Mar 16, 2025

Remember when letting people choose their own teams seemed completely radical? (I sure do!) A decade ago, Sandy Mamoli and David Mole pioneered "self-selection" at Trade Me in New Zealand, sparking a movement that would challenge conventional wisdom about team formation.

In this reunion episode, we dive deep into their journey from initial experiment to proven practice. Drawing on a decade of experience across industries, cultures, and continents, Sandy and David share how self-selection has evolved to meet modern workplace challenges.

What you'll learn:

• Why trust, ownership, and vision are the three rivers that power successful self-selection
• How the practice adapted from in-person to remote/hybrid environments
• What traditional banks and cutting-edge startups have in common when it comes to team formation
• Where self-selection is headed in an era of AI and fluid team structures
• Practical steps to start your own self-selection journey

Whether you're a seasoned agilist or new to the concept, this episode offers fresh insights into how organizations thrive when people choose their teams. (And yes, we'll answer that burning question: "But what if people make the wrong choice?")

Learn More

• Articles, videos, quick start guides, case studies, and more on Self Selection
• About Nomad8, a restless group of passionate people with complementary skills and a shared belief in continuous improvement.

Related stuff:

• 2017 Podcast: Creating Great Teams via Self Selection
• Dynamic Reteaming
• Podcast with Heidi Helfand
• Book: Dynamic Reteaming
• Teaming: How Organizations Learn, Innovate and Compete in the Knowledge Economy by Amy Edmonson
• Team Topologies
• Podcast 2021
• Book 2019

About the Agile Uprising

• If you enjoyed this episode, please give us a review, a rating, or leave comments on iTunes, Stitcher or your podcasting platform of choice. It really helps others find us. 
• Much thanks to the artist Krebs from Machine Man Records who provided us our outro music free-of-charge!  If you like what you heard, check out these links to find more music you might enjoy!
• If you’d like to join the discussion and share your stories,  please jump into the fray at our Discord Server!
• We at the Agile Uprising are committed to being totally free.  However, if you’d like to contribute and help us defray hosting and production costs we do have a Patreon.  Who knows, you might even get some surprises in the mail!