Agile Connect Event – November 5, 2026: reconnect and try something new!
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Join us online on Thursday, November 5, for the next Agile Connect Event. It’s a chance to share experiences, discover new ideas and catch up with the people from your Agile Champion Program group. Reach out to one another and encourage your fellow participants to join!
The event will once again have its familiar Open Space format: bring a question, challenge or experience, and together we’ll decide which conversations to have. Bringing a topic is welcome, but entirely optional.
In one of the sessions, you’ll also be among the first to try our new card game, Product Owner Types – Personal Agility for Product Owners. Explore how Product Owners respond to change and pressure, and how you can use the game when coaching them.
Agile Champions have already received an invitation. Other interested people are welcome as guests too. You can sign up via the event page.
See you on November 5?
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Changing is also just a game
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But who sets the rules of the game and who holds the cards?
When it comes to change, it is by no means a given that everyone will participate. Change agents find this difficult, or at least a challenge. But how bad is it really if not everyone participates?
Suppose we were to view change as a game for a change. A game we can enjoy, together with others. One we can laugh about a little. One that makes us playful and allows us to approach it in a relaxed way.
Would more people be willing to play along then?
The moment we start viewing change as a game, a few interesting questions and insights emerge.
Am I willing to play the game?
Perhaps the most important question. When would you be willing to play the game? Do you just go for it, or do you set specific conditions?
And what might be holding you back from participating? Perhaps you would like to, but lack the time, knowledge, confidence, or support.
What happens if I don’t play?
Is participation optional? Are there consequences? Or are we saying that something needs to change, while old behavior remains perfectly possible in the meantime?
Perhaps the rules are unclear. Perhaps the playing field is set up in such a way that the desired behavior actually becomes difficult.
What’s in it for me to participate?
Change is often explained in terms of the organization’s interests. But why should you make the move? What is in it for you?
Does there have to be something to gain or win? Or do you actually want to get rid of something? Will your work become easier, more interesting, or better? Will you learn something? Will you gain more autonomy or influence?
Do I know the rules of the game?
What is expected of me? What changes in my behavior? What can I decide for myself? Where is my room for maneuver?
Who actually determines the playing field?
People are not pawns that you can move around on a chessboard. The desired movement does not occur when people merely learn to play a new game neatly. It occurs when people also gain influence over how the game is played.
From object of change to agile partner
Especially on our journey towards greater agility, we need people who do not merely play a prescribed game, but can act independently, learn, and adapt the game when the situation calls for it.
So, if you, as a change agent, want people to truly participate, make them co-players . Give them insight into the goal. Make the rules of the game clear. Provide space to ask questions and experiment. Let them experience the results. And, where possible, give them influence on the playing field and the rules.
Then the role of the change agent also changes. Not the one who shouts: “These are the new rules. Good luck with them.” But the one who helps create an environment in which people can, want to, and dare to play along.
How can you make change more fun?
A good game has something that many change programs lack: curiosity, interaction, choice, experimentation, feedback, challenge, and fun. Why shouldn’t we make more use of that when implementing change?
Not because every change has to be one big party. But because the way we change can make a world of difference.
A checklist for your next change
- What is the game we play together?
- Is it clear to everyone why this game is worthwhile?
- Does everyone know the rules of the game?
- What are the benefits of participating?
- What makes it difficult to play with?
- Can we remove those obstacles?
- How much influence do people have on the playing field and the rules of the game?
- Who do we need to play the game together?
And perhaps the most exciting question:
If you weren’t forced to, would you actually feel like participating?
If the answer is no , the problem might not lie with the players. Perhaps we should take a look at the game then.
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An 8.3 is great. What you learn from it matters more.
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You can tell people yourself that a training program is valuable. But ultimately, what matters most is what participants experience.
Participants from the Rabobank group rated the Agile Champion Program with an average score of 8.3.
The highest ratings were for:
- the trainers: 8.8
- the guidance and support: 8.7
- the program design and learning activities: 8.5
Participants describe the program as interesting, interactive and practical. They particularly value the combination of case studies, real-world examples, games, books and assignments.
We also take critical feedback seriously.
Participants indicated that they would like to connect their personal learning goals even more closely to the content. For the new group, we are therefore paying extra attention to this alignment and to applying the learning within their own organization, both during and after the program.
Because continuous improvement is not something you should only teach. You must demonstrate it yourself.
