• Agile Coach

Erik Bras on Schiphol, VDPM and being unconsciously Agile

Erik is originally a project manager and in his projects he tries to put the team together as much as possible to promote direct interaction. He also creates transparency regarding planning, progress and so on. In doing so, he also places great value on interim reflection. For the attentive reader: these are indeed characteristics of Agile working. Erik only finds this out later, when during a Scrum Master training he recognizes his working method in that which is called Agile.

“I didn’t realize at the time that that was Agile working.”

He notices and feels that this way of working really suits him. All the knowledge he gains can also be applied directly at T-Mobile, his employer at the time. “In that period at T-Mobile we started the transition from project-based working to Agile working in value streams. I was then given a change management role and from that experience I continued to develop,” Bras says visibly enthused. The current trainer and coach at Scrum Academy is also going to work at Schiphol and is taking a special trainer course here. So he is now a professional trainer: “Something I didn’t think I would ever become, but I really enjoy it.” So within Schiphol, he gains the necessary trainer experience and develops several training courses himself, including VDPM; a training course he now also teaches through Scrum Academy.

Type of trainer

Erik is the type of trainer who likes to focus on organizations that are already a bit further along in their Agile development. Why? Because then it is often the next step to also give direction from the management and board in a different way. “Often I hear the same issues in this: How can you prioritize better? How do you get employees inspired? And how do you deal with all the challenges that exist within existing organizational structures?” says Erik, while giving the impression that he could go on and on with his list. The great thing is that Value Driven Portfolio Management can help discover answers to all these challenges together.

“I notice a good match with Scrum Academy in terms of personality and mindset.”

Typical Erik training

Need an organization that is more customer-centric and agile? VDPM can be a catalyst for such a transformation. Erik and his training partner Richard de Rijke have developed the VDPM training: a unique opportunity to get acquainted with a new effective way of portfolio management. A training with a nice bonus. “We have also created an online community for VDPM to which we also invite participants of the training by default. That way we, but also the participants among themselves, can continue to help and inspire each other after the training,” Bras says.

During training sessions, he tries to have as much interaction as possible. He asks questions, puts propositions to the group and alternates a lot between theory and exercises. The key word during his trainings is energy management: “What is the energy of the group and what fits best with that at that moment.” In this way, he grows in his role as a trainer and also notices himself getting better and better at responding flexibly.