Delighting Nine’s customers: Deepa John & Surya Surendran take to the stage at Agile Australia

A Stage for Growth and Giving Back

Held across two days, Agile Australia unites delivery managers, thought leaders and teams across diverse industries. World-class speakers, hands-on sessions and networking events aim to retool and reenergise attendees and future-proof organisations. For Deepa John, Iteration Manager for Good Food’s Apps team, and Surya Surendran, Iteration Manager for Nine web, it was the perfect opportunity to give back to the community that they’ve both been a part of for the last 17 years.

For both Deepa and Surya, speaking at Agile Australia was a significant milestone. The selection process was rigorous, spanning six months and involving over 200 presenter submissions, numerous rounds of interviews, and dry runs. They were one of 40 successful finalists from around Australia chosen to present. 

“Personally, it brings a lot of confidence,” Surya shared, highlighting the extensive preparation involved in refining their session. Professionally, it was a chance to engage with individuals from diverse industries, offering a valuable opportunity for career growth and contributing to the broader agile community.

‘The Rescue Mission Game’: People Over Process

Surya and Deepa’s immersive game-style workshop was designed to underscore the value of “individuals and interactions over process and tools,” Surya explained. The audience watched two separate rescue missions unfold, unknowingly observing a key variable: the teams’ instructions. Participants were divided, with one group receiving people-focused guidance and the other process-focused. This allowed the audience to see firsthand how contrasting approaches affected team dynamics and overall efficiency.

During phase one, as team participants were tasked with crossing a river, Surya reflected that the audience observed one team completing the task faster and more efficiently. “The first team is collaborating well, but the other team isn’t communicating.” The second phase involved the teams passing a message to a navigator to locate a stranded person. 

Deepa emphasised that both phases of the game demonstrated how “prioritising individuals and interactions leads to better outcomes. This demonstrates how we can deliver better value to customers, especially under pressure, when we are putting our people as the primary focus.”

Delivering Real World Perspective

For those who attended their session, Deepa and Surya offered two key takeaways. 

For team members: “You have to think about owning something. If you can do it yourself, then think about it and do it, rather than just waiting or asking someone. Own that thing and finish it.”

For leaders: “Trust your team and give them the opportunity to make the right decisions.Check what processes are slowing you down. Identify them and clear the path.”

Deepa summarised the overarching message: “Agility is not just about the process. It’s about the people, the way we collaborate under pressure. It’s what truly drives the delivery in the real world.” She stressed that it’s “not a checklist that saves the day. It’s the people in the room who we choose to trust, collaborate and adapt.”

Delivering Delight to Customers at Nine

Deepa and Surya’s collaboration extends beyond the conference stage. They are active participants in Nine’s delivery practice catch-ups, a forum for discussing challenges and sharing ideas. They also collaborated together in a working group to develop a professional capability framework for the delivery group.

Deepa added that their collaborations have “helped to streamline the ways of working and shaped the delivery culture at Nine,” creating a community where they “share ideas, support each other and help overcome these challenges.”

Both working in highly dynamic and continually evolving environments, the duo place great emphasis on the importance of all stakeholders in contributing to successful product deliveries.

“It shouldn’t be a one-sided thing; it’s collaboration that leads us to successful delivery,” Deepa shared. She prioritises enabling her team to “stay focused on delivering value early and quite often.” This involves improving ways of working, fostering trust, motivating the team, and most importantly, “listening to customers and what they want.”

Learning and Unlearning

Both Deepa and Surya emphasised that developing an agile mindset as a leader is a continuous journey of learning and unlearning. Surya highlighted the importance of psychological safety within the team, ensuring members feel comfortable raising their voices and that their feedback is heard.

Deepa reinforced this for her team explaining, “I embrace feedback. I encourage my team to talk openly.” She also underscored the importance of continuous learning and, crucially, “to listen to my team and learn from them as well. Learning goes both ways.”

Nine’s Culture: A Foundation for Agile Success

Nine’s culture plays a crucial role in fostering the collaborative agile approaches Deepa and Surya advocate for. Surya emphasised Nine’s encouragement of experimentation and being “okay to fail.” This open environment promotes sharing experiences and finding solutions that work for different teams.

Deepa reflected on Nine’s core values, which she believes “create the foundation for an agile working culture.”

“Nine’s values inherently align with agility. ‘Walk the Talk’ encourages ownership and accountability. ‘Turn over Every Stone’ drives curiosity and continuous development. ‘Keep it Human’ reminds us to lead with empathy and collaboration in everything we do.”

Deepa and Surya’s presentation at Agile Australia is a testament to Nine’s dedication to agile principles and to delighting its customers by prioritising its people first. The ‘Rescue Mission Game’ demonstrated that fostering collaboration, building trust, and empowering teams is key to delivering exceptional value.