I am excited to announce that I am now offering a powerful new workshop through Transformetic called The Planet as a Stakeholder. This unique initiative, developed by my good friend and fellow Agile coach Marjolein Pilon, takes a sustainability-driven approach to Agile development, inviting teams to integrate environmental consciousness into their workflows and making sustainability a core consideration in every step of the development process. Marjolein has successfully delivered this workshop across Europe, and I’ve been fortunate enough to be personally trained by her to deliver it here in the U.S.
Why This Program Matters
At first glance, sustainability might not seem like a natural consideration for Agile teams, who are typically laser-focused on delivering value to customers quickly and iteratively. However, by broadening their definition of “value” to include environmental impact, teams can actually unlock new levels of innovation and efficiency.
The Planet as a Stakeholder program is built around the idea that we should treat the planet as a key stakeholder in every decision we make—especially in the realm of IT and software development, where the environmental impact is growing rapidly. Technology, especially cloud computing and large-scale data storage, is responsible for a surprising amount of global carbon emissions. In fact, IT currently accounts for around 4% of global carbon emissions, a number that is expected to rise as the digital world continues to grow.
More and more people are feeling the pressures of climate change, and it may feel overwhelming when considering what can be done to help. In Agile, we break work down into the smallest chunks in order to deliver value in an iterative way so we can regularly share progress with stakeholders, learn what’s working and what’s not, and make adjustments so we can continuously do better moving forward. The Planet as a Stakeholder workshop brings visibility to climate change work by including the Earth in the ecosystem of stakeholders that a team serves, making it possible to extend the same considerations to the planet that we give to customers or other stakeholders.
Sustainability also aligns perfectly with some of Agile’s core values, such as continuous improvement and empowering teams. Just as we strive to improve our processes with each sprint, we can also take small steps toward reducing our environmental impact. Over time, these small improvements add up to a significant reduction in carbon emissions.
Moreover, treating the planet as a stakeholder shifts the team’s mindset from a feeling of powerlessness in the face of climate change to one of empowerment. Teams begin to see that they can make a tangible difference by taking responsibility for the environmental impact of their work. By doing this, teams can align their values with their actions, helping them feel more connected to and engaged in their work and the broader impact they’re having on the world. This creates a stronger sense of purpose not only for individuals but also for the entire team, as they see how their daily decisions contribute to something greater—protecting the environment while still delivering value to clients and customers.
How the Program Works
The Planet as a Stakeholder program helps teams understand how they can actively contribute to climate action through their Agile practices. This is done by incorporating sustainability into each part of the development process. For example, product owners can consider the planet’s needs when creating user stories, and during backlog grooming and sprint planning, teams can discuss how to minimize environmental impact alongside business goals.
Teams might then adjust their Definitions of Done to include sustainability criteria, such as optimizing systems for energy efficiency or reducing wasteful practices like excessive data storage. The sustainability goals that emerge from these discussions can be tied directly to broader company objectives, ensuring that teams contribute to both the organization’s bottom line and its environmental commitments.
One of the most impactful tools in the Planet as a Stakeholder program is what we call the Planet Earth Retrospective. This is a structured discussion where Agile teams review their existing processes and brainstorm ways to make them more environmentally friendly. Much like a standard retrospective that focuses on team performance, this session takes a close look at how a team’s digital activities—like data storage, energy consumption, or hardware choices—might be contributing to their carbon footprint. The team then explores immediate, small changes that can reduce that footprint, such as cleaning up old data, optimizing the frequency of data refreshes, or powering down unused environments.
The beauty of this program is that it doesn’t require massive overhauls or deep technical changes to get started. Instead, it encourages small, incremental steps—just like Agile development itself. These small steps, such as reducing energy consumption or optimizing digital storage, not only contribute to sustainability but also improve the team’s efficiency, resulting in a win-win for both the environment and your business objectives. As teams gain confidence and see the positive impact of their changes, they’re inspired to take bigger and bolder steps toward sustainability.
A Purpose-Driven Approach to Agile
At the heart of this program is the idea that sustainability isn’t just a box to check off—it’s a way to bring more meaning and connection to the work Agile teams already do. By treating the planet as a stakeholder, teams can work toward a higher purpose, aligning their daily tasks with the values they believe in. This leads to a deeper sense of fulfillment and engagement as team members see the real-world impact of their work.
The program also fosters innovation, as teams are challenged to find creative solutions that reduce their environmental impact without sacrificing productivity or quality. Agile’s core principles—such as continuous improvement and iterative development—align perfectly with sustainability efforts, making it easier for teams to experiment with small changes that can have a big impact over time.
Ultimately, Agile teams that participate in the Planet as a Stakeholder program will come away with:
- A concrete action plan for reducing their environmental footprint.
Through the Planet Earth Retrospective and other tools, teams will identify small, practical steps they can take immediately to make their processes more sustainable. - A new perspective on how sustainability fits into Agile practices.
By seeing the planet as a key stakeholder, teams can begin to make better, more sustainable decisions in their day-to-day work. - Empowered team members who feel a sense of ownership over both their work and their impact on the world.
This can lead to higher engagement and satisfaction as team members see their efforts leading to real-world positive change. - Alignment with organizational goals.
Many companies are now setting ambitious sustainability goals, and Agile teams can help drive these efforts forward by incorporating environmental impact into their processes. This can help companies meet their goals faster while also delivering better value to customers.
Bringing the Program to the U.S.
While Planet as a Stakeholder has already seen success in Europe, I’m thrilled to be one of the first coaches to bring Planet as a Stakeholder to the U.S. market. With sustainability becoming a priority for Agile teams across industries, now is the perfect time to start incorporating these practices into your daily workflows. As more teams and companies look for ways to align their values with their business practices, this program provides a clear, actionable path to do just that. Whether you’re just beginning your sustainability journey or looking for new ways to refine your efforts, this program offers practical tools and insights that will benefit both your team and the planet. The Planet as a Stakeholder program offers the roadmap your team needs to begin this transformation today.
If you’re interested in learning more about Planet Earth as a Stakeholder, I’d love to chat with you. Together, we can take steps to make your Agile practices not only effective but also environmentally conscious. Reach out to me at Transformetic to learn more about how we can bring this sense of purpose and sustainability into your Agile practices.
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