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Intermediate

6h

Updated 5 months ago

More Effective Agile: A Roadmap for Software Leaders
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Gain insights into proven Agile practices, practical considerations, and modern approaches to enhance software development. Discover valuable strategies for leaders at all organizational levels.
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Steve McConnell, the author of the software industry classic Code Complete, distills hundreds of companies' hard-won insights into an easy-to-read guide to the proven, modern Agile practices that work best. In this comprehensive yet accessible overview for software leaders, McConnell presents an impactful, action-oriented prescription, covering the practical considerations needed to ensure you reap the full benefits of effective Agile. Whether you are a C-level executive, vice president, director, manager, technical leader, or coach, this no-nonsense course seamlessly threads together traditional approaches, early Agile approaches, modern Agile approaches, and the principles and context that underlie them all—creating an invaluable resource for you, your teams, and your organization.
Steve McConnell, the author of the software industry classic Code Complete, distills hundreds of companies' hard-won insights in...Show More

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

Adopt the individual Agile tools suited to your specific organization
Create high-performing, autonomous teams that are truly business-focused
Understand the ground truth of Scrum and diagnose your teams' issues
Test more effectively, and improve quality
Improve coherence of requirements in an iterative environment
Lead your organization through real-world constraints: multisite teams, large projects, industry regulations, and the need for predictability
Adopt the individual Agile tools suited to your specific organization

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Content

137 Lessons

1.

Introduction

2 Lessons

Get familiar with Agile development's evolution, effective practices, and implementation for business success.
About This Course
Course Structure

2.

What’s Really Different About Agile?

5 Lessons

Unpack the core of Agile's differences, its benefits, leadership actions, and essential resources.
Sequential Development vs. Agile Development
What Is the Source of Agile’s Benefits?
The Agile Boundary
Suggested Leadership Actions
Additional Resources

3.

Responding to the Challenges of Complexity and Uncertainty

6 Lessons

Examine decision-making frameworks to navigate complexity and uncertainty in software projects effectively.
Cynefin and Its Domains
Cynefin and Software Challenges
Succeeding on Complex Projects: OODA
Key Principle: Inspect and Adapt
Suggested Leadership Actions
Additional Resources

4.

More Effective Agile Beginnings: Scrum

6 Lessons

Break down the steps to effectively implement Scrum, addressing common failure modes and success factors.
Key Principle: Start with Scrum
Common Failure Modes in Scrum
Success Factors in Scrum
Issues Transitioning to Scrum
Suggested Leadership Actions
Additional Resources

5.

More Effective Agile Team Structure

7 Lessons

Take a closer look at organizing cross-functional Agile teams, integrating testers, and managing production support.
Key Principle: Build Cross-Functional Teams
Key Principle: Integrate Testers into the Development Teams
Organization of Production Support
Agile Teams as Black Boxes
Other Considerations
Suggested Leadership Actions
Additional Resources

6.

More Effective Agile Team Culture

6 Lessons

Focus on fostering team motivation through autonomy, mastery, purpose, growth mindset, and direct user interaction.
Key Principle: Motivate Teams Through Autonomy, Mastery, Purpose
Key Principle: Develop a Growth Mindset
Key Principle: Develop Business Focus
Other Considerations
Suggested Leadership Actions
Additional Resources

7.

More Effective Distributed Agile Teams

6 Lessons

Build on tightening feedback loops, fostering communication, systemic fixes, leadership actions, and effectiveness in distributed Agile teams.
Key Principle: Tighten Feedback Loops
Toward Successful Distributed Agile Teams
Key Principle: Fix the System, Not the Individual
Other Considerations
Suggested Leadership Actions
Additional Resources

8.

More Effective Individuals and Interactions

5 Lessons

Step through enhancing individual and team interactions for effective Agile leadership.
The Potential of Focusing on Individuals
Key Principle: Increase Team Capacity via Individual Capacity
More Effective Interactions (Teams)
Suggested Leadership Actions
Additional Resources

10.

