What we’re about
The purpose of the Sooner Safer Happier (BVSSH) Community is to provide inspiration for those wanting to achieve Better Value Sooner Safer Happier outcomes in their organisations.
The group is aimed at leaders at any level, in all roles, with a responsibility for improving ways of working. The group meets regularly to allow leaders to share and learn from each other, with an altruistic intent to ‘do the right thing’ by and for people in organisations, to make working lives better, with social and environmental responsibility.
Sooner Safer Happier Pacific meets face to face, using zoom / video conferencing, timed to welcome participants from across Pacific timezones including Australia, New Zealand and other Pacific countries. Discussion is in English.
There are many firms currently self-inflicting one size fits all, prescriptive practices, which is not in line with an agile mindset, both the infliction and the one size fits all. BVSSH patterns and anti patterns are a counterbalance, offering better ways for organisations to modernise their systems of work to succeed in the Age of Digital.
The community is free to join - the only requirement is for participants to bring a growth mindset, to actively engage and participate, to share stories, collaborate, listen and learn.
Global Sooner Safer Happier communities are coordinated by Sooner Safer Happier Limited, a global business agility organisation led by Jon Smart and Maria Muir, Asia-Pacific leader. We are committed to enabling learning organisations. http://www.soonersaferhappier.com
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Suncorp - Making Transformation Visible, Momentum Chapter 2Link visible for attendees
Suncorp: Making value visible – a transformation update
In 2022, Suncorp shared the early stages of their transformation — moving from projects to products, and beginning the shift in ways of working across the organisation.With a proud history as leaders in Agile, Suncorp recognised that its emphasis on agility had diminished over time - along with its effectiveness. This sparked a renewed focus and the creation of the Momentum Model: a co-designed approach to reconnect with what had worked in the past, while building momentum for the future.
Since then, they’ve taken significant steps! Join us to hear how they’ve continued to evolve, including launching a Value Realisation Office, building enterprise-wide planning and agility practices, and finding better ways to connect strategy with delivery.We’ll hear what it’s taken to align top-down intent with bottom-up insight, manage capacity more deliberately, and create visibility around value, flow, and outcomes. Expect reflections on the challenges, adjustments, and lessons learned so far.
If you’re working on similar shifts - or supporting others who are - this is a chance to learn from a real-world journey in motion.
[Missed the 2022 session? You can catch it here.]Speakers:
Will Carey-Hill, Executive Manager, Enterprise Agility
Will is the Design & Delivery lead for Suncorp’s Group Transformation, where he has been pivotal in leading the Enterprise Agility CoE. His focus is on designing and embedding Suncorp’s end-to-end Delivery Model and Momentum Transformation Program, which has transformed the ways of working for 3,000 employees across the group. Specialising in Complex Adaptive Organisational Transformation, Agile Operating Models, and Lean Portfolio Management, Will has led numerous transformations, helping over 500 teams double output and deliver more value in half the time.Hosted by Maria Muir, Partner, Asia-Pacific Leader, BVSSH
Maria co-founded and leads the Asia-Pacific region for SSH, a global network of deeply experienced practitioners, experts and thought leaders enabling strategy to execution.
With extensive experience in enterprise-wide business transformations, she works at the intersection of strategy, operating models, lean portfolio management, delivery, culture and data. She is passionate about disrupting the status quo, building the movement through storytelling, community building, and advisory, to help organisations achieve better outcomes and to foster a more humane world of work. - Delivering Better, Together: Inside Auckland Council’s TransformationLink visible for attendees
How do you change the way a council of over 10,000 people works while delivering services to nearly half of New Zealand’s population?
In this online event we shine a light on the transformation underway at Auckland Council, not in buildings or budgets but in how people work together to deliver value for their community.
Nicky Jones joined us recently and shared a glimpse into this bold shift: new ways of working across strategy, leadership, governance, and teaming. It’s a shift happening in a complex public organisation and it holds valuable lessons for both private and public sector leaders.
This isn’t transformation for its own sake, it’s about building a more connected, adaptable, and people-centred council that can keep pace with the needs of a fast-changing city and region.
This event is especially relevant for those in local or central government, complex service organisations, or anyone working with legacy systems and layered stakeholder environments.
Bring your questions and join us to hear what’s working, what’s emerging, and what challenges are still to be overcome.
* Catch up on our recent discussion where Nicky Jones joined a panel to discuss "Ways of Working in Government: Complex environments require simple solutions."
Speakers:
Nicky Jones
As Auckland Council’s Programme Manager for Strategic Programmes, Nicky Jones is leading the ways of working transformation for how the council delivers better services to Auckland's residents.
She's a real champion of applying agile principles in new ways to the public sector and brings fresh thinking to how local governments can balance the delivery of better outcomes and wellbeing to her community.
Craig Renshaw
As Lead Advisor Strategic Programmes at Auckland Council, Craig Renshaw is helping shape how the organisation aligns investment, strategy, and delivery across one of New Zealand’s largest and most complex portfolios.
Craig brings deep experience in public sector transformation and is passionate about enabling more transparent, outcomes-focused decision-making. His work supports Auckland Council’s shift toward more integrated, adaptive ways of working that better serve the region's growing and diverse communities.Hosted by Ruma Dak, Senior Consultant, SSH
Ruma is passionate about helping teams and leaders embrace change and work smarter in fast-paced environments. With a strong foundation in both technical and people-focused roles, she empowers individuals and teams to adapt, collaborate, and drive measurable outcomes. Ruma combines her coaching and facilitation skills to design effective ways of working that enable organisations to thrive amidst complexity and transformation.
