Strategic Thinking: In-House Training The goal of this course is to provide you with the building blocks and the motivation to develop the critical skill of strategic thinking. The participants will consider a four-part model that distinguishes strategic thinking from strategic planning and managing. With that understanding, you will investigate the critical components of strategic thinking and how to apply it effectively. What you Will Learn Define strategic thinking and distinguish it from strategic planning and management Explain a high-level approach to gaining strategic thinking skills Integrate other interpersonal skills, such as self-awareness, systems thinking, leadership, constructive conflict, and collaboration, into the fabric of strategic thinking skills Select appropriate techniques to apply strategic thinking in specific situations Recognize and emulate effective strategic thinking behaviors Getting Started Introductions Course structure Course goals and objectives Foundation Concepts Interactive event: Define Strategic Thinking (ST) Interactive event: Discuss relationship of ST with Strategic Planning, Management and Decision Making Strategic Level Framework - Tying it all together Strategic thinking attributes Strategic Thinking Critical Success Factors Strategic Thinking Critical Success Factors - 5-part model Strategic Thinking and the Organization Critical Success Factors Model applied to an organization Tools Introduction (5): Environmental, 5 Forces, SWOT, Value Proposition, Integral Theory of Worldview Video: Fog of War Strategic Thinking and the Individual Critical Success Factors Model applied to an individual Tools Introduction (5): Thinking Styles, Six Thinking Hats, Reverse Thinking, Systems Thinking, Integral Theory of Worldview Strategic Thinking at the Interpersonal and Team Levels Emotional Intelligence - Self Awareness and Working With Others Team Leadership and Trust Constructive Conflict as the Gateway to Collaboration Interactive event: Testing the Models - Challenge Perspective; What's Missing Applying the critical skill of Strategic Thinking Worldview: Team versus client Trusted Advisor Interactive event: Doing what is asked (Case study, wherein participants review the default case scenario prepared for this workshop and add specific details to make the scenario more relevant to their experiences / needs. Teams develop an action plan for applying ST concepts and techniques they have learned here to the situation, then compare and contrast results.)
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
Project Estimating and Scheduling: Virtual In-House Training Establishing realistic estimates and goals for projects that support business objectives and meet client expectations is one of the most challenging aspects of project planning. Delivering those results within the agreed-upon time, cost, and quality constraints is also challenging. Attempting to meet impossible deadlines with limited budgets often leads to unplanned product shortfalls, causing long-term support and utilization problems. We have all anguished about this recurring problem, but without having the skills or knowledge to take action, we are unable to break the cycle! The goal of this course is for you to be able to support business objectives and meet client expectations by selecting the right planning approach for realistic and cost effective schedules, as well as project budgets. To achieve that, you will focus on gaining the necessary knowledge, skills, and techniques. What You Will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Use the work breakdown structure (WBS) as the basis for effective estimating of project resources Estimate effort and duration using a variety of techniques Develop preliminary schedules using the critical path method Apply a variety of optimization techniques to refine preliminary schedules Establish realistic schedule and cost baselines, with appropriate contingency reserves Explain how earned value management (EVM) contributes to control time and cost performance Foundation Concepts Project management basic definitions and concepts PES Key driver: competing constraints PES Process and success factors Project Definition and the WBS Project definition overview Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Decomposition: WBS development technique Resource Planning Resource planning overview Identifying resource requirements Identifying and filling resource gaps Applying resource planning tools Effort and Duration Estimating Estimating overview Estimating perspectives and approaches Estimating techniques Effort and duration estimating best practices Project Scheduling Overview of project scheduling Dependencies and the project network diagram Critical path method (CPM) Optimizing the schedule Budget, Risk, and Contingency Planning Overview of budget, risk, and contingency planning Estimating costs Determining the budget Project risk management processes Planning contingency reserves Project Baseline and Control Overview of project baseline Negotiating and the project baseline Earned value management (EVM) Project variances and actions Project control
Scrum Product Owner Exam Prep: Virtual In-House Training This workshop prepares you for the Scrum.org PSPO™ I certification. A voucher for the exam and the access information you will need to take the exam will be provided to you via email after you have completed the course. NOTE: If you have participated in any of IIL's other Scrum workshops, you can bypass this program and focus on reading/studying the Scrum Guide and taking practice exams from Scrum.org 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 need What you will Learn You'll learn how to: Successfully prepare for the Scrum.org PSPO I exam Identify the characteristics of a successful Product Owner Create a powerful vision statement Apply techniques to understand your customers and the market Manage and engage stakeholders Write effective user stories with acceptance criteria Utilize techniques to visualize and prioritize the Product Backlog Participate in the 5 Scrum events as the Product Owner Understand the Product Owner's role in closing a Scrum project Getting Started Introductions Workshop orientation Exam prep preview Fundamentals Recap Agile Manifesto, values, and mindset Product Owner characteristics Good vs. great Product Owner Product Ownership Product ownership Project vision Understand your customers and market Personas Stakeholder management and engagement The Product Backlog User Stories and Acceptance Criteria Preparing User Stories for a Sprint The Product Backlog Visualizing the Product Backlog Product Backlog Prioritization Technical Debt Sprint Planning and Daily Standups Sprint Planning Planning Poker Team Engagement Daily Standups Sprint Review, Retrospectives, and Closing Sprint Reviews Key Agile Patterns Retrospectives Closing the Project
