Carlos Ronald ChavesProject Manager| Axxiom - Technology and InnovationToronto, Ontario, Canada
Dear PMs, I hope you are doing well!
Although I have plenty of experience with project management I lack the skills and formal education in the Agile methodologies - Scrum, Waterfall, etc. I can see this Agile skill set is more and more needed and valuable for the organizations, and I feel I need to start to get in touch with these knowledges.
Do anyone here have some suggestions as how and where to start learning the Agile methodology? What is more important to focus on and how to set up a learning plan for beginners like me?
Thank you so much in advance!
Carlos Ronald Chaves Saving Changes...
Agile is NOT a methodology - it is a set of values & principles which can be used to develop a delivery methodology, but could also be used when managing non-project or even personal work.
A good starting point would be with the Manifesto itself (agilemanifesto.org) and then read PMI's Agile Practice Guide. You could also read a few of the HBR articles which have been written in the past couple of years on organizational agility.
But merely reading about it is of little value so find a way to apply agile thinking & practices to the work you are currently doing.
Kiron
Hello Kiron,
I was really surprised when i read that agile was not a methology and even more when i realized that Scrum neither. I was wrong all this time. So Agile is a mindset.
Ellie ShinEngineering Project Manager| Alarm.comSan Francisco, Ca, United States
I would recommend taking the Certified Scrum Master class (or watching Youtube videos - perks of taking the class is you get certified). It introduces these concepts and shows you how to use it with some activities which gives you a good foundation which you can supplement with reading dry books or youtube videos. Saving Changes...
Joshua RenderProduct Owner| CognizantHarrisville, Ny, United States
May 08, 2019 1:54 PM
Replying to Sergio Luis Conte
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The Manifesto is for softtware, not for Agile. Is Agile implementation and use into software field. Agile is beyond that.
I have to agree with Sergio. The Manifesto doesn't do Agile justice and too often people point to it and think only iterative development is acceptable and then they ignore all the rest.
I am taking some Udemy classes myself on complexity theory to try and learn more, you can start with this YouTube video: https://youtu.be/g13IDarbR_4 As you learn about Agile, complexity theory is essentially what you will be learning. That video hits upon some Agile values.
Just always remember that Scrum does not define Agile.
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1 reply by Joshua Render
May 09, 2019 8:15 AM
Joshua Render
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From Complexity Theory
Good enough vision
It is impossible to predict complex systems far out into the future
Chaos Theory – Sensitive Dependence on Initial Conditions -the smallest change can throw the whole system off in unpredictable ways (Butterfly Effect)
Start off with broad goals and prepare to adapt to changes
Minimum Specifications
Use basic parameters to get where you want to go
Self-Organization
Allow people to come together and work with those minimum specifications
Wicked Questions
Ask the questions no one wants to ask
Why are we doing something the way we are doing it
Shadow Systems
The hidden rules, the organizational rules that are ignored or modified to get things done
Move the shadow system into the light and balance the system out
Emergence
Emergent interconnection
Saving Changes...
Joshua RenderProduct Owner| CognizantHarrisville, Ny, United States
May 09, 2019 8:13 AM
Replying to Joshua Render
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I have to agree with Sergio. The Manifesto doesn't do Agile justice and too often people point to it and think only iterative development is acceptable and then they ignore all the rest.
I am taking some Udemy classes myself on complexity theory to try and learn more, you can start with this YouTube video: https://youtu.be/g13IDarbR_4 As you learn about Agile, complexity theory is essentially what you will be learning. That video hits upon some Agile values.
Just always remember that Scrum does not define Agile.
From Complexity Theory
Good enough vision
It is impossible to predict complex systems far out into the future
Chaos Theory – Sensitive Dependence on Initial Conditions -the smallest change can throw the whole system off in unpredictable ways (Butterfly Effect)
Start off with broad goals and prepare to adapt to changes
Minimum Specifications
Use basic parameters to get where you want to go
Self-Organization
Allow people to come together and work with those minimum specifications
Wicked Questions
Ask the questions no one wants to ask
Why are we doing something the way we are doing it
Shadow Systems
The hidden rules, the organizational rules that are ignored or modified to get things done
Move the shadow system into the light and balance the system out
Wade HarshmanScrum Master| GDITIndianapolis, In, United States
May 08, 2019 1:54 PM
Replying to Sergio Luis Conte
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The Manifesto is for softtware, not for Agile. Is Agile implementation and use into software field. Agile is beyond that.
Agree, but the Manifesto for Agile Software Development is only 300 words (including the signatures). If someone wants to learn about the Agile movement, there is no excuse to ignore this short document. This is not the end of our education, but our education is incomplete without it.
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1 reply by Sergio Luis Conte
May 09, 2019 10:10 AM
Sergio Luis Conte
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I am not saying it has to be ignored. I am saying it is for software, as the name explicit pointed out. I worked with they creators (and I am still in contact with some of them) before they become cellebrities from 1990 when we met each year at OOSPLA.
Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
May 09, 2019 8:56 AM
Replying to Wade Harshman
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Agree, but the Manifesto for Agile Software Development is only 300 words (including the signatures). If someone wants to learn about the Agile movement, there is no excuse to ignore this short document. This is not the end of our education, but our education is incomplete without it.
I am not saying it has to be ignored. I am saying it is for software, as the name explicit pointed out. I worked with they creators (and I am still in contact with some of them) before they become cellebrities from 1990 when we met each year at OOSPLA. Saving Changes...
cesar obandoProyect Manager| Banco VisionFund EcuadorQuito, Pichincha, Ecuador
La Guía para el Cuerpo de Conocimiento de Scrum (Guía SBOK™) proporciona directrices para la aplicación con éxito de Scrum: el desarrollo ágil de productos y el método de entrega de proyectos más popular. Brinda un framework integral que incluye los principios, aspectos y procesos de Scrum. Scrum, tal como se define en la Guía SBOK™, aplica a los siguientes:
• Portafolios, programas y/o proyectos en cualquier industria
• Productos, servicios o cualquier otro resultado que se les entregarán a los interesados
• Proyectos de cualquier tamaño y complejidad. Saving Changes...
cesar obandoProyect Manager| Banco VisionFund EcuadorQuito, Pichincha, Ecuador
Scrum es uno de los métodos ágiles más populares. Es un framework adaptable, iterativo, rápido, flexible y eficaz, diseñado para ofrecer un valor considerable en forma rápida a lo largo del proyecto. Scrum garantiza transparencia en la comunicación y crea un ambiente de responsabilidad colectiva y de progreso continuo.
El framework de Scrum, tal como se define en la Guía SBOK™, está estructurado de tal manera que es compatible con el desarrollo de productos y servicios en todo tipo de industrias y en cualquier tipo de proyecto, independientemente de su complejidad. Saving Changes...
And then the SCRUM Guide. Scrum is a framework how to implement the agile principles. There are other frameworks as well, but this is an excellent starting point:
https://www.scrumguides.org/
