Applying Agile Within a Virtual Team Environment
7 PDUs / Contact Hrs | 3 Tech | 3 Lead | 1 Strat

Course Description

Working in a virtual project team environment is challenging at the best of times. If the project is managed using agile techniques, the challenge of using a virtual team can be even greater. That’s because the agile method is both adaptive and iterative. To be successful, team members must be in synch as the project evolves — and that requires excellent leadership and communication throughout the project. For this reason, agile teams tend to work best when kept small and team members are able to work in close proximity. In a world where people often work from home, organizations have multiple offices, and subject matter expertise is often subcontracted out, working in close physical proximity is not always possible – and before we know it, we are managing agile projects using a virtual project team.

This 1-day course will address some of the key challenges of working in a virtual agile team environment. Topics will address both the challenges of managing the team (e.g. achieving effective communication, dealing with conflict, and the application of servant leadership in a virtual environment in which multiple time zones may also be a factor) as well as the challenges in applying fundamental agile techniques within a virtual team (e.g. task prioritising, estimating, sprint planning, daily scrums, backlog refinement, reporting, etc.). 

Who Should Attend

• Project Managers
• Agile Leads (e.g. Scrum Masters)
• Product owners
• Business Analysts
• Project Management Methodologists

Course Materials

• Course notes containing copies of presentation slides and exercises
• Sample agile PM tools/templates

Learning Outcomes

Through demonstration and facilitated discussion participants will learn how to:

• Overcome key challenges of working in a project team, including:
  • Leadership 
  • Communication
  • Team building
  • Productivity
  • Motivation
  • Alignment of objectives
• Apply and facilitate core agile techniques such as: task prioritizing, estimating, sprint planning, daily scrums, backlog refinement, reporting, within a virtual team setting.

Prerequisites

This is an advanced agile course. You should have hands on experience as a team member or as an agile lead on more than one agile project plus formal training in both traditional and agile project management fundamentals such as:

• Project Management Applied Tools and Techniques (or its equivalent)
• Agile Project Management Hands On (or its equivalent)
• People Skills: The Secret Behind Project Success (or its equivalent)