Unleash The Power Of Visual Agile Coaching With Olina Glindevi And Ben Walder
Visual practice and "The Visual Agile Coach Playbook"
In a recent Agile Conversations episode on my Agile State of Mind channel, I spoke with Olina Glindevi and Ben Walder, about their new book The Visual Agile Coach Playbook.
“What do the visuals serve for?” and “Can anyone learn to draw?” are the main questions I came to ask Olina and Ben in this conversation.
From Malta to a book
But before we go there, let me share the inspiring story of how Ben and Olina met.
Their journey began in Malta, where Olina flew in (after a whirlwind trip through Europe), and Ben came straight from London. Then and there they made a pact to push their growth by posting weekly on LinkedIn for a year—an experiment that took us far beyond their expectations.
Their social following grew, especially Olina’s (thanks to the power of visuals), and their learning soared. Then, they discovered their ‘Why’ with The Visual Agile Coach and soon found themselves speaking at conferences, collaborating with thought leaders, and hosting workshops.
I love how a commitment to write one post per week led them to writing the book together.
Simplify
Olina’s visuals help simplify the message. The biggest value they bring is to accelerate clarity and shared understanding. There are many agile frameworks, tools and techniques visualized by Olina and explained by Ben in the book, that become very accessible and easy to digest and understand.
Unleash collaboration and increase the energy
In their workshops, Ben and Olina emphasise that drawing is an active process that fosters creativity and engagement. By handing out pens and giving participants problems to solve visually, the energy in the room transforms—people start interacting, laughing, and collaborating. Visual tools, whether on paper or digital platforms like Miro, engage participants. Their book includes gamified templates to make complex concepts easy and fun to grasp, boosting team involvement.
Just start drawing
To start drawing, we need to overcome the fear of not being “good enough.” Many people feel they can’t draw, but it’s more about mindset than skill.
In workshops, a great way to begin is with simple drawing games. One game involves drawing “squiggle birds” or turning basic shapes like circles into recognizable objects, which helps develop a visual library.
Olina and Ben teach us to start with icons, as they are easy to draw and useful in many contexts. Practice these repeatedly, and soon you’ll see your confidence grow. Drawing is about expressing ideas, not creating perfect art, so embrace the process, and remember: anyone can draw!
The conversation highlighted that everyone has innate creativity, and visuals are a powerful tool anyone can learn to use in the workplace. The Visual Agile Coach Playbook is a guide to making that journey easier. Check out Ben nad Olina’s website for more information about their book, workshops and all they’re up to!
Want to learn how to visualize your workflow? Check out my Kanban course in person in Munich: https://www.prokanban.org/event/applying-professional-kanban-507
