Transforming People Development Extended Competency

By Fabiola Eyholzer & SAFe Fellow Michael Stump, Just Leading Solutions, Inc.  | A Community Contribution

Which roles would benefit from mastering this competency?

In true Agile fashion, every role is responsible for people and culture; this particular competency is essential for People Managers, People Developers, Agile People Leaders, C-level leadership teams, People and Culture roles (a.k.a. Human Resources), and the LACE. It is also a worthwhile read for members of the ART leadership team (Tactical Square). 

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Learning About the Transforming People Development Competency

People & Culture is the Key Differentiator in the Age of AI 

The world is changing faster than ever, forcing us to rethink the very meaning of work and the type of work people do. And while we get excited about the potential of AI, we overlook the fact that technology is humanizing work. Because of these fast technological advances, it is the human element that will drive future business success. We can only get there if we successfully rethink how we engage with people and transform our people management approach. High employee engagement has long been proven to lead to higher productivity, performance, and profit, and coupled with a continuous learning culture, will improve innovation power, adaptability, change readiness, and resilience. And this will only become more important going forward. 

People Management can Elevate or Undermine your SAFe Operations 

SAFe can unleash its full potential if all pieces are in place. Many SAFe transformations begin from within a development organization. When this happens, and other parts of the organization have not been involved in developing the Agile Release Trains (ARTs), it’s essential to create a more comprehensive connection across the organization. This connection should include departments such as Human Resources, Legal, Procurement, and Finance, as strengthening these links is necessary to advance the Lean-Agile transformation to the next level. How these interfaces and interactions with the rest of the organization will determine the ultimate success of your SAFe transformation journey and the continued success of your ART.

The following resources are suitable for beginning your learning journey on the Organizing SAFe Portfolios competency:

Applying the Transforming People Development Competency

As the saying goes: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. 

If you are part of an organization that has already begun implementing SAFe, yet you are struggling with the hybrid organization setup when it comes to people management, or you have a setup in place but are interested in taking it to the next level, here are a few steps you may want to take: 

• Analyze current People Management – Begin by conducting a critical and honest assessment of your current people management setup and practices. Specifically, you must pinpoint where traditional leadership models and HR practices clash with the principles of shared leadership and contemporary People & Culture themes inherent in SAFe. Pay particular attention to the interface between your hierarchical and network organizational structures, as this is often a source of friction. Scrutinize your people management systems, reporting lines, and the distribution of leadership responsibilities. This in-depth analysis will reveal the precise areas needing transformation. If you’re unsure where to begin, leverage a tool like the ‘People Management Quick Check’ to gauge the necessity for a more comprehensive review. This initial diagnostic will provide a focused starting point for your improvement efforts. 
• Design the leadership structure – Redesign the leadership structure to effectively integrate the People Developer role as people authority on the ART and further promote shared leadership. This is done by building a strong collaborative ART leadership team (Tactical Square) consisting of Product and Solution Management focusing on content, System and Solution architect/engineering on design, RTE/STE on flow and relentless improvement, and People Development on people. 
• Define the People Developer role – Clearly define the responsibilities and expectations of the People Developer role. This includes outlining their role as people runway builders, talent enablers, employee advocates, culture champions, strategic partners, and members of the ART leadership. Determine the necessary competencies and qualities for this role. Establish clear metrics for measuring the People Developer’s success and impact on employee engagement and organizational performance. 

• Select and onboard People Developers – The role of the People Developer is a challenging one to staff. On the one hand, they are people champions excellent at spotting the diamond in the rough and guiding people. On the other hand, they need to be systems thinkers able to take strategic initiatives and translate them into winning talent strategies while collaborating to redesign and advance People & Culture processes. You may already have incumbent People Managers who possess the potential to excel as People Developers. Consider leveraging their existing experience and providing targeted training and coaching to bridge any skill gaps. Alternatively, complement your team with new People Developers to bring fresh perspectives and expertise. Carefully select individuals who possess the necessary skills, experience, and mindset to excel in the People Developer role. You are looking for people who are championing others, not putting themselves first. Hence, the conscious decision to use the label ‘People Developer’ and not ‘People Manager’ or ‘People Leader’. Once you have selected the right candidates, run a comprehensive onboarding program that familiarizes them with their roles and responsibilities as well as organizational specifics. Provide ongoing learning and growth opportunities and coaching. 
• Agile Teams – Assign teams to each People Developer. Aim for a ratio of approximately 25-30 individuals per People Developer, which is three to five Agile Teams. All teams, and with that, all people under care, are on a single ART. This focused approach allows your People Developers to cultivate deeper relationships, understand the specific dynamics and demands of each team, and provide more targeted guidance and support. Avoid the pitfall of replicating previous reporting lines or assigning People Developers based on functional clusters, as it will significantly hinder the ability of your People Developers to observe team dynamics, provide personalized guidance, and effectively translate ART needs into strategic workforce planning. Instead, assign entire teams within the same ART, which will ultimately empower your People Developers to be more effective and successful in their critical role.  
• Execute operational excellence (run the business) – People Developers ensure talent enablement operates seamlessly. At the individual level, this means facilitating learning and growth dialogues, maintaining talent cards and growth profiles, and coordinating exploratory assignments. They provide active guidance and support to each person under their care. At the ART and cross-ART levels, they engage in talent mapping, talent pool dialogues, capacity allocation, and adaptive workforce planning. Critically, they prioritize systems thinking over local optimization to ensure holistic talent management. 
• Collaborate on Strategic Initiatives (change the business) – People Developers also actively participate in strategic initiatives aimed at building a robust people runway and organizational effectiveness. This includes collaborating on overhauling traditional or ‘in-name-only-agile’ practices such as Performance Management, redefining interfaces to corporate HR processes through transitional solutions, and introducing new ceremonies and artifacts to advance people & culture and ensure the effectiveness of People Management. 
• Continuously improve – Establish a feedback loop to continuously evaluate and improve the effectiveness of the new people management setup. Regularly gather feedback to identify areas for improvement. Use data and analytics to track key metrics like eNPS and people developer impact scores. Encourage a culture of experimentation and learning not just with your employees but also with your People Developers. 

By taking these steps, your organization can effectively apply the Transforming People Management competency and create a workplace where employees thrive, and the organization achieves its strategic goals. 

People Development is not a one-time event but an ongoing journey of adaptation and improvement, requiring commitment and collaboration from all levels of the organization. And while it is a long journey, it is a worthwhile opportunity to elevate the human factor to continued organizational success. 

Mastering the Transforming People Development Competency

Continuing Your Journey through the Leadership and Culture Discipline

Last Update: 13 February 2026