Future Of Work Mastery (ex Enterprise Agility Mastery)

Ian Banner and Friends
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The Future of Work Podcast is bought for you by the Future Of Work Crew. Our Crew consists of thought leaders from around the world who record the podcast for an international audience – free of timezones. You can listen when you want. We cover knowledge work areas related to the use of AI, Transformation Skills, Leadership, Lean and Agility We do this to help increase the skills, knowledge and experience across the community - and it’s for free🙂 Every week we will be exploring another part of this wonderful Landscape. Each episode is recorded live and unscripted. For more info and show notes go to https://linktr.ee/ianbanner futureofwork.site

  1. The Momentum Problem: Why Your Team Drifts Apart After Every On-Site

    JAN 26

    The Momentum Problem: Why Your Team Drifts Apart After Every On-Site

    Episode Description You just spent six figures flying everyone in. The energy was electric. Six prototypes emerged in five days. Now everyone’s back home and the drift begins. In this episode, Ian is joined by friends Shaun Phillips and Jeff Ecker to unpack how to maintain momentum after the magic of being together - including why trust is built through play, not work, the tools that actually replicate in-person connection, and the one daily habit that keeps global teams from drifting apart. Extended Show Notes The Big Idea: Off-sites create extraordinary momentum. Then everyone flies home and the system flips - instead of pulling people together, remote work pushes them apart. The question isn’t whether to do off-sites. It’s how to bottle what works and replicate it when you’re 5,000 miles apart. What We Cover: * Why you accomplish in one week together what takes a month apart * The difference between working with colleagues and working with friends * How “the dropped glass at happy hour” builds more trust than any workshop * Tools that actually replicate in-person dynamics: chat storms, async video, lean coffee * Why end-of-week calls fail and what to do instead * The builder mindset: moving from admiring problems to solving them * Daily contact as the simplest momentum-keeper Key Moments: * [00:00] The question every leader asks after an off-site: how do we keep this going? * [03:45] “You can’t have the moment of creating friendships through a dropped glass on Zoom” * [08:20] Tools that work: Miro, Slido, chat storms, and the Tuesday Twilight * [14:30] Why “stupidly busy” kills connection - and how to protect play time * [18:15] The builder mindset in the age of AI * [22:40] Making momentum a metric: the five-question pulse check * [26:00] Daily contact: the smallest action with the biggest impact This Episode Is For You If: * You’ve just finished an off-site and feel the drift beginning * You lead distributed teams across time zones * You’re trying to justify the ROI of bringing people together * You want practical tools to replicate in-person energy remotely Quotes “We probably accomplished in a week what we would have in a month. And more than just the work - it’s the friendships that build the trust that allows you to accelerate.” “Trust is earned not through when people work together, but when they play together.” “You don’t want to work with colleagues. You want to work with friends.” “When you’re apart, the system is the opposite. It’s drifting you away. So you have to be intentional about forcing connection back in.” “As humans, we just want to be heard. We want to hear from our friends.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit futureofwork.site

    26 min
  2. When My Senior Developer Called My Junior Developer an Idiot (They're Both AI)

    JAN 17

    When My Senior Developer Called My Junior Developer an Idiot (They're Both AI)