Scrum Product Owner Exam Prep: In-House Training: Virtual In-House Training This workshop prepares you for the Scrum.org PSPO™ I certification. A voucher for the exam and the access information you will need to take the exam will be provided to you via email after you have completed the course. NOTE: If you have participated in any of IIL's other Scrum workshops, you can bypass this program and focus on reading/studying the Scrum Guide and taking practice exams from Scrum.org 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 need The Professional Scrum Product Owner™ I (PSPO I) certificate is a Scrum.org credential that enables successful candidates to demonstrate a fundamental level of Scrum mastery. PSPO I credential holders demonstrate an intermediate understanding of the Scrum framework, and how to apply it to maximize the value delivered with a product. They will exhibit a dedication to continued professional development, and a high level of commitment to their field of practice. Scrum.org does not require that you take their own sponsored or any preparatory training. However, training can facilitate your preparation for this credential. And this course is based on IIL's Scrum Product Owner Workshop, which is aligned with The Scrum Guide™. It will provide you with the information you need to pass the exam and IIL will make the arrangements for your online exam. You will be provided with an exam code and instructions, so that you can take the exam at your convenience, any time you are ready after the course. Passwords have no expiration date, but they are valid for one attempt only. See additional exam details on the next page. What you will Learn You'll learn how to: Successfully prepare for the Scrum.org PSPO I exam Identify the characteristics of a successful Product Owner Create a powerful vision statement Apply techniques to understand your customers and the market Manage and engage stakeholders Write effective user stories with acceptance criteria Utilize techniques to visualize and prioritize the Product Backlog Participate in the 5 Scrum events as the Product Owner Understand the Product Owner's role in closing a Scrum project Getting Started Introductions Workshop orientation Exam prep preview Fundamentals Recap Agile Manifesto, values, and mindset Product Owner characteristics Good vs. great Product Owner Product Ownership Product ownership Project vision Understand your customers and market Personas Stakeholder management and engagement The Product Backlog User Stories and Acceptance Criteria Preparing User Stories for a Sprint The Product Backlog Visualizing the Product Backlog Product Backlog Prioritization Technical Debt Sprint Planning and Daily Standups Sprint Planning Planning Poker Team Engagement Daily Standups Sprint Review, Retrospectives, and Closing Sprint Reviews Key Agile Patterns Retrospectives Closing the Project Summary and Next Steps Review of course goals, objectives, and content Exam prep next steps
Project Quality Management: Virtual In-House Training In today's environment, quality is the responsibility of everyone. Project success is no longer just the fulfillment of a project on schedule, on budget, and within the scope. Today, projects aren't successful unless the customer's needs are met at the highest level of quality at the lowest cost to the organization. Project Managers must know customer needs, and manage to them throughout the project lifecycle, in order to gain acceptance. Project Quality Management provides an interactive, hands-on environment for participants to practice identification of critical quality requirements (quality planning), fulfillment of those requirements through well-designed processes (Quality Assurance), and statistical awareness of technical specifications of project deliverables (Quality Control). What You Will Learn You'll learn how to: Plan for higher quality project deliverables Measure key performance indicators on projects, processes, and products Turn data into useful project information Take action on analyzed data that will drive down non-value-added costs and drive up customer acceptance and satisfaction Reduce defects and waste in current project management processes Foundation Concepts Quality Defined Customer Focus Financial Focus Quality Management Process Management Cost of Quality Planning for Quality Project Manager Role in Planning Voice of the Customer Quality Management Plan Measurement System Accuracy Data Gathering Data Sampling Manage Quality Process Management Process Mapping Process Analysis Value Stream Mapping Standardization Visual Workplace and 5S Error Proofing (Poka-Yoke) Failure Mode and Effect Analysis Control Quality The Concept of Variation Common Cause Special Cause Standard Business Reports Tracking Key Measurements Control Charts Data Analysis Variation Root Cause Analysis Variance Management Designing for Quality
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
