Ullizee-Inc | Gunther Verheyen – Gunther Verheyen is an independent Scrum Caretaker and Workplace Humanitarian on a journey of humanizing the workplace.

Posted on 30 March 202630 March 2026 by Gunther — Leave a comment

Launching a Forum For Workplace Humanitarians

I am launching an initiative to unite Workplace Humanitarians. I am gathering people to join me on my journey of humanizing the workplace, via Scrum or otherwise. I am calling this platform the “Center for Humane Work Organization”. I have decided to do so via Patreon so I can maintain my independence while having the resources and means to continue my (non-billable) creative work, contribute in a positive way to the world and feed my family. It’s a win-win-win situation.

Although my professional life has revolved around Scrum a lot, the aspiration that drives me in the first place is: to create a better world to live and work in.

I therefore call myself not just an independent (Scrum) Caretaker but also a “Workplace Humanitarian”. This is not a standard, formal role (yet, but…who knows). Rather, it is a label that reflects how I deliberately work towards making workplaces more humane and dignified. This is also expressed when I state that I am on a (never-ending) mission to humanize the workplace. I help others develop more humane ways of working, not merely more efficient ones. However, as engaged people care about outcomes anyhow (without needing to be instructed to do so) a more humane workplace is a more productive one too. In my role I am guided by principles like humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence. I advocate for structures and practices that give people autonomy, voice and protection. I focus on nurturing people‑centric, value‑driven ways of working in which ‘productivity’ is aligned with ‘humanity’. In that sense, “Workplace Humanitarian” is a self‑chosen identity that highlights a moral stance too: to influence and enhance the working conditions for the longer term so that people suffer less and flourish more while they earn a living and their organizations prosper.

Posted on 19 March 202619 March 2026 by Gunther — Leave a comment

Redefining the Future of Development

My new whitepaper “Scrum. Not Scrum. (Redefining the Future Through the Roots)” is now available. I derived the content from the new book I am writing. That new book will hold my vision on how to deeply and systemically redesign organizations towards a more humane system based on a new development paradigm in which ‘productivity’ is about value and is aligned with ‘humanity’. Revisiting the roots of what is called “Scrum” showed me the path to shaping the future of development as part of a better world to live and work in.

In December (2025) I started working on a new book. Again. And at the same time…finally. Over the years I have gone through several attempts to write a new book, but they all ended up in the bin. This time was different. Maybe it was some inner drive that made it feel different?

An infographic illustrating 'The Illusion of Agility', showing a graph that contrasts perceived agility with actual performance over time. Key concepts include 'illusion', 'hard work', 'vision', and 'deflation by reality' highlighted alongside the axes of agility and time.

In 2019 I shared my observations about what I called The Illusion of Agility in a short movie and in a whitepaper. They hold my observations on what I had seen happening with most—if not all—so-called ‘Agile Transformations’ or similar attempts of organizations to become Agile by adopting Scrum or otherwise. Because pointing out the problem (“inspection”) without offering a way out (“adaptation”) is hardly helpful, at the same time I also shared my advice to “Re-imagine your Scrum” in a short movie. However, I never got to writing the full whitepaper until the fall of 2025. Finally publishing this whitepaper really was the spark I needed to get going on a new book.

The plan was to elaborate on the ideas of “Re-imagining (your) Scrum”, expand and enrich it with ideas of “Moving (your) Scrum Downfield” and add a chapter on why and how to “Humanize the Workplace”. These are the topics of most of my speaking engagements since 2020.