    INTRODUCTION We thought one AI could replace an entire team. We were wrong. In this episode, Ian and Shaun Phillips unpack what actually works when building with agentic AI - including why you need junior AND senior developers, why your AI needs retrospectives, and the five words that stop AI echo chambers. Plus: how a 61-year-old sold his first app and what that means for the future of who gets to build software. The Big Idea Everyone assumed agentic AI would be one system doing everything perfectly. Turns out, AI works better when you treat it like a team - with roles, tensions, handoffs, and even the occasional dressing down. What We Cover: * Why “anyone can be a developer now” isn’t hype - it’s operational reality * The surprising discovery: giving AI a “junior developer” persona works better than “20-year expert” * How context windows are the new “my brain is full” excuse (and why it matters for handoffs) * Building AI teams with org charts, retrospectives, and structured conflict * The five-word prompt that breaks AI out of echo chamber mode * Where hybrid human-AI teams actually work - and where they fall apart Key Moments: * [00:00] Ian sells his first app at 61 - what that signals about the barrier to entry * [04:30] The junior/senior developer revelation - why role tension improves output * [12:15] Context windows and the art of the handoff * [18:40] “I’m wrong, tell me why” - forcing AI to challenge your thinking * [24:00] Should your AI team run retrospectives? This Episode Is For You If: * You’re experimenting with agentic AI and hitting walls * You’ve assumed one AI system should handle everything * You want practical patterns for human-AI collaboration * You’re curious whether your non-technical people could start building Tags/Keywords agentic AI, vibe coding, AI teams, future of work, software development, context windows, AI collaboration, Google AI Studio, Claude, Gemini, hybrid teams, prompt engineering, junior developer, senior developer Pull Quotes (for social/clips) “My senior developer is occasionally quite abusive about the junior developer. Literally: ‘What an idiot. How could he have made this mistake?’” “We thought my team of six could now be just one AI system. I’m not there now.” “Anyone can be a software developer. The barrier to entry has never been lower.” “The AI won’t naturally challenge you. So you just say: I’m wrong. Tell me why.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit futureofwork.site

    35 min
  3. Deep-dive : Stop Making Brilliant Engineers Into Mediocre Managers

    10/06/2025

    Deep-dive : Stop Making Brilliant Engineers Into Mediocre Managers

    The Big Idea In this longer deep-dive (55 mins) episode Ian Banner and Mariya MacCloud explore one of the most counterintuitive findings in organisational science: why teams full of brilliant people consistently fail. Drawing on Dr Meredith Belbin’s pioneering research at Henley Management College in the 1960s and 1970s, Ian guides Mariya through the discovery of the Apollo Syndrome—the phenomenon where teams assembled from the brightest individuals often fail to win. Through rigorous experimentation involving thousands of managers playing business simulation games, Belbin identified nine distinct team functions that determine effectiveness. This isn’t another personality assessment. It’s evidence-based science showing how teams actually work. Ian and Mariya discuss each of the nine functions—from Shapers who drive direction to Completer Finishers who ensure quality—and explore how modern organisations repeatedly make the Apollo mistake by hiring for talent rather than functional diversity. They tackle practical application questions: How do you use this framework without pigeonholing people? Where does it apply in career progression? Can AI agents fill missing team functions? Mariya pushes back on the “do more with less” mentality pervading tech organisations, using functional intelligence to expose why that mathematics fails. Whether you’re assembling leadership teams or trying to understand why your brilliant people aren’t delivering brilliant results, this conversation provides the scientific framework you’ve been missing. Takeaways * Understanding team dynamics is crucial for effective collaboration. * Meredith Belbin’s research provides a framework for team roles. * Each team member may excel in different roles, impacting team performance. * The Shaper role is about providing direction and leadership. * Completer Finishers ensure quality and attention to detail. * Specialists bring deep knowledge but may lack a big-picture perspective. * Monitor Evaluators assess team progress and can be overly critical. * Plants are creative thinkers who generate innovative ideas. * Implementers turn ideas into actionable tasks and can resist change. * Team Workers build trust and resolve conflicts but may avoid tough decisions. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Team Dynamics and Belbin’s Theory 05:32 Exploring Team Roles: Shapers and Completers 11:26 The Importance of Balance in Team Roles 17:35 Specialists and Their Impact on Team Performance 23:33 Creative Innovators: The Role of Plants in Teams 29:27 Applying Belbin’s Theory in Leadership and Team Settings 30:47 The Evolution of Team Roles 33:13 AI’s Role in Team Dynamics 34:48 Understanding Team Functions 38:06 The Resource Investigator Role 41:22 The Team Worker Role 44:16 Empathy in Organizational Roles 45:54 Capacity and Specialization in Teams 51:09 Balancing Expectations in the Tech Industry Thanks for reading The Future of Work Mastery! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Thanks for reading The Future of Work Mastery! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit futureofwork.site

