It’s perfect, actually—what Michael just spoke about. I almost feel like we unconsciously coordinated our talks.
Good morning! I’m so excited to be here. My business partner, Sarah, and I have come from Sydney. We are extremely jet-lagged—I’ve been having breakfast at 3:00 AM and waking up for long stretches in the middle of the night. But despite that, we are absolutely thrilled to be here. This is our first conference, so thank you very much for inviting us.
My Role
The story I want to share today is about the two roles I play. By day, I have a job just like most of you in this room—I’m a product coach. I coach product individuals and product teams, and I work as a consultant. The Glassdoor survey we just heard about is fascinating, and I’m really excited by it.
However, I also serve on company boards as a non-executive director—what you’d call a company director in Australia. I serve on two boards, and today’s story is about my role as Chair of the Board of an iconic Australian institution that’s 60 years old and trying to figure out how to thrive in a complex world.
The Story of Choice
This is a story about a board of directors who realized—upon reflection—that we were both doing and being agile. And just like Michael said earlier, doing is about action, but being is what really drives transformation.
Now, I’m going to share this story under the "cone of silence" because I don’t want to make our organization sound like a basket case. We’re actually doing okay, but like many of you in this room, we have our fair share of challenges.
I also want to acknowledge Alan—our CEO. The success we’ve had with our business agility journey wouldn’t be possible without a CEO and executive leadership team that truly believe in it. It’s not just an intellectual commitment to agility; it’s a deep, profound belief that agility can create something great.
Context: Who is Choice?
Choice is a 60-year-old organization. If you’re from the U.S., we are the equivalent of Consumer Reports. If you’re in the Netherlands, we are Consumentenbond. If you’re in the U.K., we are Which?. We are a social enterprise and a nonprofit. But above all, we are a consumer advocate.
In Australia, we like to say we "keep the bastards honest." Here are some examples of the types of campaigns we run:
- Flushable Wipes: Manufacturers claimed they were biodegradable and safe for the environment. They weren’t. Choice took them to task.
- Thermomix: A $2,000 kitchen appliance caused second-degree burns to Australian consumers. Choice fought back.
- Fix the Banks: We fought the Australian banking industry for 20 years, which eventually led to a Royal Commission.
We fight for fairness, safety, and justice for Australian consumers.
Our Business Model
Although we are a nonprofit, we operate as a social enterprise. The more money we make, the more impact we can create.
- We generate revenue through independent product reviews (washing machines, TVs, rice cookers, etc.).
- We are a $14 million USD business with 120 employees.
- We have a 9-person company board, including myself as Chair.
My Why
As Chair, I dedicate 25 days per year to Choice. I don’t get paid for this work—it’s not about money. My why is simple: I believe.
I believe in what Choice does. I believe in fighting for fair, safe, and just markets. My "salary" is measured in the impact we create and the happiness I feel when I contribute.
The Role of a Director
How many of you know the names of the directors on your company’s board?
Not many, right?
That’s because directors play a strategic role, but we’re often abstracted from the organization. Our role is to:
- Oversee the strategy of the organization.
- Ensure financial performance.
- Meet serious legal obligations under company law.
But here’s the challenge—because we only spend 15-25 days a year with the organization, we often get sucked into tactical detail instead of staying strategic.
Our Problems
At Choice, we faced several problems:
- Declining Membership: Our traditional subscription model was shrinking.
- Too Many Priorities: Our 2015 business plan had 80 employees, 20 initiatives, and 50 projects. We were buried in "what" and "how" instead of focusing on outcomes.
- Market Disruption: Tech players with better funding and faster innovation were making our services obsolete.
Our Business Agility Transformation
We knew our old ways weren’t working. So, we made a shift:
- We stopped focusing on outputs.
- We adopted OKRs. This freed us from tactical details and allowed directors to focus on the "why."
- We empowered teams. Instead of telling them what to build, we asked, "How might we help Australian consumers take more control of their health insurance?"
The result? A mindset shift. We moved from micromanaging to enabling. We stopped dictating and started guiding.
The Realization: It’s About Mindset
It wasn’t just about doing agile—it was about being agile.
- We needed diversity. Not just gender and age diversity, but cognitive diversity—different ways of thinking.
- We needed to flatten power structures. The best product teams work in cross-functional, egalitarian environments. Boards should too.
- We needed belief, not just intellectual commitment. You can’t just sign off a $1M consultancy project and call it "agility." You have to live it.
Final Thoughts
Most people don’t know their company directors. How can you engage with them? How can you challenge them to take responsibility for business agility?
If you’ve never thought about serving on a board, I encourage you to consider it. We need people like you.
So, I leave you with this: Doing is necessary. Being is what sustains us. Bring in deep diversity. Break down power structures. And go forth.