Posted on 2 March 20262 March 2026 by Gunther — Leave a comment

Let’s Co-organize Scrum Focus Classes

Over the past few years I have created three proprietary workshops that I call “Scrum Focus Classes“:

“The Scrum Values” is a workshop about Psychological Safety. In it we collaboratively explore how Scrum’s five core values help look beyond the rules of Scrum and establish psychological safety in a team. Because Scrum is a framework of rules, principles and…values. And values drive behavior. Ultimately, Scrum is more about behavior than it is about process.
“Engaging the Brain” is a workshop about Psychological Safety. In it we collaboratively explore what the social neuroscience says about motivating and engaging people in the interaction game of navigating complex challenges. Although adopting Scrum will not magically restore fun and work happiness, it does hold some keys to the doors that unlock intrinsic motivation.
“Multi-team Scrum” is a workshop about Scrum in the Large. In it we collaboratively explore how even when working with multiple teams it is possible to keep the rules of the game intact. It helps people and organizations identify their ‘product’ and re-think their Scrum to upgrade their organization accordingly. Ultimately, the rules are independent of the scale at which Scrum is organized.

The Scrum Focus Classes offer unique and specific modular learning opportunities These interactive workshops allow me to engage, collaborate and interact with friends of Scrum across the planet and help them move (their) Scrum forward.

Promotional image for Gunther Verheyen's Scrum class, featuring his background and book titles. Highlights the journey of humanizing the workplace with Scrum, showcasing course topics like Scrum Values, Engaging the Brain, and Multi-team Scrum.

The Scrum Focus Classes complement my Professional Scrum offering that consists of the facilitation of following 2-day Scrum.org courses:

Posted on 29 January 202629 January 2026 by Gunther — Leave a comment

Every End Has a Start (from the (last) Scrum Caretaker Courier 16)

A portrait of a man in a yellow uniform with a Starfleet insignia, staring confidently at the camera. The background features a blurred scene indicative of a sci-fi setting. The quote 'To boldly go where no man has gone before' is displayed prominently alongside the actor's name and the title of the series, 'Star Trek: The Original Series (1966)'.

As you are reading this, a complete calendar month has already (almost) gone by in 2026, this not so ‘new’ year anymore. We are 29 January 2026 as I am writing this. I hope your year has started off brilliantly and I wish you all the best. That wish, by the way, is not just for 2026 but for many, many years to come.

A painting of two golden bells with red ribbons, accompanied by an inspirational quote about making the world better. The quote is attributed to Baden-Powell, the founder of the Scout Movement.

A decorative illustration of holly leaves and berries, accompanied by motivational text about making the world better, inspired by Baden-Powell.

Our daughter made the paintings for the above greeting cards at our request. We feel it makes it so much more personal. I hope you like them too. My creativity is so much less, which shows in the cross-stitching work that I have picked up on again (after many years):

Cross-stitch design featuring Tigger and Winnie the Pooh, with a pattern booklet from Disney and a pair of scissors.

As much as every end has a start, every end also is a start–as we know from transitioning into a new year. Would you agree that transitioning into a new year does not really belong in the “big, disruptive” category? My online presentation “Re-imagine your Scrum” for the Scrum Caretakers of the Universe (SMOTU) on 15 January 2026 will have been my last public session. This Scrum Caretaker Courier (nr. 16) will also be my last. I have other ambitions and aspirations on how to connect with people. Allow me to still share how I look at 2025 and at 2026.

Warm regards
Gunther
independent Scrum Caretaker and Workplace Humanitarian

Posted on 5 November 20255 November 2025 by Gunther — Leave a comment

“Psychological Safety 2” (a new Scrum Focus Class)

My life of Scrum started in 2003 when we wrapped our eXtreme Programming approach in Scrum. Throughout my two+ decades of experience, I feel I have seen and experienced much. Anyone interested in more details can check out the complete saga of my life of Scrum that I included in The Scrum Caretaker 14.

What keeps surprising me is the lack of a heuristic, experience-based approach when adopting Scrum, an approach based on the stance of trying to solve problems by finding practical ways of dealing with them, of learning by discovering things for oneself, of learning from past experience rather than over-analyzing and thinking everything should be known upfront.

The fact that Scrum is an open framework makes it apparently easy to get stuck at some academic level with debates over interpretations of the words used in the Scrum Guide or at the level of some mechanistic, lifeless implementation of Scrum. These approaches often cause (a new incarnation of) ‘analysis paralysis’ and keep the industrial paradigm intact rather than deeply transforming an organization’s way of working.

