date is Thursday, November 6.
- Location: Restaurant Seven, Utrecht (5 minutes’ walk from Utrecht Central Station)
- Time: 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM, followed by networking drinks
- Participation is free of charge
The program will be just as inspiring and challenging as you’ve come to expect from Agile Connect. We invite speakers who share their real-life cases – real challenges, real stories. Afterwards, you’ll work together in an interactive way to explore possible solutions and co-create the journey towards change and improvement.
Confirmed speakers so far:
- Mark Heistek – Agile/DevOps Transformation Coach at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, sharing insights and challenges from guiding the IT organization to strengthen delivery together with the business.
- Karin van Ooijen – Experienced transformation coach at Allianz Direct, inviting you to explore: “How can I inspire and encourage teams to embrace self-organization within a Laloux Orange organization?”
- Els Verkaik – Agile Coach at Schiphol Group, exploring her department’s subculture and helping you discover how to spark change when people say, “Things are fine the way they are.”
- Erik Cremers – Business & Information Consultant at APG, recently completed his PhD on multi-team dynamics, sharing insights from this fascinating field.
- Patricia Bebelaar – Agile Consultant and Organizational Coach, sharing lessons learned from her agile transformation work and challenging you with a practical case.
- Edwin Clerkx – Agile Coach, sharing practical insights from the agile transformation at Brabant Water and presenting a hands-on challenge to dive into.
Because the date is shifting, we kindly ask everyone to register again. This also applies to introducees (friends of change). You are more than welcome to bring someone along – just let us know in the form so we can plan accordingly.
- There are only 50 spots available, so don’t wait too long to sign up.
- Register using the button at the bottom of this page (just scroll down a bit).
We’re really looking forward to welcoming you in Utrecht on November 6. With inspiring stories, interactive sessions, and of course, a relaxed networking drink to close the day together.
See you then!
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Agile Connect September 18
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SESSION IS MOVED TO NOVEMBER 6TH. REGISTER HERE: https://amigos.nu/en/agile-champion-connect-new-date-thursday-november-6/
On Thursday, September 18, we will bring the Agile community together for a new Agile Champion Connect session in Utrecht. This is a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with familiar faces, meet new people, and exchange experiences across different organizations.
We’ve put together another exciting program for you, featuring a number of inspiring speakers who will share their real-life challenges. In an interactive setting, you will then work together to explore possible solutions and co-create the journey toward change and improvement.
We can already announce the first speakers – and more will follow:
- Roy Gielen & Mark Heistek – on the approach to agile working in a completely different industry: the Port of Antwerp.
- Karin van Ooijen (fellow Champion) – on her challenge at Allianz Direct (Laloux: orange organization) to inspire and encourage teams to embrace self-organization.
- Els Verkaik – on making company culture visible in agile working at Schiphol and how the Behavior Game can spark movement.
- Johan Vink, Product Owner in the educational materials sector – on his challenge: balancing business value and technical quality.
Practical details
- Location: Restaurant Seven, Utrecht (5 min walk from Utrecht Central Station)
- Date: Thursday, September 18
- Time: 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM, followed by networking drinks
- Participation is free of charge
- There are only 50 spots available. Registration is therefore required so we know when we’re full.
- You may bring a guest (a friend of change) – please make sure they register as well.
- You can register via the link at the bottom of this page.
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Change starts with belief in your influence
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The book Expedition Agility includes various working methods to tackle changing to agility in a playful, light-hearted way. Each blog article highlights one working method to inspire you and to experiment with. This time it is ‘cross the line’.
Making beliefs visible
Our beliefs provide a powerful compass for how we approach change, both personally and within a team or organization. They can help us move forward, but they can also block us if we hold on to limiting thoughts. The ‘cross the line’ working method is a playful and interactive way to explore what we really believe about our own role in change. By literally taking a step across a line, participants make their beliefs visible and negotiable. It is a powerful way to discover where the doubt lies and where the trust lies, both in yourself and in the organization.
This exercise provides a safe space to reflect on what you think you can change and helps participants to adjust their mindset: from ‘I can’t change anything’ to ‘I have influence’.
Format: cross the line
Our beliefs can hinder and strengthen us. To find out what beliefs we have when it comes to changing the organization, you can do the following working method:
- Divide the space in half imaginarily by drawing a line or make it with tape. Place a floor plate on one side of the line with YES on it and a floor plate with NO on the other side of the line.
- Ask everyone to stand. Then you ask the participants: ‘Do you believe you can change yourself?’ Ask participants to stand on one side of the line, depending on their answer (either the YES box or the NO box).
- Ask two or three people to explain why they are where they are. Usually it comes out, but you can also explain that you can continuously change and adjust your behavior.
- Then ask the question, “Do you believe you can change the team you’re a part of?” Ask the participants again to stand in the YES box or the NO box. Some will now cross the line.
