Interview with Mate Bako, Agile Coach at Appear
Introduction and Background
Could you share a bit about your background and journey in the Agile space?
I have a background in psychology and digital communications, along with extensive experience in facilitating sustainable change in organisations. Throughout my career, I have been dedicated to promoting continuous learning in individuals, teams and organisations. I worked in the NHS mental health services in London, in NGOs in Budapest and Copenhagen. Over the last 5 years, I have been working as an agile coach in Oslo. As part of my role, I led the design and delivery of organisational changes aimed at sustainable growth. My focus is on optimising cross-functional collaboration. I find it particularly inspiring to foster innovation by finding the missing links between strategy and day-to-day operations.
What inspired you to become an Agile coach?
To put it quite simply, people and innovation. From a very early age, I had been part of numerous sports teams and always been fascinated by what it takes to create winning teams. I really enjoy working towards developing environments in which transparency, collaboration and continuous learning are key. My aim is to help building high performing teams that can take risks and share ideas without fear of humiliation. In such settings, creativity and innovation can flourish because the fear of failure or judgment does not inhibit individuals.
You will be part of the team driving Appear’s transformation initiatives within our R&D department but also through the whole organisation to form an Agile Centre of Excellence. What’s motivating you to take part in this journey?
As part of the newly formed Agile Centre of Excellence (ACE) team, I’m excited to help driving meaningful changes across the organisation that support the company’s compelling vision of leading the future of live production technology. I’m looking forward to help fostering innovation, collaboration, and adaptability across the whole organisation, driving meaningful changes to shape the future of the industry.
Leadership and Vision
As a leader in Agile practices, how do you approach facilitating change within an established team or department?
I would begin by understanding the team’s or department’s current processes and culture. Then I would work on aligning the purpose – the “why” behind the change with Appear’s shared goals. I involve the team in co-creating solutions, introducing incremental improvements through Agile practices like experimentation and retrospectives. By fostering psychological safety and acting as a servant-leader, I would try my best to support the team in adapting to change while promoting collaboration and learning. I would try to utilise regular feedback and metrics to ensure the changes are sustainable and embedded into a culture of continuous improvement.
What is your vision for this transformation initiative, and how do you see Agile methods helping us achieve that?
Our Agile Centre of Excellence team’s vision for this transformation is “to establish self-sufficient and market centric Lean-Agile value delivery organisation”. Our aim is that Agile methods will help us achieve this by providing a framework for iterative improvement, aligning teams around clear priorities, and empowering them to respond effectively to change while maintaining a relentless focus on delivering value to our customers.
How do you plan to instil an Agile mindset across teams that may have varying levels of familiarity with Agile methodologies?
I would start by assessing each team’s current maturity with Agile – by identifying their strengths and areas for growth. Emphasise the importance of Agile values and principles, ensuring that teams understand the “why” behind Agile rather than just the practices. Facilitate mentorship between mature and less mature teams, allowing for cross-functional knowledge sharing by encouraging a safe environment for experimentation, where teams can adopt to Agile practices incrementally and use retrospectives to reflect on their progress. Focus on fostering core Agile behaviours, such as cross-collaboration and adaptability, allowing teams to select practices that best fit their needs. Provide continuous support through training, coaching, and celebrate achievements and share success stories to reinforce the benefits of Agile. Lastly, I would do my best to lead by example, modelling Agile values to inspire teams to adopt these practices effectively.
Innovation and Technology
How can Agile methodologies foster innovation in an R&D environment?
Agile methodologies foster innovation in an R&D environment by promoting iterative experimentation and rapid feedback cycles, enabling teams to test ideas and refine solutions quickly. They also encourage cross-functional collaboration, transparency, and adaptability, creating an environment where creative problem-solving thrives and new concepts can be explored with reduced risk.
What role do you see technology playing in helping us become more Agile, and are there any tools or platforms you’re particularly excited to implement?
Technology plays a key role in enabling agility by streamlining collaboration, enhancing transparency, and automating repetitive tasks so teams can focus on delivering value. Tools like ClickUp, Jira or Azure DevOps for workflow management, Miro for collaborative planning, and CI/CD platforms (continuous integration or continuous delivery) for faster delivery are particularly exciting as they help teams adapt quickly and work more efficiently.
Are there any recent trends in Agile practices that you’re eager to introduce here to support our goals?
Recent trends like Agile at scale (e.g., SAFe or LeSS) and the integration of DevOps practices are particularly exciting for aligning teams and accelerating delivery across the organization. As part of the Agile Centre of Excellence, we are currently in the planning phase of evaluating the introduction of different flow-based metrics, such as cycle time and value stream mapping to improve efficiency and ensure our work delivers maximum impact toward our goals.
Challenges and Opportunities
What are some common challenges you’ve faced when introducing Agile principles to a new team, and how did you address them?
I would say, one of the most common challenges is resistance to change. As team members may be accustomed to traditional ways of working. To address this, our team’s intention is to focus on building trust by educating the teams on the benefits of Agile. Our plan is to start with small, manageable changes, and thrive for open communication through regular retrospectives to gather feedback and adapt.
What unique opportunities do you see in this transformation that you believe Agile practices can help us leverage?
I believe that Agile practices present a unique opportunity to foster a culture of continuous improvement, enabling us to adapt quickly to market changes and customer needs. By embracing Agile, we can enhance collaboration across teams and departments, increase transparency, and prioritise high-value initiatives, ultimately accelerating innovation and delivering better outcomes faster.
How do you measure success in an Agile transformation, and what are some indicators that we’re on the right track?
At our Agile Centre of Excellence, we are currently working on this, defining and aligning these criteria with our key stakeholders. However, I could mention that typical measurements are employee- and consumer satisfaction, quality and productivity indicators. Additionally, scalability, improved psychological safety and an increase in sustainable value creation are strong signs of progress as well.
Personal Insights
In your opinion, what is the most rewarding aspect of working as an Agile coach in a transformative initiative like this?
I would say that the most rewarding aspect of working as an Agile coach during a transformation is seeing teams evolve and thrive as they embrace Agile principles, leading to greater collaboration, autonomy and innovation. It’s fulfilling to witness the positive impact on both individual growth and the organisation’s ability to deliver value faster and more effectively.
What’s one piece of advice you would give to team members who may feel unsure or hesitant about this shift to Agile practices?
Stay Curious and Cherish Feedback: I would encourage us all to stay curious, keep experimenting, and share/ask for feedback—this mindset helps us continuously refine our approach and improve as a team. Also, don’t hesitate to ask for help from the agile coaches.
Finally, what do you do to stay inspired and keep up with new developments in Agile methodologies?
I regularly read industry blogs and posts, read some new literature, and participate in Agile communities to exchange ideas with other professionals. I also try to take part in workshops and certification courses to get inspired and continuously expend my knowledge – learning about the latest best practices.
Find Mate on Linkedin