The document summarizes key learnings from nature that can be applied to agile practices. It discusses observations of animal behaviors like great bird migrations that demonstrate leadership rotation and energy conservation. Ant colony communication networks that optimize information sharing through specialized roles are also examined. Product innovations like Velcro and bullet train designs that were inspired by nature to solve engineering problems are provided as examples. The presentation emphasizes patience and empathy in transformation journeys, noting that incremental change while respecting environmental contexts leads to success.

1. Session Talk-
Learning Agility under
Nature’s Mentorship
Agile Network India 19th Feb 2022
Principal Agilist and
Nature Surfer
Cognizant Technology
solutions

2. Ice Breakers..well..quite literally in a way
Daredevil Goslings Make a Terrifying Jump for Life -
YouTube

3. Why Nature ..
● Yes, We Live in a VUCA World…
● But Nature has 3.8 Billion Years of Experience!
1.Evolve to
survive
Adapt to
changing
conditions
Be locally
attuned and
responsive
Use life
friendly-
chemistry
Be resource
efficient
Integrate
development
with growth

4. Table of
contents
Great Migrations
01
Self Organizing Leaders
02
03
05
Energy saving Swims
Team Sustainability
Ant Colonies
Art of Networking
Metamorphosis
The Greatest
transformation Journeys
04
Product Innovations

5. Great Migrations Observations
● V Shapes give unobstructed field of vision.
● lead bird’s primary role is to help reduce air drag
so that the flock can fly for greater distances
without expending more energy
● Frequently one of the birds from the back of the
flock will break away, fly to the front, and take
over, giving the previous leader a chance to move
back and take a break.
● Tapping local intelligence for resources
like food and thermal balancing

6. Learnings
● Clear Vision and Purpose
● Local empowerment , Situational Leadership
● Doing whatever is in your abilities to help others
succeed in reaching the shared goal
● V formation and Rotating Leader birds help
conserve energy
● Self organizing behaviors
Real world challenges
● Absence of vision and purpose
● Too much command control by
one leader
● Rigid leadership styles
● Burn out of leaders
● Lack of Autonomy

7. Energy Saving
Swims
● When one fish swims, the loss of its
kinetic energy creates tiny vortices in
the water which effectively reduces
the friction for its neighbors
● Less friction means less effort and
energy is required to swim
Observations

8. Learnings
Real world challenges
● Lack of Team alignment
● Competition over collaboration
● Team burnouts
● Resource drains
● Alignment helps productivity
● Collaborative efforts lead to
faster time to market
● Resource conservation helps
Team sustenance
● Helping others to be successful
creates your own success too

9. • Extremely efficient in group communication.
• Specific communication network that allows
rapid information gathering & transfer.
• Certain number of ants that take on the role of
scouters (e.g. find a new food source)
• Whereas only a small number of ants pass it
onto others (i.e. the connectors of the group).
• Their specific set up creates a communication
network with only a few “interaction hot spots”.
Ant colonies- Observations

10. Learnings
Real world challenges
● Organizational Silos
● Duplication of Role and
Responsibilities
● Networking challenges in
hierarchical constructs
● Community Model of operation
● Reduced cycle time due to
optimized flow
● optimize talent based on
strengths to avoid repeating of
efforts
● Art of networking in a complex
environment
● Working with circle of influence
rather than circle of control

11. Transformation Journey
0f a Butterfly
• The start and End state are
unrecognizably different
• Every stage has its unique
challenge in terms of
environmental influence
• Every stage has its own defined
period of maturation
• Pre-empting any stage leads to
disrupting the natural flow of
development attracting wrong
consequences
observations

12. Learnings
Real world challenges
● Lack of empathy to
understand AS-IS stage
● Culture eating strategy for
breakfast
● No focus or effort on
inside out changes
● Premature pre-emption of
any phase for quicker
success
• It always starts small and incremental
• You need to consider culture and
environment as driving factors
towards success or failure
• Challenging the status quo is essential
component of transformation
• Change is painful. Patience and
resilience are the key
• You may fail ..but you may also fly
Team Transformations

13. —Janine Benyus
“We’re awake now, and the question is
how do we stay awake to the living
world? How do we make the act of
asking nature’s advice a normal part
of everyday inventing?”

14. Whats the good Word
Examination of nature in order to
create models, systems or processes
that imitate life and solve human
problems
Quiz Time

15. BIO MIMICRY

16. Product Innovation
What is this image of
How are they
connected
What was the
design
challenge
Quiz Time

17. Shinkasen
Design Challenge 1
Problem 1
The more sound it makes, especially when the air hits
the current collectors that receive electricity from
the overhead wires, called the pantographs.
Design Challenge 2
The other problem is when the train
leaves a tunnel, the air being
compressed by the train creates a
sonic boom

18. Velcro
George de Mestral
Studied the Burrs under a microscope
Hook System used by Burdock Plant to migrate
its seeds by attachment
Hooks could grab onto loops of thread
Ideation of Hook and Loop fastener

19. Acknowledgements
● Jui Kudav – Nature Quests
● Biomimicry.org
● Medium.com
● Photos and Videos- Jui Kudav, Internet sources

20. CREDITS: This presentation
template was created by Slidesgo,
including icons by Flaticon, and
infographics & images by Freepik
Jui Kudav | LinkedIn
Thank you!
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