- Ask two or three participants again why they are where they are or why they have changed subjects. Here too, it often comes out automatically, but you can explain that you can change the team by making an impact, setting a good example, holding retrospectives, making things negotiable, making proposals for other ways of working, etc.
- Finally, ask the group, “Do you believe you can change the organization you work in?” Participants again choose to stand in the YES or NO box.
- Again, ask two or three people to respond. Here too, if necessary, you can explain that it is about exerting influence and taking others with you. It’s like throwing a stone into the water: you can see the ripples in the water flowing wider and wider. That’s how it goes in organizations. But it starts with faith, the confidence that you can play a role in that.
At the end of the cross-the-line session, the deeper beliefs within the group become visible. The conversation that ensues not only shows where people have confidence in change, but also where they have doubts.
This method makes it clear that change starts with the conviction that you can make a difference yourself, no matter how small that difference may seem. Whether it’s personal change, influencing your team, or even transforming an entire organization – it all starts with believing in your own influence.
Like a rock thrown into the water, your actions spread and affect others. By raising this awareness, it becomes clear that everyone can play a role in change, if you only dare to believe that it is possible.
Source: Expedition Agility
By: Els Verkaik, Edwin Clerkx and Jeroen Venneman
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New Agile Champion Program starting in september!
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Are you ready to join, or do you know someone who might be interested? Spread the word! 💬
Make an impact and inspire others! 🚀
Do you want to make your organization a little better every day?
Would you like to learn how to drive change and bring others along on the journey?
Then our Agile Champion Program is exactly what you’re looking for!
During this 6-day program, you’ll learn:
✨ How to foster agility in your organization.
✨ How to use practical tools to drive change.
✨ How to inspire others and take steps together toward a better organization.
The program is packed with practical knowledge, inspiring insights, and plenty of hands-on activities!
👉 Sign up now for the September 2025 group in Utrecht by emailing info@amigos.nu
More info: Agile Champion Program – Amigos
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Energy through expeditions: The inspiring journey of “Expedition Agility”
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Expeditions don’t just result in stories — they offer powerful experiences and new discoveries. These stories inspire, taking you along for the ride so you don’t just hear about the adventure — you feel it. They can be a powerful catalyst for action and the spark that ignites new expeditions.
We’d love to take you along on the journey of our book, “Expedition Agility”. After its launch, we received the incredible honor of being nominated for Management Book of the Year 2025. We made it onto the longlist and were invited to the Management Book Gala on April 18 — a special moment to celebrate together.
Taking time to reflect on your achievements and celebrate success is important. It recharges your energy — especially when you’ve exceeded your goals. For us, the nomination was an unexpected surprise — a real gift.
Have you taken the time to reflect on the goals you’ve achieved or even surpassed? Have you celebrated those successes and drawn energy from them?
The energy we received as Amigos was used to integrate our book into the Agile Champion Program. This program supports organizations on their journey toward greater responsiveness. Such a journey needs people who not only understand change, but are equipped to champion and reinforce it within their organization.
The Agile Champion Program provides the knowledge, skills, and mindset needed to take on that role. It contributes to a growing community of friends of change. Integrating our book into the program has significantly enhanced it. It has become the foundation upon which the entire program is built. Participants not only learn from the book — they use it as a platform to grow their own development.
The first reactions to the enhanced program have been positive, and a new group will start in September. In addition to the six-day Agile Champion Program, we also developed a workshop based on the book that delivers value within an hour. We’ve already delivered this workshop at several events — including the “Kijkje in de Keuken” event hosted by Drive at the Municipality of Rotterdam on May 8.
In the “Expedition Agility” workshop, the book serves as a foundation to help participants break through specific transformation roadblocks. In a short amount of time, they experience the power of the book and use its insights to develop valuable advice for overcoming obstacles.
In short, the journey of our book “Expedition Agility” has brought us not only beautiful stories, but also new discoveries and fresh expeditions — like the enhanced Agile Champion Program and the Expedition Agility workshop.
So, what expedition can you share with your team to generate energy and spark your next adventure?
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Agile Connect Event – June 26, 2025: Join the Conversation!
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It’s time to connect again and talk about Agile in practice. On Thursday, June 26, from 15:00 to 17:00 CET, we’re hosting the next Agile Connect Event – fully online, interactive, and full of inspiration.
Whether you’re in the middle of a transformation or simply curious about how other organizations are becoming more agile, this event is your chance to share experiences, ask questions, and help others grow.
What to Expect:
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Bring in your own Agile topics or challenges (no pressure – it’s optional!)
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Support others by sharing your perspective and experience
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Discover new insights and practical solutions
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Connect with professionals from other organizations who are also on the path to greater agility
This session is open to everyone driving change in their organization – not just certified Agile Champions. So feel free to invite colleagues as well!
Ready to join?
Just fill in the RSVP form (link below) to receive your confirmation and the event details by email.
Let’s inspire and learn from each other. See you on June 26!
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