David Oakes - Do You Trust Your Dog

Watch the 2016 Agile Yorkshire Xmas Lightning Talks Video In 2016, the Agile Yorkshire Xmas Lightning Talks Competition featured eight dynamic speakers, each delivering a 10-minute talk on exciting and engaging topics. With the audience voting for their favourite speaker, the event was full of fun and learning. This video, recorded at the 2016 event, highlights one of the many great talks of the evening. Enjoy! In his talk, David Oakes draws parallels between building trust with dogs and the dynamics of effective teamwork. Through the story of rebuilding his relationship with his retired greyhound, Cleo, David highlights the importance of trust, consistency, and clear communication. He compares the basic needs of a dog to the essential needs of a team, using Maslow's hierarchy to explain how both dogs and team members require a safe, supportive environment to thrive. He emphasises the importance of transparency, fairness, and feedback in maintaining healthy relationships. David concludes by stressing that just as dogs need time and understanding to build trust, so too do teams require ongoing effort and care to function effectively together.