    55 min
  4. The £100 Million Vanity Trap: Why Green Dashboards Hide Red Reality

    09/07/2025

    The £100 Million Vanity Trap: Why Green Dashboards Hide Red Reality

    In this episode, Ian brings together an extraordinary crew with over 100 years of combined delivery experience to tackle one of the most expensive problems in modern project management: the gap between looking busy and delivering actual business value. Joining Ian are Steve Forbes, Peter Wichmann, with 30 years of insurance IT delivery, and Roy Thomas, with 25 years of transformation experience across telecoms, energy, and financial services. This isn't a theoretical discussion—it's hard-won wisdom from professionals who've navigated the complexities of large-scale delivery and lived to tell the tale. The conversation reveals why 73% of strategic initiatives fail despite appearing successful on dashboards, introduces the "watermelon problem" that's costing organisations millions, and provides practical frameworks for measuring what actually matters. You'll discover why sponsors make emotional decisions without data, how the sunk cost fallacy kills projects that should succeed, and what needs to be true all the time for your delivery to survive funding reviews. This crew episode represents the kind of practical, battle-tested insights you can only get from people who've been there, done that, and have the scars to prove it. Whether you're struggling with stakeholder management, fighting vanity metrics, or trying to demonstrate real business value, this conversation provides actionable frameworks you can implement immediately. Thanks for reading The Future of Work Mastery! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Thanks for reading The Future of Work Mastery! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit futureofwork.site

    32 min
  5. When Being Great At Your Job Isn’t Enough - Why Smart Leaders Never Skip The Power Of Weekly Reports

    07/26/2025

    When Being Great At Your Job Isn’t Enough - Why Smart Leaders Never Skip The Power Of Weekly Reports

    Introduction In this episode, Ian Banner and Steve Forbes tackle one of the most universally dreaded professional obligations: weekly reports. But this isn't your typical discussion about administrative burden—it's a revelation about how AI can transform your most tedious professional task into your most powerful career acceleration tool. Ian reveals his complete AI-assisted reporting methodology, including his iterative approach using voice transcription and strategic content refinement. You'll discover why the "no-ING words" rule eliminates weak professional communication and how systematic reporting doubles as strategic week-ahead preparation. Steve shares his insights on taking clients on the professional journey with you, the three levels of value communication that resonate across organisational priorities, and why good work that can't be communicated becomes invisible work that limits career advancement. This conversation will completely transform how you think about weekly reporting—from seeing it as compliance overhead to recognising it as systematic reputation building. Whether you're a consultant, team lead, or senior executive, you'll learn practical frameworks for leveraging AI to eliminate the boring bits whilst building the professional visibility that drives career success. Stop avoiding weekly reports. Start mastering them as strategic influence campaigns that advocate for you when you're not in the room. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Weekly Reports and AI 07:01 Using AI for Weekly Reports 15:20 Iterative Reporting and Cultural Considerations 21:34 Taking Clients on the Journey 29:49 Articulating Value in Report Thanks for reading The Future of Work Mastery! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Thanks for reading The Future of Work Mastery! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit futureofwork.site

    33 min
  6. The Six-Month Transformation Challenge: Why Legacy Enterprises Need Battle-Scarred Guides, Not Book-Smart Consultants

    07/07/2025

    The Six-Month Transformation Challenge: Why Legacy Enterprises Need Battle-Scarred Guides, Not Book-Smart Consultants

    In this episode, Ian and Erik tackle one of the most challenging scenarios in transformation work: How do you change a hundred-year-old organisation in just six months? This isn't about startups or Silicon Valley success stories—this is about real legacy enterprises with proven track records, established customers, and systems that have generated decades of profit. Erik Hansen joins Ian from Seattle to share hard-won insights from the trenches of enterprise transformation. Both speakers bring battle scars from working with organisations that don't fit the textbook case studies—companies where the challenge isn't building something new, but evolving something that's been working whilst maintaining the relationships and standards that built their success. You'll discover why most transformation consultants fail in legacy environments, learn the ally-finding formula that actually works, and understand how to use customer pain points as change catalysts. Erik shares real examples from his current work at a global financial institution, whilst Ian reveals lessons from transforming century-old organisations across multiple sectors. This episode is essential listening for anyone tasked with driving change in established organisations where evolution beats revolution every time. Click play to learn why respect for existing success breeds the trust that enables transformation. Chapters 00:00 Navigating Life Changes 02:35 Career Transitions and New Opportunities 05:05 Health and Personal Growth 07:43 Investment Strategies and Financial Planning 10:27 Agile Coaching and Organisational Design 16:06 Future of Work and Personal Development 24:45 Planning a Visit to the Pacific Northwest 26:54 Transforming Legacy Organisations 34:53 The Role of Champions in Change 40:51 Identifying Pain Points for Transformation 48:03 Leveraging Crises for Opportunities 53:28 Key Takeaways and Reflections https://linktr.ee/ianbanner Thanks for reading The Future of Work Mastery! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Thanks for reading The Future of Work Mastery! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit futureofwork.site

