Agile Sprint Planning: Virtual In-House Training The goal of the course is to provide you and your team with the ability to develop effective and realistic Sprint plans. Without effective Sprint Plans, iterations are set up for failure. But Sprint Planning cannot be improved on its own, in isolation. The Scrum processes are highly intertwined and influence each other. The surrounding artifacts, events, and roles must be examined closely, and enhanced, in order to improve Sprint Planning. This course will remind you of the theory to reinforce the principles, but will concentrate on next-level skills, so that you and the team are able to create realistic and usable Sprint Plans. This course is not introductory. You are already aware of the Scrum framework and have been implementing Scrum on your projects. Now is the time to improve efficiency and effectiveness, to facilitate successful Agile projects. What you will Learn You'll learn how to: Identify and correlate the key symptoms and root causes of ineffective sprint plans Improve key Product Backlog elements Evaluate Agile roles in sprint planning Appraise key product practices Enhance project transparency The Product Backlog User stories Acceptance Criteria Backlog Refinement Supporting Roles Product Owner (the Backlog) Development Team Stakeholders and SMEs Supporting Product Practices Roadmaps and release plans and story maps Definition of Done Technical Debt Transparency Daily Scrums Information radiators Retrospectives Sprint Planning Capacity and Velocity Sprint Planning Meetings The Sprint Backlog Summary What did we learn, and how can we implement this in our work environments?
Decision Making and Problem Solving (Virtual) We may live in an era of fast technology and increasing reliance upon automation, but our human abilities to think critically, make careful decisions, and solve nuanced problems are more important than ever. Our personal lives depend on those things, and so do the lives of our organizations. Since business is now conducted at remarkable speeds, we put our organizations at great risk daily when we have weak competencies with decision-making and problem-solving. Decisions and solutions that are executed impulsively and without structured approaches can create more problems or make existing ones worse! This course aims to help participants improve their skills so they can execute well and add value to the workplace. Learners will experience multiple decision-making and problem-solving models, tools, and techniques meant for the real world. They will learn how to align their growing toolboxes with the right situational contexts so that they can transfer that skill to the workplace. They will also discover how indecision, cognitive bias, and default thought processes can create obstacles to effective decision-making and problem-solving. What you will Learn Recognize the importance of making a sound decision in a timely manner Infer types of cognitive biases and obstacles that impact decision-making Separate facts, requirements, ideas, and perceptions when making a decision or solving problems Apply structured decision-making and problem-solving approaches Conduct cause and effect and Force Field analyses Evaluate alternative solution methods using various techniques Analyze real world situations to determine the best aligned decision-making and problem-solving models, tools, and techniques Implement decision-making and problem-solving models, tools, and techniques Getting Started Foundation Concepts Contextualizing decisiveness and problem-solving Discriminating between decisiveness and problem-solving Understanding Decision-Making Decision-making challenges and impacts Key drivers of good decision-making Thought processes and obstacles Knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) Decision-Making Models and Supporting Tools Decision-making models, tools, and guidelines Tools to evaluate alternatives Translating requirements into action Problem-Solving Defining the problem Problem-solving models Cause and effect analysis Quick hit vs. innovative problem-solving Summary and Next Steps Course summary Personal action plan
Conflict Resolution Skills (Virtual) Many organizations have assumed that workplace conflict is always destructive. So, they have often believed that conflict is best dealt with by managers or even via policies and procedures. After all, conflict creates workplace stress and leads to many performance problems, generating very real organizational costs! However, savvy organizations have embraced the fact that when conflict is understood and harnessed, it can be leveraged to add value to teams and even enhance performance. With the right knowledge, skills, training, and practice, conflict can be productive and make organizations better! In this highly interactive course, learners will discover the connection between individual conflict response and team-empowering conflict resolution skills. Participants will explore conflict's visceral dynamics and the nuanced behaviors we individually engage in to communicate and respond to conflict. Learners will apply techniques for transforming unproductive conflict responses into productive ones. Additionally, learners will use a systematic method that prepares them to objectively dissect real-world conflict, while practicing many strategies for resolving it. They will also develop proactive conflict approach plans, which they can transfer back to their own workplaces. What you will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Recognize the organizational costs of conflict Explain our physical and mental responses to conflict Communicate proactively and effectively with different types of people during conflict Replace unproductive conflict responses with productive ones Use the Conflict Resolution Diagram (CRD) process and conflict resolution approaches Relate team stages of development to shifts in conflict Develop a proactive conflict approach for your organization Create a conflict resolution plan for a real-world scenario Getting Started Introductions and social agreements Course goal and objectives Opening activities Conflict Facilitation Readiness Conflict responses and perceptions Conflict basics Conflict and organizations Dynamics of conflict Conflict Styles and Communication A look at the color energies model Conflict through the color energies and DiSC® lens Communication with opposite color energies Individual Response to Conflict The anatomy of conflict Recognizing unproductive conflict responses 4 steps to productive conflict Choosing productive conflict responses Team Performance and Conflict High-performing team relationships Conflict and project team performance Conflict Resolution Diagram (CRD) and process Conflict Facilitation - Preparation Recognizing context and stakeholder needs Using team conflict resolution approaches Preparing for Crucial Conversations® Conflict Facilitation - Clarity Exposing assumptions and biases Defining the conflict and using the CRD Conflict Facilitation - Action Proactive conflict management Conflict facilitation practice Summary and Next Steps Review Personal action plans
