Peeling away complexity – a visionary look at agility, simplicity, and more.

Hi, I’m Neil Walker — welcome.
This is my space to explore the real work of transformation: leading with agility, thinking in systems, and building better ways of working.
For over 30 years, I’ve helped organizations—from financial services to frontline social care—navigate complexity, adopt agile and product mindsets, and drive meaningful change that lasts. I’ve worked across the board: from coaching teams to advising execs, from recovering failing programmes to shaping new operating models.
Since the early 2000s, I’ve been writing and speaking about agile, business agility, and transformation—long before they were hashtags. I’ve shared ideas, sparked conversations, and built communities (even before Twitter became “X”).
What ties it all together? A deep belief in the power of simplicity, adaptability, and human-centered change.
Whether you’re here to learn, rethink, or just get unstuck—you’re in good company.
Latest insights
-
Leading with Integrity: Balancing Ethics and Profit in Agile Environments
In the fast-paced world of Agile and agility, leaders often face the challenge of balancing ethical considerations with the drive for profit and performance. As we navigate this complex landscape, it’s crucial to remember that running a responsible business goes…
-
Agile and Predictability
A few weeks ago, I wrote about a hybrid of Crystal Clear, DSDM, XP, and Scrum; the most common Agile methodologies, but seeking to improve things for non-software teams. I sat on the train earlier, commuting to the office, looking…
-
Just Enough
My recent post on Crystal Clear caused a bit of a stir. One of the common threads was around “Just Enough”. In 1996, the product team I led at Reuters transitioned over to DSDM (Dynamic Systems Development Method) from RAD…
-
Unlocking Change with Systems Thinking
When it comes to enacting sustainable change, systems thinking is a powerful yet often underutilized tool. (I’ve successfully employed it in a recent role, where I took on an unfamiliar challenge, the transformation of a social care service. Introduced it…
-
Approaches, Lets Try A New Blend
A few weeks ago, I wrote about Crystal Clear, DSDM, XP, and Scrum; the most common Agile methodologies, with distinct approaches and philosophies. It was good, but could it be improved? I sat on the train earlier, commuting home, looking…
-
Distinctiveness in Approaches, is it Crystal Clear
A few weeks ago, I wrote about Crystal Clear, XP (Extreme Programming), and Scrum; common Agile methodologies that have distinct approaches and philosophies. It was good, but not good enough. I neglected to add DSDM (Dynamic Systems Development Method). Considering…
-
Distinctiveness in Approaches, its Crystal Clear
Crystal Clear, XP (Extreme Programming), and Scrum are all Agile methodologies, but they have distinct approaches and philosophies. Here are my key takeaways that make Crystal Clear unique compared to XP and Scrum: Simplicity and Minimalism Tailoring Over Prescription People…
Categories
Adaptability (15) Agile (49) Agility (101) Change (19) Coaching (5) Complexity (20) Culture (12) Curiosity (6) Design Thinking (4) Enterprise Social (3) Events (9) Future of Work (20) Futures Thinking (12) Innovation (3) Leadership (43) Lean (4) Methods and Approaches (21) Patterns (3) People (10) People-Centric (7) Product (17) Simplicity (12) Strategy (23) Systems Thinking (8) Workshops (5)
Tags
Adaptability (14) Agile (15) Agile Coaching (4) Agile Culture (16) Agile Leadership (33) Agile Mindset (6) Agile Transformation (7) Agility (94) Americas Cup (6) Business Agility (61) Change (6) Change Management (4) CIRCA model (10) Co-creation (4) Collaboration (8) Collaboration Tools (4) Complexity (10) Continuous Improvement (62) Continuous Learning (45) Crystal Clear (5) Cultural Catalyst (4) Culture (8) Culture Change (5) Curiosity (22) Customer centricity (4) Design Thinking (4) Digital Transformation (6) DSDM (4) Employee Engagement (4) Enterprise Social Networks (5) Ethnography (3) Future of Work (14) Futures Thinking (3) Ingenious Agility (5) Innovation (24) Leadership (93) Leadership Development (4) Lean (6) Lean Change (8) Lean Product (4) Methods (6) Organizational Agility (51) Organizational Change (7) People-Centric (4) Product (20) Product Mindset (8) Product Mode (4) Product thinking (4) Project Management (6) Scrum (4) Sensemaking (3) Simplicity (8) Status quo (4) Strategy (4) Systemic Thinking (7) Systems Thinking (7) Value Delivery (5) VUCA (6) Workshops (4) XP (4)