    31 min
  7. The Future of Your Professional Development: From Corporate Programmes to Personal Pathways"

    06/25/2025

    The Future of Your Professional Development: From Corporate Programmes to Personal Pathways"

    Introduction In this episode, Ian Banner and Maria MacCloud tackle one of the most uncomfortable truths in professional development: your company cannot and will not take complete responsibility for training you for success. Together, they explore why generic corporate training programmes are like fast food for your career - satisfying in the moment but lacking the nutrition for sustained growth. Ian introduces his powerful concept of treating yourself as both the product and the product owner of your own career, whilst Maria provides candid perspectives on navigating development opportunities when budgets are tight and competition with peers is real. They dive deep into learning pathways, the three-expert rule for finding genuine thought leaders, and how AI tools can accelerate your research whilst highlighting why human discernment remains irreplaceable. This isn't just another conversation about professional development - it's a manifesto for taking complete ownership of your career trajectory in an industry that changes faster than most training programmes can adapt. Sound Bites "Your job is to do your job 90% of the time." "Your career is your responsibility." "Rising tides lift all boats." Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Technical Issues 02:34 Taking Ownership of Your Training 05:27 The Limitations of Corporate Training 08:09 Navigating Learning Opportunities 11:24 The Importance of Learning Pathways 14:20 Creating a Learning Pathway 17:11 Utilising AI for Learning 20:07 The Role of Experience in Learning 23:17 Accountability and Support in Learning 26:06 Final Thoughts on Career Development If you like it, please subscribe and share it with someone you know would listen. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit futureofwork.site

    40 min
  8. As The Tools Changed, Did Your Process? From Rigid Frameworks to Flexible Cadences

    06/18/2025

    As The Tools Changed, Did Your Process? From Rigid Frameworks to Flexible Cadences

    In this episode, Ian Banner and Steve Forbes tackle one of the most contentious debates in modern software development: why teams are slowly moving from traditional Scrum practices. Drawing from the latest State of Agile Report data, they reveal how Scrum adoption has plummeted from 58% to 51% whilst Kanban and custom frameworks surge ahead. But this isn't another "Agile is dead" rant. Instead, Ian and Steve make a provocative case that whilst Agile principles remain vital, lockstep time boxing has become a relic of the 1990s. They explore how modern tools—from Git to AI—have fundamentally changed the game, making two-week sprints feel like an eternity in today's development cycles. The conversation dives deep into practical alternatives, from "sneaky peeks" for product owners to strategic six-week reviews for stakeholders. Steve shares war stories from teams that have successfully implemented mixed cadences, whilst Ian provides hard-won insights about avoiding the "Frankenstein hybrid" trap that combines the worst of all methodologies. This episode offers a blueprint for evolving beyond rigid frameworks whilst maintaining the discipline that makes Agile effective. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Initial Thoughts 06:01 Transitioning from Scrum to Kanban 12:04 Defining Agile Frameworks 17:57 The Evolution of Software Development Practices 25:57 Retrospectives: Frequency and Necessity 34:47 Planning: Short-term vs Long-term Perspectives 40:51 Strategic Value and Measuring Success The latest State of Agile Report https://linktr.ee/ianbanner This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit futureofwork.site

    40 min
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About

The Future of Work Podcast is bought for you by the Future Of Work Crew. Our Crew consists of thought leaders from around the world who record the podcast for an international audience – free of timezones. You can listen when you want. We cover knowledge work areas related to the use of AI, Transformation Skills, Leadership, Lean and Agility We do this to help increase the skills, knowledge and experience across the community - and it’s for free🙂 Every week we will be exploring another part of this wonderful Landscape. Each episode is recorded live and unscripted. For more info and show notes go to https://linktr.ee/ianbanner futureofwork.site

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