An infographic illustrating 'Scrum's DNA', featuring the concepts of Empiricism and Self-organization as a double helix, with related words and values like Openness, Trust, Team, and Respect.

Ultimately, the rules of Scrum serve to create a base structure, a frame, within which people and organizations develop a working process that is specific and appropriate to their time and context. Within these boundaries, people form organized groups around a common problem or challenge without external work plans or instructions being imposed on them (“self-organization”). The process of regularly inspecting the outcome and the how of the work helps them identify the most sensible adaptations (“empiricism”), understanding that what works today might not work tomorrow.

I have always aspired to help people and organizations get unstuck by regaining focus, start moving (their) Scrum downfield and up their game; to firm up their agility by re-imagining their Scrum (as shared in The Scrum Caretaker 14). Understanding the rules of Scrum is no more than a start, yet seems to be the end stage for so many. Moving (your) Scrum downfield requires understanding the rules to play by them to then…look beyond them. As a Scrum Caretaker, I propagate Scrum as more than a ‘process’ by actively nurturing and upholding the values, behaviors, and people-centric aspects that make Scrum more effective. My ambition, ultimately, is to humanize the workplace; thereby acting as an advisor, a connector, a teacher, a writer, or a speaker.

As a ‘teacher’ I facilitate people’s learning process rather than ‘train’ or condition them. Since I started with Scrum in 2003, I have created and delivered a wide diversity of Scrum workshops and classes for diverse audiences and people with different levels of expertise. In 2011 I obtained my license as a Professional Scrum Trainer for Scrum.org from Ken Schwaber (co-creator of Scrum). My business vehicle, Ullizee-Inc, is a member of the Professional Training Network of Scrum.org.

Posted on 29 September 202529 September 2025 by Gunther — Leave a comment

Re-imagine your Scrum (from The Scrum Caretaker Courier 14)

In 2003 my life of Scrum didn’t actually start with Scrum but with eXtreme Programming that we subsequently wrapped in Scrum. As my professional life in 2025 still revolves around Scrum, can I safely say that I have a ‘career’ of more than two decades of Scrum?

There are a few important milestones that I passed in all those years, although I didn’t plan for them:

Virtually moving to the Netherlands in 2011 and working with large organizations,
Creating my book “Scrum – A Pocket Guide” in 2013,
Partnering with Ken Schwaber and Scrum.org in 2013,
Continuing my professional life as an “independent Scrum Caretaker” in 2016,
Collecting and curating the views of experts around the world in the book “97 Things Every Scrum Practitioner Should Know” in 2020.

Today, in 2025, it feels like I am passing an important milestone again. Over the past two decades of Scrum I seem to have been gathering many, many pieces without being able to see the puzzle, the overall picture. Over the past 4-5 years however, those pieces did start to fit and form one holistic vision.

In 2019 I described my observations regarding “The illusion of agility” in a paper. But, the plan to write a follow-up paper called “Re-imagine your Scrum” never worked out. That is strange because I had created small recordings on both topics in 2019. After all, they are related in the sense that inspection and adaptation are. Today, I am happy to share that I have-finally-written that follow-up paper.

Still, I feel that I couldn’t have expressed my follow-up views and advice in writing sooner than now. Although it is not the complete story of how I look at the future state of Scrum (that will be the topic of my next book), I strongly believe it is already more than enough to get many people, teams, and leaders to start thinking beyond their (current instances of) Scrum.

I hope you will enjoy watching and reading my views and ideas on how to “Re-imagine your Scrum (Firm up your agility)” through the recording & (NEW) WHITEPAPER.

