“My job fails if people only do awesome things when I’m watching.” — Kit Friend
Join global Atlassian Community change‑maker Kit Friend as he and Björn explore how the right mix of people, play and platforms can spark transformation across an 800 000‑person enterprise – without losing the human touch.
Meet Kit Friend, Global Change‑Maker at Accenture
- Brisbane‑based Atlassian Creator, Community Champion and winner of Atlassian’s “Global Change Maker of the Year” award.
- Leads Accenture’s Atlassian partnership team, enabling 800 000+ colleagues and countless clients to “do good, not weird stuff” with Jira & Confluence.
- Co‑founder of grassroots communities such as “Agile Geeks” and the whimsical annual road‑show “Agile in Wonderland.”
5 Themes You’ll Hear in the Episode
1 — Enterprise Change at Hyperscale
How do you nudge 800 000 consultants to adopt better agile habits? Kit’s answer: community first, governance second.He seeds local champions, shares “just‑enough” playbooks and lets ideas spread peer‑to‑peer rather than top‑down.
2 — Human ✚ Digital Workflows
Kit experiments with fully asynchronous scrum ceremonies powered by Loom recordings, Jira automation and Slack nudges—then deliberately schedules “virtual coffees” to restore the social glue lost in async‑only teams.
3 — Diversity (Especially Neurodiversity) as a Super‑Power
High‑performing teams aren’t clones. From dyslexia to cultural background, cognitive variety fuels better problem‑solving. Kit’s favourite facilitation hack? LEGO Serious Play—forcing every brain into 3‑D metaphors so the quietest voices still get heard.
4 — Community Architecture—Sometimes Around Toilets!
Whether it’s Pixar’s centrally located restrooms or a Brisbane office kitchen, “collisions” matter. Kit designs events—and even office layouts—to manufacture serendipity and keep ideas moving.
5 — AI Literacy for All
From drafting pitch decks with Claude to cleaning his inbox with Atlassian agents, Kit argues it’s a waste of time not to play with AI. His big wish: give teenagers the same tools so schools stop leaving innovation “on the table.”
Key Takeaways
- Community beats command‑and‑control. Champions, not checklists, drive sustainable change.
- Async isn’t a silver bullet. Pair it with deliberate moments of human connection.
- Inclusive rituals > long meetings. A bag of LEGO bricks can surface more insight than a slide deck.
- Diverse brains, better outcomes. Celebrate different thinking styles—then design workflows that surface every voice.
- Experiment loudly. Whether it’s AI agents, four‑day weeks, or “Agile in Wonderland,” progress starts with playful trials.
Listen & Subscribe
Catch the full 90‑minute conversation on your favourite platform: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube
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