Virtual Agile Teams: Virtual In-House Training Agile teams are a must in this world of intense competition, marketing demands, and changing expectations. Global virtual teaming has become a necessity as organizations become increasingly distributed, with suppliers and clients actively engaged in joint projects. Agile Teams now work across geographical, organizational, and cultural boundaries to deliver solutions and services to global users. Distance and differences may amplify the effect of issues and factors that are relatively straightforward for co-located Agile teams. This workshop delivers practical concepts and techniques that participants will start using immediately with their virtual Agile teams. The goal of the course is to enable you to successfully execute your preferred Agile or Scrum methods in a virtual project team environment. What you will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Explain the characteristics of a virtual team and how they differ from a co-located team Build an effective virtual Agile team using a Team Charter approach Develop Release Plans, including prioritizing user stories, with a virtual Agile Team Construct a Sprint plan, including effective user story estimates, virtually Execute a Sprint, including essential Agile or Scrum ceremonies, virtually Conduct effective virtual meetings in an environment supportive of Agile and Scrum methods Foundation Concepts Agile Mindset and Values Agile Benefits and Methods Scrum Overview Co-located vs. Virtual Teams Forming Virtual Agile Teams Exploring Virtual Leadership Focusing on Virtual Agile Leaders Developing a Virtual Agile Team Charter Meeting Team Challenges in a Virtual Environment Planning Releases with a Virtual Agile Team Planning releases overview Estimating user stories Prioritizing user stories Setting release parameters Getting consensus on the release plan Planning a Sprint for a Virtual Project Sprint Planning Overview Confirming Sprint Scope with Virtual Agile Teams Developing a Sprint Delivery Plan for Virtual Agile Teams Running a Sprint in a Virtual Environment Self-organizing a Sprint for a Virtual Agile Team Using Scrum tools in a Virtual Environment Conducting End of Sprint Meetings in a Virtual Environment Iterating as a Virtual Agile Team Creating an Environment for Success Piloting a virtual Agile team Creating an Agile-friendly virtual environment
Agile Practices for All Projects: Virtual In-House Training Agile methods are becoming increasingly prevalent, and have facilitated projects in reducing time to market, being adaptive to changing customer requirements, and increasing value to customers and organizations. These benefits have been implemented in both IT and non-IT environments to help all types of projects. This course will present key Agile techniques and processes that can be readily incorporated into your projects to enable greater flexibility and higher productivity, while maintaining the traditional project lifecycle framework. The overall goal of the course is for learners to be able to integrate appropriate Agile elements and/or techniques into any project in any environment. What you will Learn Course participants will understand the basic Agile approach, and the various methods for achieving agility and will be able to: Recall project management principles and methodologies Explain Agile practices and compare several Agile methods Apply Agile software development techniques in a project lifecycle framework Employ Agile processes in a project management framework Foundation Concepts Project Lifecycles What is Agile? Agile Benefits Agile Methods Agile Roles Agile Requirement Techniques Agile Requirements User Stories Just in Time (JIT) Requirements Agile Software Development Techniques Agile Design Agile Development Agile Testing Agile Deployment Agile Initiating & Planning Processes Agile Initiating Agile Planning Agile Delivery Processes Agile Execution Agile Monitoring & Control Agile Closing Implementing Agile Practices Agile Approaches Outside of Software Development Dispelling Agile Myths Applying Agile Techniques & Processes Summary and Next Steps What did we learn, and how can we implement this in our work environments?
Work Breakdown Structures: Virtual In-House Training It's amazing how often project managers begin the project planning process by making an outlined list of every task they believe will be required to complete a project and then proclaim they have created the work breakdown structure (WBS) for the project. The result is a list of hundreds, or even thousands of tasks, many of them having durations of a few days or a few hours. Essentially, what they have done is create a 'to do' list, which they then use as a 'checklist' to measure progress. This approach leads to, and even encourages, micromanagement of the resources working on the project without consideration of more critical aspects of project management such as: requirements management, risk management, procurement management, estimating, scheduling, executing, and controlling. Further, it makes it impossible to see the big picture, at levels of detail, in keeping with the needs of sponsors, clients, project and functional managers, team leaders, and project performers. Join us for this exciting program and learn how to use the WBS to make better-informed business decisions. What You Will Learn You will learn how to: Describe the need for a project WBS Describe the WBS role in the project Gain practical experience in the development, decomposition, and use of the WBS Determine the appropriate level of detail in the WBS. Explain how the WBS integrates with project requirements, risk, procurement, estimating, scheduling, and overall project execution. Provide the basic tools to enhance efficient re-use of key information in your future projects Foundation Concepts Key definitions History of the WBS Importance of the WBS Overall structure Terminology Other breakdown structures WBS tools WBS & Scope Project scope management processes Specification of the project objectives WBS design based on project deliverable WBS decomposition process and 'The 100% rule' Work Packages and Control Accounts WBS & Risk Risk management planning and WBS Risk identification to enhance the WBS Risk analysis and the WBS Risk responses and updating the WBS Implementing risk response and Monitoring risks and the WBS WBS & Estimating Use of WBS in the estimating process Components and work packages Sizing and algorithmic estimates WBS & Scheduling Component Scheduling - High-Level Milestones WBS activity decomposition WBS elements dependencies Work Package Level Schedules Responsibility assignment matrix WBS & Execution and Control Earned Value Management and tracking of work performance Progress reports, forecasts, and corrective and preventive actions used to manage work performance Necessary information to close out a project