At The Massive Collective, we are excited to announce a groundbreaking partnership with Silke Noll, an experienced consultant and Kanban professional, to develop a Te Reo Māori version of Kanban tailored for Te Ao Māori. This initiative aims to bridge the worlds of modern workflow management with the unique principles and values that underpin Māori culture. Through this collaboration, we seek to empower Māori by creating Kanban systems that resonate with Māori ways of working, enhancing self-determination, adaptability, and efficiency.

Why Kanban and Te Ao Māori are Aligned

Kanban, developed by Kanban University, is a widely adopted Method for managing workflows and improving organisational efficiency. It is rooted in principles of flow, continuous improvement, and respect for the individuals involved. For many indigenous cultures, including Māori, how we organise work, adapt to changing environments, and respect each individual's role is not dissimilar to Kanban. Māori values of kotahitanga (unity), manaakitanga (care), and kaitiakitanga (guardianship) naturally align with Kanban's emphasis on collaboration, clarity, and sustainable outcomes.

Through this partnership, we aim to create a culturally appropriate toolset — the Kanban Method translated and adapted into Te Reo Māori —that reflects the needs and aspirations of Māori communities. This is about more than just translation; it is about embedding tikanga (customs) and kawa (protocols) within Kanban's core structure to support Māori learning, working, and delivering outcomes.

Who is Silke Noll?

Silke Noll is an expert in Kanban systems, with years of experience helping organisations adopt Kanban to improve their operational efficiency. Based in Aotearoa, New Zealand, Silke brings a deep understanding of both local and global organisational needs, making her the perfect partner to develop this project. With a background in workflow optimisation, and digital transformation, Silke has been an Accredited Kanban Trainer and practitioner through Kanban University. Her passion for meaningful change and creating sustainable processes aligns perfectly with The Massive Collective's vision for culturally adaptive tools.

About Kanban University

Founded with the vision to revolutionise how organisations manage their workflows, Kanban University is a global authority on Kanban systems. The institution has developed standards, certifications, practices and principles that help individuals and businesses worldwide implement Kanban successfully. Their emphasis on customisation and continuous improvement makes the Method uniquely adaptable for culturally aligned frameworks, such as the one we are co-developing with Silke Noll.

Evolving Kanban for Te Ao Māori

Our collaboration will translate Kanban concepts for Te Ao Māori and ensure the methodology reflects Māori perspectives on time, progress, and collaboration. For example, Kanban’s practices of visualising work, minimising work in progress to increase flow and introducing Feedback Loops is perfectly in line with our adaptation of embedding Māori concepts such as whanaungatanga (relationships) and mātauranga (knowledge sharing) within the decision-making process. This will provide a culturally resonant tool for Māori organisations, ensuring it supports their kaupapa (purpose) and long-term objectives.

Supporting Iwi, Hapū, NGOs, and Whānau Māori

The Te Reo Māori version of Kanban will empower Māori communities by providing them with a framework for managing education, social services, health, or environmental stewardship initiatives. It will also enable Iwi and hapū to organise complex projects while remaining true to our cultural values. By promoting transparency and visual management, this adapted Kanban system will help Māori organisations to better align their resources with their goals and maintain accountability to their communities.

A Framework for Whānau

One of the most exciting aspects of this initiative is its potential to serve whānau (families). Kanban's simplicity and adaptability make it easy to implement not only in formal organisations but also at the whānau or community level. Whether managing household responsibilities or planning whānau events, Kanban offers a way to visualise commitments, share responsibilities, and collaborate more effectively. By embedding Māori values into Kanban, we hope to make it a natural tool for kaimahi to use in their day-to-day mahi(work).

Co-Creation and Community Input

Our journey with Silke Noll will not be one of imposing solutions but rather co-creating them with the organisations we aim to serve. We are committed to engaging with kaupapa Māori organisations throughout development to ensure the framework reflects their needs and aspirations. Whānanga(workshops), hui(meetings), and open feedback sessions will form an essential part of this journey, allowing us to learn from those most benefit from these adapted Kanban systems.

The Road Ahead

As we develop and refine the Te Reo / Te Ao Māori version of Kanban, we look forward to sharing our progress with the broader community. We are excited about the potential this collaboration has to transform Māori organisations and empower whānau to manage their work in a culturally relevant way. This initiative represents a fusion of modern workflow methods with ancient cultural knowledge, creating a tool honouring the past while embracing the future.

Join Us on This Journey

The partnership between The Massive Collective and Silke Noll is more than a project; it is a movement towards better ways of working that align with Te Ao Māori. We invite kaupapa Māori organisations to join us on this journey as we create Kanban for Te Ao Māori, which is both useful and meaningful. Together, we can develop a system that supports the aspirations of Māori communities and provides a lasting legacy for future generations.

Stay tuned for more updates as we work towards launching this exciting new framework. We look forward to your support and participation in bringing Kanban to life within Te Ao Māori.

Kia kaha, kia māia, kia manawanui!