Effective Negotiation Skills for Business Success (Virtual) Become skillful at dealing with unworkable differences - situations where there appears to be no acceptable compromise or acceptable solution. This interactive workshop shows you how to work towards agreements where all parties are satisfied that they have reached a wise outcome efficiently, and where they can come back to the table in the future because the relationship is intact. You will have the opportunity to re-visit a difficult / challenging negotiation that you experienced in the past as well as take part in progressively more challenging case studies that are tailored to the work you do. You will enhance your personal and professional life with powerful new negotiating skills. The goal of this workshop is to improve your negotiation skills by helping you to identify your own preferred negotiation style and strategies, and to learn about the need to plan for any upcoming negotiation. The workshop is also designed for you to experience typical negotiation situations at certain key points of the life cycle of a project, enabling you to develop an awareness of your effectiveness during negotiations at these stages. The majority of time is spent on practicing newly presented negotiation techniques and receiving feedback on application for further development and improvement. What you will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Identify your preferred negotiation style and strategies Examine the Principled Negotiation Model Adapt your negotiation strategy to the progress of the negotiation Experience typical negotiation situations during the life cycle of a project Develop an awareness of your effectiveness during negotiations Improve your negotiation skills Negotiation Model Negotiation defined Negotiation phases Common approaches to negotiating Principled Negotiating Principled negotiation and the four rules Best alternative to a negotiated agreement Project Negotiation Simulation: Part 1 and Part 2 Project Negotiation Simulation: Part 1 Project Negotiation Simulation: Part 2 Negotiating Cases Negotiating cases Summary and Next Steps
Project Management Office: Virtual In-House Training The goal of this course is to equip the participant with the necessary knowledge and skills to establish, improve, and support a project management office (PMO) that is the catalyst for portfolio and delivery management excellence. This course addresses the complexities of both understanding and choosing the correct PMO framework from among several alternatives. Additionally, the typical PMO supporting elements: domains of work, maturity level, and performance metrics, are elaborated. These elements position a PMO to realize and sustain the business value anticipated by the organization.
Project Requirements Management: Virtual In-House Training Poor requirements definition and lack of adequate change control procedures to requirements and scope are the primary contributors to project difficulty and failure. This workshop will provide you with the knowledge, tools, and techniques required to minimize or avoid these pitfalls.
Agile Release Plans: Virtual In-House Training While many Agile frameworks provide guidance on a focus on value and iterative development, many do not explain how that value is delivered to the customer. Release Plans have become an accepted and common practice to bridge the gap between the Product Vision and the Product Backlog (Agile requirements). In this course, you will be provided with an introduction to Agile and to Scrum, the most utilized Agile framework. You will also learn how the Vision, Roadmap, and Charter help to establish the Release Plan. The goal of this course is to equip you with the necessary knowledge, skills, and techniques to build Release Plans to ensure you deliver the most value to your customers. What you will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Recall the Scrum framework elements (roles, events, and artifacts) Examine the benefits of Agile Develop a Product Vision and Roadmap Create an Agile Project Charter Prepare a Release Plan Write user stories to support a Product Backlog Foundation Concepts Introduction to Scrum Scrum Overview Agile Benefits Product Definition Business Goals Product Vision Product Roadmap Agile Project Charter Product Scope Project Risks Release Deadlines Sprint Durations Team Norms Release Planning Release Plan Process Select Stories and a Release Date Product Backlog User stories Building the product backlog Product Backlog Refinement Transitioning to the Scrum Team
Scrum Product Owner Workshop: In-House Training: Virtual In-House Training The Product Owner is responsible for maximizing the value of the product and the work of the Development Team. The Product Owner must be knowledgeable, available, and empowered to make decisions quickly in order for an Agile project to be successful. The Product Owner's key accountability is the Product Backlog. Managing, maintaining, and evolving the Product Backlog involves: Establishing a clear Vision that engages the Development Team and stakeholders Clearly expressing Product Backlog items Ordering the items in the Product Backlog to best achieve the Vision and goals Ensuring that the Product Backlog is visible, transparent, and clear to all Working with the Development Team throughout the project to create a product that fits the customer's needs The overall course goal is to support you in becoming an effective Product Owner. What you will Learn You'll learn how to: Differentiate between poor, good, and great Product Owner attributes, and their impact on the team, product, stakeholders, and the organization Engage your stakeholders by knowing your customers and market Develop an effective and value-driven Product Backlog Evaluate the Product Owner's role in Scrum's 5 events and team engagement Foundation Concepts Agile foundation Product owner role Product Ownership Product ownership Project vision Understanding your customers and market Personas Stakeholder management and engagement The Product Backlog Epics and user stories Preparing user stories for a sprint The product backlog Visualizing the product backlog Product backlog prioritization Technical debt Sprint Planning and Delivery Sprint planning The sprint Sprint Reviews, Retrospectives, and Closing Sprint reviews Key agile patterns Retrospectives Closing the project
