2‑day AO Method workshop “foundation layer”

A two-day, practice-driven workshop for leaders, HR, and change agents who want to move beyond team-level agile and orchestrate the whole

✨ WHY THIS TRAINING?

You see agile teams working hard, yet the organization around them is still slow, siloed, and full of friction. Decision-making sticks at the top, coordination breaks down across units, and "transformation" feels like extra work instead of a new way of working.

Adaptive Organization (AO) offers a different approach: instead of scaling agile practices alone, AO helps you design the whole organization as a living system—aligning structures, roles, governance, and flows so that change becomes sustainable and embedded.

This 2-day workshop is designed for:

• Coaches and transformation consultants who need a systemic backbone for their engagements
• Organizational designers, HR professionals, and OCM specialists translating strategy into structures and people practices
• COOs, business leaders, and SMEs who want their organization to respond faster to change and make better decisions

No prior experience with AO or deep agile knowledge is required—just bring one real organization or team you want to work on, curiosity, and a willingness to see your system differently.

🎯 WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

By the end of these 2 days, you will:

• Understand the core principles of Adaptive Organization and how it differs from traditional agile scaling
• Map your own organization as a system: flows, value streams, decision paths, and feedback loops
• Identify structural blockers (roles, reporting lines, governance, incentives) that slow down adaptation
• Design and test small "AO experiments" to improve coordination, decision-making, and alignment
• Facilitate AO conversations with executives and teams using simple canvases and visuals
• Walk away with a concrete AO map and 2-3 focused interventions you can start immediately

🎭 HOW WE WORK TOGETHER

You won’t sit through two days of slides. This workshop blends:

• Short conceptual inputs on AO, systems thinking, and organizational design
• Simulations and games to experience orchestration dynamics in a safe, playful setting
• Real-case work: bring and map your own organization or client system
• Peer consulting and group reflection to deepen insights and design next steps
• Templates, canvases, and visuals you can reuse immediately in your work

👤 YOUR FACILITATOR

Pierre E. Neis is an organizational designer, agile coach, and creator of the Adaptive Organization (AO) Method. With over 15 years of experience supporting large-scale transformations across Europe, Pierre helps organizations reduce time-to-market, increase agile adoption, and design more humane, adaptive systems.

He is the author of "How to Build a Pigpen" , "The new normal" and creator of the Agile Animal Farm simulation game, both designed to make organizational change tangible and learnable.

Website: menschgeist.com

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WHO SHOULD ATTEND

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This workshop is ideal for:

✔️ Agile Coaches & Scrum Masters who want to move beyond team-level coaching and understand the systemic constraints

✔️ Organizational Designers who need practical frameworks to design adaptive structures

✔️ HR & People & Culture Professionals translating transformation into roles, governance, and people practices

✔️ COOs & Business Leaders responsible for operational excellence and organizational agility

✔️ Transformation & Change Management Consultants designing and leading enterprise-wide change

✔️ SME Owners & Entrepreneurs building scalable, resilient organizations from the ground up

PREREQUISITES:

• No prior AO or advanced agile knowledge required

• Familiarity with organizational change or agile is helpful but not mandatory

• Bring at least one real organization, department, or team you want to work on during exercises

GOOD READS:

• Books on AO are available here