Whether you experienced the 80s firsthand or not, everyone can appreciate a fun musical theme! With that in mind, Maura Pavalow, Brittany Greer, and Saashya Rodrigo, of the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD), have likened the Agile implementation at NCLD to an 80s mixtape! 

 

They made an insightful (and, dare we say, creative) presentation about this topic to a curious nonprofit audience at the 2025 Agile in Nonprofits (AiN) Summit.

 

In their presentation, they observe that NCLD’s Agile implementation has brought to light trust, creativity, and neuroinclusivity as three standout principles to guide the team moving forward. Inspired by fun and analogy, Maura, Brittany, and Saashya associate each principle with a retro pop song! Be sure to view the video of their presentation to see how the songs and principles align! We won’t spoil the team’s reveal. 

 

But we will preview a tiny bit for you.

 

Because their organization supports people living with developmental disabilities and neurodivergence, they especially want to make sure their internal ways of working are similarly thoughtful and respectful. Team conversation around the three standout principles has revealed new insights and priorities, including this sampling of takeaways from their presentation:

• Boundaries are a key element in building trust, because they enhance psychological safety and make room for creativity.
• Consistently taking care of yourself also takes care of the team.
• Allowing individual team members to recharge in the way that is best for them is wise.

 

After the trio share additional unique, music-related insights, they conclude with a noteworthy observation that Agile is a mindset, not simply a way of working.

 

We so agree. It can begin simply as a way of working, perhaps, but can become much more.

 

Would you like to learn about the critical shared understanding that adopting Agile principles can provide your team? Start by watching NCLD’s presentation. And then, browse our learning resources at Agile in Nonprofits, including our Agile journey map to get you started, or reach out to us directly.

 

 

Or inspire others by commenting and sharing your own story about Agile success!