In this episode of the Stellar Work Podcast, Gitte Klitgaard, an agile coach, discusses the importance of human behavior in organizations, the role of emotional intelligence in professionalism, and the challenges managers face in creating safe and engaging work environments. She emphasizes the need for diversity in teams, the impact of leadership on company culture, and the significance of measuring performance beyond just numbers. Gitte also explores the balance between short-term and long-term business strategies and the necessity of building strong relationships and communication within teams.
Gitte Klitgaard:
Gitte Klitgaard is an agile coach with more than a decade of experience working for companies as well as coaching individuals.
Her main focus the last years have been communication and implementing psychological safety as well as responsibility and accountability. It is essential for Gitte to be authentic, to cut to the chase, and help people become themselves, so they can succeed at work and outside. Since 2013 Gitte has been speaking and doing workshops, and keynoting at international conferences across three continents (mainly for developers, agile professionals and testers). Her talks are often about the topics we don’t talk about: stress, mental health, inclusion, vulnerability and courage.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gitteklitgaard/
Email: gitte.klitgaard@yahoo.dk
Website: https://nativewired.com/
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/nativewired.com
Beauty in Code 2025: What engineering department would look like with great managers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s-1nZYwjO4
Agile world keynote 2021: Psychological safety
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=st-_vRfdyBI&pp=ygUdZ2l0dGUga2xpdGdhYXJkIHBzeWNob2xvZ2ljYWw%3D
Book where Gitte wrote a chapter on team safety
https://www.jamesshore.com/v2/books/aoad2
Session on psychological safety with James Shore, author of the book https://www.jamesshore.com/v2/book
Stellar Work:
Check out www.stellarwork.com for more information about how evolutionary agile transformations work
Make sure to follow us on your podcast player 🔔 as well as on LinkedIn to never miss out on more content: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stellarwork/
Sponsors:
This podcast is 100% sponsored by me :)
If you need help with you agile transformation and opting for an evolutionary approach seems like something you want to check out, click here and lets meet: https://zeeg.me/stellarwork
Note:
Stellar Work Podcast hosts and guests may hold assets discussed in this episode. This podcast is not investment advice, and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only.
You should do your own research and make your own independent decisions when considering any financial transactions.
Chapters
(01:20) Introduction to Agile Coaching and Human Behavior
(04:18) The Importance of Psychological Safety in the Workplace
(07:20) The Role of Managers in Creating a Positive Work Environment
(10:07) The Challenges of Leadership and Management
(13:01) The Need for Diversity in Teams
(16:18) Evaluating Performance Beyond Numbers
(19:04) The Impact of Leadership Styles on Company Culture
(25:50) The Pressure of Constant Growth
(27:29) Rethinking Corporate Profitability
(28:58) The Impact of Layoffs on Product Quality
(31:48) Balancing Shareholder Expectations and Employee Well-being
(33:53) The Importance of Communication in Teams
(37:42) Long-term Strategies for Team Dynamics
(40:23) Measuring Success in Team Collaboration
(41:45) Creating a Safe Space for Honest Conversations