- Speakers
Ayesha Bagus and Lorraine Steyn
- Description
(This is a hands-on lab with limited capacity)
If you want to change the behaviour of a system, you need to understand where leverage can be applied. Some leverage points are low impact, and others can fundamentally shift the direction of the system.
We all look for those silver bullets - the one intervention that can solve all our problems, that can turn a problem into a success. We can often identify the best leverage point intuitively, but will still battle to get everyone to follow the advice, or even to push in the right direction.
This hands-on lab uses case studies covering the enormous amount of change introduced by AI. We explore low and high impact interventions, taking into account the contrary and often confusing behaviour of complex systems. At the end of session, you will hopefully look at systemic change with more clarity, but probably also with more questions than when you started!
Prerequisites
Low-tech, just pens and paper.
About Ayesha Bagus
I’m passionate about bringing the human element into the heart of technology. With almost two decades of experience spanning People, Scrum Mastery, and Leadership, my journey has been all about creating environments where people thrive.
As a speaker at both local and international conferences, I’ve shared insights on Systems Thinking, DEI, and human connections, highlighting how we can move beyond surface-level challenges to foster innovation through diversity and deeper understanding. I advocate for workplaces where authenticity, empathy, and curiosity drive collaboration and creativity, creating a truly inclusive environment.
At KRS, I work closely with leadership to align culture, strategy, and processes that truly support people. By championing compassion, vulnerability, and continuous learning, I help teams grow in ways that encourage engagement and spark new ideas. For me, it's about balancing strategy with intuition, creating a space where diverse voices are valued, and where innovation naturally follows from inclusivity and openness.
About Lorraine Steyn
Lorraine founded the software development company Khanyisa Real Systems (KRS) in 1987. The company now employs around 80 technical staff, and has delivered large bespoke projects for hundreds of clients. Lorraine is a hands-on CEO who spends 3-4 days a week working on production code with her teams, mentoring, assisting with design, and driving quality and learning especially in better ways of using AI for software development.
Lorraine has presented on such varied topics as Domain-Driven-Design, compassionate leadership, clean code and refactoring, women in tech, and many Agile topics dear to her heart (often based in XP practices).