Facilitating Agile Culture Transformation in a Hybrid World
Recently, I had the incredible opportunity to participate as a speaker at the Agile International Conference in Miami, where I presented my session “Facilitating Agile Culture Transformation in a Hybrid World.” It was a rewarding and humbling experience that helped me grow, not just as an Agile practitioner, but as a facilitator and speaker. Here’s a bit about my preparation, takeaways, and reflections as a speaker.
Preparing for the Session
In preparation for the conference, I dove deeper into my topic through research and reflection. I also leaned on AI tools to help me organize my thoughts and outline the session in a meaningful, engaging way. To ensure the content would resonate, I reached out to colleagues — Scrum Masters and Agile Coaches — for feedback and validation. Their input helped me ensure that what I was sharing wouldn’t be just a repeat of other conference topics, but something fresh, practical, and rooted in real experiences. The best feedback I got was, just be real, be you.
The Message I Wanted to Share
My goal was to shine a light on a gap I often see in Agile transformation efforts — the how.
As Agile practitioners, we are often trained in frameworks, processes, and methodologies which often miss the practical reality of how we actually implement Agile in our day-to-day work— especially in hybrid environments.
Many of us work with teams spread across different locations, cultures, and time zones. This brings unique challenges in how we communicate, collaborate, and foster engagement. My goal was to share techniques, tools, and real experiences that have worked for me in cross-cultural, hybrid teams, to help others navigate these challenges.
Managing the Logistics of an In-Person Conference
Most of my presentations in recent years have been remote, especially following the shift during and after the COVID pandemic. Remote settings allow for tools like breakout rooms, music, scripts, and collaborative platforms. In-person, however, requires a different kind of presence and energy.
To prepare for the in-person format, I created index cards with check-in questions for attendees to answer — this helped break the ice and establish common ground. Each card featured a familiar Puerto Rican phrase, “WEPA!” — a cultural touch that brought warmth and connection to the room. I even brought along some traditional Puerto Rican candies to sweeten the experience. These personal touches helped me feel grounded and gave attendees something memorable.
Thankfully, the conference organizers were incredibly thoughtful — projecting my slides in multiple areas of the room and giving me visual time cues. These seemingly small details made a big difference in helping me stay focused and present.
Balancing Content for All Levels
When preparing the content, I was mindful of the different levels of experience in the audience. I designed the session to include tools and techniques that would benefit both beginners and seasoned practitioners. Facilitation skills and engagement strategies are useful for everyone — whether you’re new to Agile or have been practicing for years.
Having a mixed audience also created opportunities for peer-to-peer learning, where advanced practitioners could share their techniques and beginners could learn practical tips they could immediately apply.
Fostering Inclusivity and Diversity
One of my priorities in any Agile session I facilitate is to create a safe space where everyone feels included and respected. I make a conscious effort to recognize that we all work in different environments and bring diverse perspectives. Simple activities like check-ins, asking questions, and creating space for attendees to share their own experiences are essential to making everyone feel seen and heard.
The Audience’s Engagement and Participation
The energy from the attendees during my session was fantastic. Their engagement, questions, and willingness to share their own techniques turned the session into a true collaborative conversation.
Interestingly, many attendees shared that they face similar challenges — such as disengaged remote teams, cameras off during virtual meetings, or time zone barriers. Others mentioned something I hadn’t considered before: the limitation of collaboration tools in some corporations due to privacy or security policies. This gave me food for thought on how to be even more creative in future sessions to account for those limitations.
Memorable Feedback
One of the best pieces of feedback I received came from a fellow Scrum Master. They told me how refreshing it was to attend a session that wasn’t just theoretical but focused on real-life experiences and everyday challenges. They mentioned that my presentation was visually engaging and not boring, which was exactly what I hoped to achieve. This feedback confirmed that there is value in sharing our stories, no matter how simple they may seem — because real-life experiences resonate more than textbook examples.
The Most Rewarding Part
The most rewarding part of speaking at this conference was simply breaking the ice. I’m not someone who naturally enjoys public speaking. Like many, I get nervous — and I felt it in the first few minutes of my session. But the audience’s positive energy and engagement quickly helped me settle in and enjoy the experience.
One of my personal mantras that I shared in the session is “The Power of One.” I believe that if you can positively impact even one person, that creates a ripple effect. And during the conference, that happened — one attendee even greeted me the next day with a big “WEPA!” after participating in the session. That small connection was proof that the message landed.
My Contribution to the Conference
I believe my session added value by addressing the “how” of Agile culture transformation, something that’s often overlooked in favor of frameworks and theory. My goal was to inspire attendees to take away practical ideas they can apply with their own teams and to emphasize that facilitation plays a crucial role in driving Agile culture, especially in a hybrid world. The feedback I received not only validated the relevance of this topic but also provided insights into future webinars I can offer as a follow-up, continuing to support and enable Agile culture transformation.
Advice for Future Speakers
If you’re thinking about speaking at an Agile event but feel nervous or unsure, my advice is: go for it.
You are an expert in your field. You have experiences that others can learn from. Take time to prepare, get feedback from peers, and learn from other speakers. If you’re stuck on choosing a topic, talk to the organizers about what’s missing in past conferences — or even use AI to help you brainstorm.
Most importantly, know that every speaker at these conferences is also a learner. We’re all growing together.
The more you do it, the easier it becomes.
By Silvia Alcala
