This is the presentation from Scrum Summit 2023, session 2 day 1. We have learnt more about neuroscience and our brains in the last 20 years than in the previous history of humanity. In this talk I will share how your brain works, and common agile practices that help your brain deliver more effectively.

1. Brain Based Agile
Working with our humanity

2. Working Agreement
•Please ask questions using the chat facility
•Use the chat to give feedback during the
session

3. Purpose
In this presentation I will explain how your
brain works, how hormones affect it. From
that I will explore how good agile works
with your brain, and what you can do better
to help people tap into their brains.

4. Some Brain Basics
•Your brain is made up of a few different
aspects
•Structural (areas of the brain)
•Biochemical (glands, hormones, chemicals)
•Electrical (how signals are sent)

7. We are a skinful of chemicals!
Angel
•Dopamine = pleasure
•Serotonin =
contentment
•Oxytocin = belonging
•Endorphine = pleasure
Devil
•Adrenaline = focus
•Cortisol = stress

8. “Goldilocks”
Zone

12. SCARF Model – David Rock
•Status – our relative importance to others.
•Certainty – our ability to predict the future.
•Autonomy – our sense of control over events.
•Relatedness – how safe we feel with others.
•Fairness – how fair we perceive the exchanges
between people to be

13. Define
Intent
Do something
Get feedback
Reflect
Adjust

14. Clear Direction
•Reduces
uncertainty
•Lowers stress
•Creates conditions
for group working

15. Agile ways of working
•Space to think out
loud
•Freedom to be
wrong
•Graceful conflict
•Iterate to success
•Goldilocks zone
•Just enough
•Within tolerance

16. Brain Friendly Agile Maxims
•Focus on the what, then the how
•Ruthless on Value, compassionate with
people
•Done, Deliver, learn
•Visualise, collaborate, iterate

19. Goals and Horizons
•Need clarity around
what ‘complete’
looks like
•Need timeframes as
a constraint
Year
Quarter
~ Month

20. Cross Functional Teams
•Diversity of opinion
•Faster time to learn
•Collective support

21. Regular Events
•Cadence
•Refinement
•Iterative Planning
•Breaking down
large work
•Cross functional
teams
•Different
perspectives

23. Feedback is a gift

25. Simon Reindl
uk.linkedin.com/in/simonreindl
simon.reindl@apd.coach
@s_reindl
Thank You!