Agile Principles Applied To Other Project Approaches (MGMT0550)

Summary:

Even waterfalls can produce energy! Agile is not suitable for every type of project, and high performance. Motivated and self-managed teams are not exclusivly agile.

Description:

The application of agile principles like time boxing, iterative planning, collocation, face to face collaboration, flexibility to adjust to changes and simplicity; can lead to motivated and self-managed teams that deliver high quality products. Agile is a very effective approach, but it doesn't suit every project. Sound project strategy should select the right approach or combination of approaches that better adapts to the characteristics of the project. Applying agile to every project and to every stream of work within a project is replacing one religion for another, and driving a square peg into potentially round holes.

This two-day workshop will equip participants to define proper strategy for a project, selecting or combining alternatives that go from pure waterfall through spiral, incremental, iterative to pure agile. Once the right approach is selected, participants will learn how to incorporate agile principles in approaches that are not agile, using a weekly cycle nested in milestone cycles. Through a simulation exercise and working in teams, participants will use a schedule as a modelling tool that integrates all the knowledge available to the team, to make decisions and commitments that have strong buy in and likelihood of achieving success. The ideal setting for delivering this workshop is for a project team beginning a project.

Benefits:

• Increase throughput and productivity from project teams, independently of what approach they use, particularly in milestone achievement
  
• Improve the quality of the information in project reports, as the schedule captures all the relevant information available to the team, reflecting the most likely scenario
• Helps leaders assist people to enhance their performance by providing them with feedback they are willing to accept and upon which they are able to act
• Increase motivation and job satisfaction, both in project managers and team members
  
• Increase compatibility across projects in a portfolio that uses different approaches to delivery, facilitating cross planning and portfolio management
• When delivered for a team starting a project, this workshop serves as an excellent team building exercise
  

Attend This Workshop if You:

• Are managing a team that is about to start a project
• Have the responsibility to define the strategy for a project and lead it through planning and execution in the selected approach, which could include agile or more traditional approaches
• Are responsible for a program or portfolio of projects and need to provide direction and coaching to project managers in defining project strategy
• Are responsible for defining governance that includes the selection of a delivery approach and coordination across projects that follow different approaches to delivery

Duration: 15 Hours (2 days)