More Effective Large Agile Projects

6 Lessons

Go hands-on with scaling Agile practices, architecture strategies, and effective coordination for large projects.
What’s Really Different About Agile—On Large Projects?
Key Principle: Support Large Agile Projects Through Architecture
Collaboration, Coordination, and Success Factors
Other Considerations
Suggested Leadership Actions
Additional Resources

12.

More Effective Agile Testing

5 Lessons

Enhance Agile testing with dev-led automated tests, balanced testing strategies, modern practices, and clear leadership goals.
Key Principle: Use Automated Tests Created by the Dev Team
More Keys to Effective Agile Testing
Other Considerations
Suggested Leadership Actions
Additional Resources

13.

More Effective Agile Requirements Creation

7 Lessons

Focus on refining Agile requirements through iterative backlog management, user stories, and adaptive strategies.
Agile Requirements Lifecycle
Agile Requirements: Stories and the Product Backlog
Key Principle: Refine the Product Backlog
Key Principle: Create and Use a Definition of Ready
Other Considerations
Suggested Leadership Actions
Additional Resources

14.

More Effective Agile Requirements Prioritization

5 Lessons

Master effective Agile requirements prioritization using key techniques like story mapping and T-shirt sizing.
Product Owner
Story Mapping
Other Considerations
Suggested Leadership Actions
Additional Resources

15.

More Effective Agile Delivery

5 Lessons

Sharpen your skills in automating Agile delivery, leveraging CI/CD benefits, and effective leadership actions.
Key Principle: Automate Repetitive Activities
Benefits of CI/CD
Other Considerations
Suggested Leadership Actions
Additional Resources

16.

More Effective Agile Leadership

6 Lessons

Discover effective Agile leadership principles, emphasize outcomes, clear purpose, throughput, key behaviors, and continuous self-evaluation.
Key Principle: Manage to Outcomes, Not Details
Key Principle: Express Clear Purpose with Commander’s Intent
Key Principle: Focus on Throughput, Not Activity
Key Principle: Model Key Agile Behaviors
Suggested Leadership Actions
Additional Resources

17.

More Effective Agile Organizational Culture

5 Lessons

Examine the factors influencing effective Agile culture, team capacity, leadership, and organizational support.
Key Principle: Decriminalize Mistakes
Key Principle: Plan Based on Measured Team Capacity
Communities of Practice and Organizational Support
Suggested Leadership Actions
Additional Resources

18.

More Effective Agile Measurement

5 Lessons

Break down complex ideas on measuring work, quality, and leadership in Agile practices.
Measuring Quantity of Work
Measuring Quality of Work
Other Considerations
Suggested Leadership Actions
Additional Resources

19.

More Effective Agile Process Improvement

7 Lessons

Take a closer look at improving productivity, monitoring WIP, retrospectives, and leadership actions in Agile.
Improving Productivity
Disciplined Mapping and Monitoring of Work in Progress
The Agile Retrospective
Beware of Gaming of Measures, and Inspect and Adapt
Other Considerations
Suggested Leadership Actions
Additional Resources

21.

More Effective Agile in Regulated Industries

6 Lessons

Master the steps to align Agile practices with regulatory requirements, ensuring compliance and improving efficiency.
How Agile in General Supports Work in Regulated Environments
How Scrum in Particular Supports Work in Regulated Environments
The Agile Boundary for Regulated Systems
Other Considerations
Suggested Leadership Actions
Additional Resources

22.

More Effective Agile Portfolio Management

5 Lessons

Step through Agile portfolio management using WSJF and reducing the cost of delay.
Weighted Shortest Job First
Common Alternatives
Other Considerations
Suggested Leadership Actions
Additional Resources

23.

More Effective Agile Adoptions

6 Lessons

Look at structured approaches and models for successful Agile adoption in organizations.
General Change Approach
The Domino Change Model
Propagating Change Through the Organization
40,000-Foot Rollout View, Take 2
Suggested Leadership Actions
Additional Resources

24.

Closing

3 Lessons

Go hands-on with effective Agile leadership, continuous improvement, and key principles for sustained team growth.
Enjoy the Fruits of Your Labor
Summary of Key Principles
Biblography
Certificate of Completion
Showcase your accomplishment by sharing your certificate of completion.

Course Author:

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