If you want the full history, do read what follows…

Warm regards
Gunther
independent Scrum Caretaker

The Complete Saga (2003-now)

Posted on 26 July 202527 July 2025 by Gunther — Leave a comment

O zo menselijk (voor zowel als na de kennismaking met Nietzsche)

1/ De onverwachte weg naar een onverwachte kennismaking

Van de technische wereld…

Januari 1996. Ik ben het beu. Alles. Ik verdien niet genoeg. Ik krijg niet de werkmiddelen die ik meen nodig te hebben (lees: dure software). Ik krijg geen firmawagen. Terwijl mijn privé-wagen eigenlijk van betere kwaliteit is dan de firma-exemplaren. Ik zoek maar vind geen nieuwe betrekking. Waarom word ik zelfs niet uitgenodigd? Ik brand. Terwijl instant antwoorden, oplossingen of uitwegen uitblijven, brand ik harder. Maar ik brand niet op. Ik wil vooruit. Ik wil meer. Ik wil alles. En eigenlijk wil ik het nu.

Kortom, bij de aanvang van 1996 ben ik een en al ongeduld en als gevolg daarvan een en al frustratie en irritatie. Eigenlijk was ik echt wel een héél grote brok frustratie. Ik ben sinds mei 1993 in dienst bij deze KMO (‘Kleine of Middelgrote Onderneming’–met in dit geval de nadruk op de ‘K’ gezien de 8 personeelsleden en de 2 eigenaar-oprichters) na een tweede sollicitatie. Ik herinner me nog mijn eerste sollicitatie bij het bedrijf, in de zomer van 1992, als vers afgestudeerd ingenieur elektronica (met specialisatie hardware engineering). Ik herinner me nog hoe ik compleet door de mand viel na een vraag over een RS485-driver. Ik leerde later (en prentte dat zo in mijn geheugen) dat het bedrijf die gebruikte voor seriële, stroomgestuurde communicatie. Wat bleek? Als industrieel ingenieur werd je verondersteld niet enkel iets (technisch) te kennen, maar ook iets (technisch) te kunnen. Daar sta ik dan met mijn glinsterend diploma en de veronderstelling in aanmerking te komen voor leidinggevende functies—falend in elk opzicht: in kennis, kunde en aspiratie. Na mijn tweede sollicitatie bij het bedrijf, in mei 1993, was de positieve commentaar dat ik niet enkel werkervaring had opgedaan, maar dat ik ook behoorlijk wat aan maturiteit had gewonnen. Van september 1992 tot maart 1993 had ik als software-ingenieur op VAX (en een beetje op OS/2) gewerkt met wat buitenlandse verplaatsingen voor een gigantisch project voor magazijnautomatisering in Ierland (vaak als enige vertegenwoordiger van het bedrijf). Deze keer kreeg ik wel een plekje aangeboden.

Posted on 17 June 202518 June 2025 by Gunther — 1 Comment

A Foundation for the Future

Following is an article from my latest newsletter, “The Scrum Caretaker Courier 13“. Subscribe here if you prefer receiving my news and updates directly.

With this article I’d like to update you on the different sorts of shapeshifting I seemed to have been initiating for the Scrum Caretakers movement and how it helped me think about shaping the future, creating a foundation for that future.

Warm regards
Gunther
independent Scrum Caretaker

Stages of Shapeshifting

2024 – The Scrum Caretaker Courier

By the end of 2024 I started noticing not just a steep increase in the amount of subscribers to my “The Scrum Caretaker Courier” newsletter, but also strange effects. Although I don’t see how subscribing to my newsletter would benefit potential scammers, hackers, intruders or e-criminals, but there was a clear growth in fake subscriptions. It showed in the responses after sending out each Scrum Caretaker Courier. A more stringent subscription process was needed as I also noticed how some regular accounts unsubscribed already after receiving the welcoming mail, saying it was “spammy content”. I found that quite funny because that message did not have any content, but merely a word of welcome.

By that time I had close to 5000 subscribers. I decided for radical action: I wanted people to actively and consciously re-subscribe for “The Scrum Caretaker Courier“. I unsubscribed all accounts and asked everybody to re-subscribe (through a 2-step process) if they wanted to remain connected and updated. I do need to admit that this turned out to be a manual effort of sending mails, which I hadn’t anticipated and much annoyed me. As all accounts had been archived (rather than erased) nobody would have to re-enter all their information. After a month, about 80 people had done so. Today, as I am composing this Scrum Caretaker Courier 13, you are one of 101 subscribers. Still, I feel much better addressing really interested people rather than a non-responsive crowd (no matter its size).