Use Cases for Business Analysis: Virtual In-House Training The use case is a method for documenting the interactions between the user of a system and the system itself. Use cases have been in the software development lexicon for over twenty years, ever since it was introduced by Ivar Jacobson in the late 1980s. They were originally intended as aids to software design in object-oriented approaches. However, the method is now used throughout the Solution Development Life Cycle from elicitation through to specifying test cases, and is even applied to software development that is not object oriented. This course identifies how business analysts can apply use cases to the processes of defining the problem domain through elicitation, analyzing the problem, defining the solution, and confirming the validity and usability of the solution. What you will Learn You'll learn how to: Apply the use case method to define the problem domain and discover the conditions that need improvement in a business process Employ use cases in the analysis of requirements and information to create a solution to the business problem Translate use cases into requirements Getting Started Introductions Course structure Course goals and objectives Foundation Concepts Overview of use case modeling What is a use case model? The 'how and why' of use cases When to perform use case modeling Where use cases fit into the solution life cycle Use cases in the problem domain Use cases in the solution domain Use case strengths and weaknesses Use case variations Use case driven development Use case lexicon Use cases Actors and roles Associations Goals Boundaries Use cases though the life cycle Use cases in the life cycle Managing requirements with use cases The life cycle is use case driven Elicitation with Use Cases Overview of the basic mechanics and vocabulary of use cases Apply methods of use case elicitation to define the problem domain, or 'as is' process Use case diagrams Why diagram? Partitioning the domain Use case diagramming guidelines How to employ use case diagrams in elicitation Guidelines for use case elicitation sessions Eliciting the problem domain Use case descriptions Use case generic description template Alternative templates Elements Pre and post conditions Main Success Scenario The conversation Alternate paths Exception paths Writing good use case descriptions Eliciting the detailed workflow with use case descriptions Additional information about use cases Analyzing Requirements with Use Cases Use case analysis on existing requirements Confirming and validating requirements with use cases Confirming and validating information with use cases Defining the actors and use cases in a set of requirements Creating the scenarios Essential (requirements) use case Use case level of detail Use Case Analysis Techniques Generalization and Specialization When to use generalization or specialization Generalization and specialization of actors Generalization and specialization of use cases Examples Associating generalizations Subtleties and guidelines Use Case Extensions The <> association The <> association Applying the extensions Incorporating extension points into use case descriptions Why use these extensions? Extensions or separate use cases Guidelines for extensions Applying use case extensions Patterns and anomalies o Redundant actors Linking hierarchies Granularity issues Non-user interface use cases Quality considerations Use case modeling errors to avoid Evaluating use case descriptions Use case quality checklist Relationship between Use Cases and Business Requirements Creating a Requirements Specification from Use Cases Flowing the conversation into requirements Mapping to functional specifications Adding non-functional requirements Relating use cases to other artifacts Wire diagrams and user interface specifications Tying use cases to test cases and scenarios Project plans and project schedules Relationship between Use Cases and Functional Specifications System use cases Reviewing business use cases Balancing use cases Use case realizations Expanding and explaining complexity Activity diagrams State Machine diagrams Sequence diagrams Activity Diagrams Applying what we know Extension points Use case chaining Identifying decision points Use Case Good Practices The documentation trail for use cases Use case re-use Use case checklist Summary What did we learn, and how can we implement this in our work environment?
Writing and Managing Requirements Documents: Virtual In-House Training This course is part of IIL's Business Analysis Certificate Program (BACP), a program designed to help prepare individuals pass the IIBA™ Certification exam to become a Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP™). Learn more at www.iil.com/bacp. Once a business analyst has completed the information gathering and analysis to produce the solution to a business problem, the results must be documented for all stakeholders to see and understand. This course will enhance the skill set needed for writing and managing the complex readership that business analysts interact with on a day-to-day basis. What you will Learn Upon completion, participants will be able to: Write an understood requirements document that is approvable and acceptable Validate a requirements document Manage the changes to requirements documents through the SDLC Foundation Concepts The role of the business analyst An introduction to the BABOK® Guide The business analyst and the product/project life cycle The requirements documentation process Planning for Effective Requirements Documentation Overview of requirements planning Planning for validation Planning for verification: well-formed criteria Planning for verification: understood and usable criteria Writing Effective Requirements Documents Overview of writing requirements documents Using a standard structure / template Applying formatting techniques Meeting the challenge of writing non-functional requirements Baselining Requirements Documents Overview of the requirements baseline process Validation Verification Approval Managing Requirements Change through the Product Life Cycle Overview of requirements change management Establishing a formal change management process Tracing requirements through design and development (build, test, and implementation) Following through to post-implementation (transition and early production)