Here you can see when the next group starts. Six training days spread over two months, with time between sessions to apply the learning directly in practice.
Would you like to discover what change you can achieve from your position within the organization?
For more information or to register, please contact us.
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Change doesn’t happen alone!
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Real change often starts with just a few people.
People who see that things can be better. Who do not wait until every condition is perfect, but start experimenting where they can make a difference. We call them friends of change.
Over the past few years, several groups have completed the six-day Agile Champion Program. Each group embarked on the same expedition, but from different organizations, departments, roles and change challenges.
What connects them is their ambition to make their organization a little better every day.
That is why the program does not end after the sixth training day.
Participants become part of a growing community of change makers from different organizations. During our quarterly heartbeat sessions — coincidentally, today, 27 August 2026, we held our third Connect event of the year — they come together again to:
- share experiences and dilemmas
- learn from each other’s practice
- gain new insights
- energize one another
- continue their personal development
This matters because you cannot build a movement towards greater agility during a single training program. You need people who continue to connect, challenge and inspire one another afterwards.
A new group will embark on this journey on 11 September.
Would you like to gain new knowledge while also becoming part of a lasting community of friends of change?
Explore the program and register:
Join the new Agile Champion Program Starting September 2026
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Does AI determine your future?
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AI is on the agenda in almost every organization. The real question is: will you become part of a plan created by others, or will you take ownership of how you and your organization develop?
Organizations are investing in tools, pilots and new applications. But that alone is not enough.
The real challenge arises when AI calls existing processes, roles and decision-making into question. When developments move faster than the organization’s ability to learn and improve.
That is when an organization’s true responsiveness becomes visible.
Responsiveness is not created by rolling out another new model. It requires people who:
- collaborate across departments and competing interests
- focus on value instead of activities
- lead by example
- continuously learn and improve
- engage others in change
People at every level of the organization. Not only formal leaders, but friends of change who take action themselves and inspire others to join them.
That is exactly why we developed the Agile Champion Program.
Over six days, you will learn how to create a movement towards greater responsiveness, effective value delivery and a more predictable ability to deliver results. Not just through theory, but through practical interventions that you can apply within your own organization.
A new group starts in Utrecht on 11 September.
Rather than waiting for others to create an AI plan for you, are you ready to shape the development of yourself and your organization?
Explore the program and register:
https://amigos.nu/en/join-the-new-agile-champion-program-starting-september-2026/
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Agile Connect Event – August 27, 2026: Interactive Inspiration!
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Thursday, August 27, it’s time for our next Connect Event! From 3:00 to 5:00 PM, we’ll be hosting another Agile Connect Event – fully online, interactive, and inspiring.
Whether you’re in the middle of a transformation or simply curious about how other organizations are becoming more agile, this event is the perfect place to exchange experiences, ask questions, and help each other move forward.
What can you expect?
During this interactive event, you can:
- Bring your own challenges or topics for discussion – completely optional!
- Help others with their challenges – your experience matters.
- Discover new perspectives and practical solutions.
- Connect with professionals from other organizations who, just like you, are working to create change.
Whether you’re a certified Agile Champion or simply someone who helps create movement within your team or organization, you’re very welcome to join us. And feel free to bring a colleague – the more perspectives, the richer the conversation.
Want to join?
Send a message to info@amigos.nu
Let’s help and inspire each other. See you on August 27!
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How adaptable am I, really?
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Not just at work, but also when I’m travelling. Am I willing to let go of my original plan when circumstances change? Or do I stick to what I had planned in advance?
During our trip through the Pyrenees, we found ourselves in exactly that situation. We had planned to spend a day in Pau. The itinerary was set. We had just crossed the mountain pass from Spain into France in our camper van and were looking forward to visiting the “Versailles of the South.”
But reality had other plans. It was the first day of a heatwave that would eventually last a week. The forecast for Pau: 41°C (106°F). We looked at each other and asked ourselves one simple question:
Do we follow the plan, or do we follow the circumstances?
We chose the latter and turned around, heading back into the cool mountain air. A little later, we found ourselves aboard the Petit Train d’Artouste. At more than 2,000 metres above sea level, a fresh breeze swept across the mountain lake. Suddenly, the heat felt very far away. At the end of the afternoon, we realised there wasn’t a campsite nearby. Years ago, that might have felt like a problem. This time, it simply became part of the adventure.
