Creating Great Teams: A Decade of Learning

Remember when letting people choose their own teams seemed completely radical? (I sure do!) A decade ago, Sandy Mamoli and David Mole pioneered "self-selection" at Trade Me in New Zealand, sparking a movement that would challenge conventional wisdom about team formation. In this reunion episode, we dive deep into their journey from initial experiment to proven practice. Drawing on a decade of experience across industries, cultures, and continents, Sandy and David share how self-selection has evolved to meet modern workplace challenges. What you'll learn: Why trust, ownership, and vision are the three rivers that power successful self-selection How the practice adapted from in-person to remote/hybrid environments What traditional banks and cutting-edge startups have in common when it comes to team formation Where self-selection is headed in an era of AI and fluid team structures Practical steps to start your own self-selection journey Whether you're a seasoned agilist or new to the concept, this episode offers fresh insights into how organizations thrive when people choose their teams. (And yes, we'll answer that burning question: "But what if people make the wrong choice?") Learn More Articles, videos, quick start guides, case studies, and more on Self Selection About Nomad8, a restless group of passionate people with complementary skills and a shared belief in continuous improvement. Related stuff: 2017 Podcast: Creating Great Teams via Self Selection Dynamic Reteaming Podcast with Heidi Helfand Book: Dynamic Reteaming Teaming: How Organizations Learn, Innovate and Compete in the Knowledge Economy by Amy Edmonson Team Topologies Podcast 2021 Book 2019 About the Agile Uprising If you enjoyed this episode, please give us a review, a rating, or leave comments on iTunes, Stitcher or your podcasting platform of choice. It really helps others find us. Much thanks to the artist Krebs from Machine Man Records who provided us our outro music free-of-charge! If you like what you heard, check out these links to find more music you might enjoy! If you'd like to join the discussion and share your stories, please jump into the fray at our Discord Server! We at the Agile Uprising are committed to being totally free. However, if you'd like to contribute and help us defray hosting and production costs we do have a Patreon. Who knows, you might even get some surprises in the mail!

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Creating Great Teams: A Decade of Learning is an episode from Agile Uprising Podcast by Agile Uprising.

This episode is 47:24 long.

This episode was published on Mar 16, 2025.

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