Maneuvering Monday

Ivanna Rosendal & Anne Katrine Carlsson Sejr

In this podcast, we invite you to follow the fictional story of Marie as she maneuvers the organizational culture and dysfunctions in the company Zebra Apps. Once a week, we invite guest experts to discuss what happens in the episode, and provide tools and insights into what Marie could do. Let's maneuver Mondays together! 

  1. Chapter 6 Episode 3: The Final Episode with AK & Ivanna

    11/07/2024

    Chapter 6 Episode 3: The Final Episode with AK & Ivanna

    Send us a text In this final episode of Maneuvering Monday the podcast, AK and Ivanna wrap up everything and share the next steps for our book project. There is a bit of heavy breathing (sorry!) as we discuss Natalie and her trajectory, and how she ends up finally connecting with her purpose and passion after having suffered from 'The Peter Principle' throughout the story in her role as CEO at Zebra Apps.  We talk about Anne and how she started off a bit arrogant, but ended up with good self-reflections (and a bit of a depressing conclusion about the human inability to improve company culture, which we do not believe is true).  We investigate Carrie's mum's actual problem, and talk about the pressure and competition amongst parents with children in kindergarten and school - and not least society's expectations to us as mothers, when really the fathers of our children are Chief Playdate Officer and Head of Spare Kindergarten Outfits. We ask ourselves why the two most unlikeable and unpopular characters end up winning in the end, and whether a bit of friction might actually be necessary to progress. And suddenly, Ivanna quotes John Lennon for the first and last part on this show (and maybe in general?). Finally, we talk about how it all started vs. how it ended, how we got unexpected praise from a publisher for having a story with "a beginning, a middle part and an end", and then we share the most recurring questions and comments from our beta readers. We disclose the next steps for the book and what we wish we had known before we started to write. And will there be a Maneuvering Monday the movie?  Thanks a million to our beta readers, guest experts, voice talents, and listeners. Stay tuned for more maneuvers! Join the conversation on our LinkedIn page Reach out to us: Anne Katrine & Ivanna

    46 min
  2. Chapter 6 Episode 2: Cecil 'Gary' Rupp

    10/31/2024

    Chapter 6 Episode 2: Cecil 'Gary' Rupp

    Send us a text Our very last guest on the podcast, Cecil 'Gary' Rupp, is an expert in leadership, business transformation, and Lean-Agile frameworks. With both executive management and management consulting experience, Gary brings a unique perspective to what our friends in Zebra Apps need to be doing to save their own future. Value stream mapping is the name of the game in this episode. Gary takes us through the concept, which is covered in his newest book, The Lean-Agile Way, co-authored by several other experts (Richard Knaster, Steve Pereira, Al Shalloway). As a proficient "herder of human cats", Gary shares advice on how to get large numbers of people to go in the same direction by applying a systemic perspective to improve flow. We talk about green Lamborghinis, project vs. product, and Lean vs. Agile. We talk about people, process, information, technology, and services as business enablers. And we discuss Eliyahu Goldratt's point about how it is waste to spend money on anything that is not an organizational constraint. But most importantly, we discuss value stream mapping from concept to delivery and how this continuous exercise will lift an organization's ability to reach its target. Gary also shares insights into the BLAST and BASE frameworks for team collaboration in a Lean-Agile setting. Curious? Check out The Lean-Agile Way, visit Gary's homepage and browse his learning site The Lean-Agile Accelerator Bundle. You can also find Cecil 'Gary' Rupp on LinkedIn. Join the conversation on our LinkedIn page Reach out to us: Anne Katrine & Ivanna

    55 min
  3. Chapter 6 Episode 1: Sofie Henriksen

    10/23/2024

    Chapter 6 Episode 1: Sofie Henriksen

    Send us a text To kick off the final chapter of Marie's story, we are lucky to be accompanied by Sofie Henriksen, who is a leader within strategy in a digital innovation agency. Sofie brings her insightful perspectives to the table as we intersect how personalities, actions, and behaviors are understood and worked with in the context of Zebra Apps. As the end of the story is approaching, all things are escalating and new challenges are coming up. Marie is scrambling to fix the issues, both the visible and invisible ones. And suddenly, the co-founder Richard makes an appearance to provide his input to the future of Zebra Apps. How will his cultural weight and founding myth in the organization impact the tough decisions to be made? And who is even allowed to have intentions for a company? During the episode, we discuss the importance of guarding your internal brand as a senior leader, how to be a role model (and how not be!), and we touch upon the difficult topic of employee mental health and to what degree the employer is responsible for people's well being. We talk about how involved leaders should be in a self-organized team set-up, and how a clear organizational strategy as a company level is critical to succeed if the teams are given full autonomy. And finally, Sofie shares her perspectives on how she hopes Marie's story will end. Find Sofie on LinkedIn, where she often shares her inspiring thoughts and opinions on leadership topics. For example, you can check out this article (in Danish) about  rethinking traditional organizational structures for the future generations. Or listen to this podcast episode (in English) of Karriereklubben, where Sofie and two other panelists are debating work dilemmas. Join the conversation on our LinkedIn page Reach out to us: Anne Katrine & Ivanna

    56 min

About

In this podcast, we invite you to follow the fictional story of Marie as she maneuvers the organizational culture and dysfunctions in the company Zebra Apps. Once a week, we invite guest experts to discuss what happens in the episode, and provide tools and insights into what Marie could do. Let's maneuver Mondays together!