2025 – Scrum Caretakers Meetup

Posted on 17 June 202517 June 2025 by Gunther — 1 Comment

Discomforted by So-called ‘Social Media’

Following is an article from my latest newsletter, “The Scrum Caretaker Courier 13“. Subscribe here if you prefer receiving my news and updates directly.

Over the years I have often observed with amazement what happens on so-called ‘Social Media’: what is being shared by whom (for what reason) and how others respond to what is being shared by whom (for what reason), whether it concerns a statement, a picture, a snippet, an event or an occurrence within the closed so-called Social Media environment or in what is usually called society or the (outside) world. Yet, for about 15 years it never stopped me from spending quite some time on those so-called Social Media platforms—checking out what was happening and occasionally attempting to contribute. It did take a long time but finally I seem to have realized that it was probably more like a habit rather than being a valuable activity. Realizing that I wasn’t getting a lot of personal benefits or insights from the time spent on these so-called Social Media, at first (a few years ago) I started limiting my presence on these platforms to professional topics only.

But even that didn’t work out in the long run.

And thus, toward the end of 2023, I stopped actively using Facebook, Instagram and Twitter/X—instantly. I strongly felt that these platforms had become and would remain mostly non-collaborative, non-informative and even plainly toxic environments. Those platforms have too many inhabitants (depending upon their daily mood swing) neurotically complaining about, moaning over, bashing or belittling other inhabitants and events whether within or outside of that closed virtual world. I don’t exclude this perception to be influenced by my introvert nature.

They are Social, nor Media

Posted on 7 June 202510 June 2025 by Gunther — Leave a comment

Uiteindelijk was het ‘maar’ een lage bloeddruk…

Juli 2003. Een donderdagavond. Ergens tussen 22 en 23 uur geeft mijn hoogzwangere vrouw aan dat het haar beter lijkt dat we naar het ziekenhuis vertrekken voor de bevalling. We droppen onze oudste zoon (19 maanden oud) bij mijn ouders. Van bij hen is het maar een kwartiertje meer rijden, alhoewel mijn vrouw onderweg toch begint te vrezen dat zelfs die luttele 15 minuutjes niet gaan volstaan. Uiteindelijk halen we het ziekenhuis wel in onbevallen toestand, maar daarna gaat het toch ongemeen snel. Onze tweede zoon (het is een jongen, inderdaad) vervoegt rond 1 uur ’s nachts al deze wereld na een bijzonder vlotte bevalling. Misschien ligt het wel aan het feit dat het eerder een lichtgewicht is (2,5 kg of daaromtrent). Alle eerste testen van onze pasgeboren zoon geven verder aan dat alles prima is (reflexen en zo). In een lichte euforie stuur ik in de vroege uurtjes (onmiddellijk slapen zit er nog niet in na mijn terugkeer naar huis) de nodige berichten en mails rond om het heuglijke nieuws te verkondigen bij familie en vrienden.

Na alsnog enkele uurtjes te hebben geslapen, begeef ik me terug richting materniteit. Daar is net ook de kinderarts op bezoek. En die brengt ons de verrassende boodschap dat hij vermoedt dat onze zoon het syndroom van Down heeft. Hij baseert zich op een aantal typische kenmerken, zoals de stand van de ogen en de (doorlopende) lijnen in zijn nietige handpalmpjes. Het is een complete verrassing omdat de gynaecoloog er bij de standaardcontroles tijdens de zwangerschap (zoals meting van de nekplooi) geen enkele indicatie van had gezien. Gezien de leeftijd van mijn vrouw was er dan ook geen reden om verder te zoeken. Maar, terugblikkend, was er natuurlijk wel het lichte geboortegewicht van onze zoon en het gegeven dat hij de laatste weken van de zwangerschap nauwelijks nog was bijgekomen. De vraag is of het iets zou veranderd hebben, hadden we het op voorhand geweten? Allicht niet.

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