We drove back towards Spain, climbed to the Col du Portalet, and found a quiet place to spend the night in a parking area just beyond the pass. As the sun slowly disappeared behind the mountains, cows with gently ringing bells wandered past our camper. Before us stretched a view that no campsite could ever have matched. That night, we slept soundly in the cool mountain air. And then it hit me. Adaptability isn’t about sticking to your plan. It’s about trusting that sometimes a different path turns out to be even more beautiful than the one you originally mapped out.
Maybe that’s true not only when we travel. Maybe it’s true at work. And perhaps it’s true for life itself.
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Join the new Agile Champion Program Starting September 2026
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Agility is more important than ever, just look at the rapid developments and opportunities emerging around AI. For organizations to be successful today and in the future, an agile way of working is essential. Not just within certain teams or domains, but across the entire organization. True resilience and responsiveness must flow through the whole value chain and innovation system.
An agile way of working is more than implementing a framework. Real, effective agility requires a balance between the structure within organizations and the underlying culture. The balance between the upstream and the undercurrent.
Agile Champions are the driving force behind this continuously accelerating responsiveness.
In September 2026, a new group will start the Agile Champion Program, a 6-day learning journey for anyone who wants to strengthen agility, collaboration and the power of change within their organization.
Over the past years, hundreds of Agile Champions have completed this program. Many of them are now active in new organizations, organizations where we again see strong interest in developing internal change capability, breaking through stalled transformations, creating focus, accelerating progress, and embedding continuous improvement.
That’s why we are making a broad invitation.
1️⃣ Do you know someone, or are you working somewhere, where the Agile Champion Program might be relevant?
A new edition starts on September 11th.
The program is practical, inspiring and designed to empower people who want to carry and accelerate meaningful change.
Whether you are interested yourself or know someone in your organization or network: we’d love to hear from you. Sharing this information is greatly appreciated.
👉 More information:
https://amigos.nu/en/learn/trainings/agile-champion-program/
2️⃣ Looking for broader support in organizational transformation?
In addition to the Agile Champion Program, we also support organizations with:
- change and transformation initiatives,
- team development,
- and fully customized internal learning programs.
Together with organizations, we build sustainable growth and future-ready teams.
If you have questions, see opportunities, or would like to connect us to someone within your organization, we’re happy to explore the possibilities.
Together, we make agility human, achievable and inspiring.
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Expedition Agility
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Two years ago, we published the book Expedition Agility together. We still use it regularly in our work and continue to encounter it in organizations that are working on change, collaboration, and agility.
What we like is that the book does not feel like something that is “finished.” Which actually fits the subject perfectly. Agility is not about a perfect method or a fixed step-by-step plan. It is about continuing to move, continuing to learn, and discovering together what works in practice.
That is exactly why we deliberately chose the title Expedition Agility. An expedition means being on a journey. It means not knowing everything beforehand. Sometimes you need to take a different route because reality turns out differently than expected.
And honestly, we still see that every day in organizations.
Many organizations are busy with change. New structures, agile ways of working, new forms of collaboration. But in our view, real agility does not emerge simply by changing processes. It emerges when people feel the space to learn, experiment, make mistakes, and determine direction together.
That is the mindset from which we wrote the book. Not a theoretical story from a distance, but a practical workbook full of exercises, insights, and tools that come directly from practice. Things we have applied ourselves, adapted, and sometimes had to reinvent along the way.
What we hear most from people using the book is that it helps start meaningful conversations. Not only about structures and goals, but especially about collaboration, behavior, and trust.
Because ultimately, agility remains human work.
And maybe that is why the metaphor of an expedition still fits so well. You never know exactly how the route will unfold, but you can learn how to travel it together.
Curious? You can order our book on Managementboek.nl
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Again 200 more trees!
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This year again, we at Amigos have planted 200 trees through Trees for All.
It might seem like a small gesture, but it’s one that makes us happy. Knowing that somewhere new trees are growing because we as a team decided to contribute to this, simply feels good.
Every day we work with people, growth, and development. So it’s nice when that doesn’t only stay in words, but also becomes something real. Trees that stay, slowly grow, and give something back to the world.
We think it’s important to contribute to a greener world alongside our work. Nothing complicated, nothing overdone. Just doing it.
And honestly: it just feels good to know that there are 200 more trees out there.
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