Agile Management

During the training, participants will learn about agile management methods and project execution, and will practice practical techniques. Through our proprietary game, Gold Rush, they will experience firsthand how agile management differs from traditional approaches and explore which techniques and solutions can be applied effectively in their own work.

The workshop employs a variety of developmental formats and tools: from training games such as Gold Rush and Featureban, to exercises based on simple case studies, and in-depth discussions of participants’ ongoing projects in their real business contexts. The workshop introduces an agile approach that primarily integrates Agile practices (including Kanban) while also incorporating best practices from traditional, waterfall-style management.

Day 1

MODULE 1 – 3 HOURS

Goals

• Systematizing knowledge in the areas of project management, both traditional (waterfall) and agile approaches.
• Promoting agile management methods and tools in managerial practice.
• Developing skills in setting goals and key results for actions.

Topics

• Gold Rush training game
• Task and responsibility delegation
• Waterfall vs. Agile approach
• Agile techniques in managerial work
• Goal-setting methods
• Best practices for the OKR method

During the first part of the training, participants will take part in the Gold Rush training game. They will become aware of the pitfalls of a directive approach to task execution and understand the benefits of delegating goals and responsibilities in conditions of high external volatility.

Next, participants will recognize the benefits and limitations of two approaches to project management: the traditional waterfall method and agile management. They will explore a selection of agile management methods and tools that can be applied in their managerial practice, and in the subsequent parts of the training, they will engage in hands-on exercises using these techniques with their own teams and in cross-departmental project execution.

MODULE 2 – 5 HOURS

Goals

• Promoting an agile mindset toward requirements and project scope.
• Developing skills in defining requirements and managing project scope.
• Practical training in applying the MoSCoW prioritization method.
• Encouraging a mindset of continuously monitoring the relevance of work assumptions.

Topics

• Collecting and anticipating requirements.
• Prioritizing and managing requirements.
• Work scope management.
• MoSCoW prioritization method.
• Monitoring work progress and the relevance of project assumptions.

The second module of the training will focus on working with project requirements and scope. Participants will learn practical ways to gather requirements and anticipate potential changes even before the project is launched. They will explore the cost of scope changes over time and the so-called “pain curve.” Participants will practice creating a project backlog and then learn and apply the MoSCoW prioritization method.

Finally, participants will address methods for monitoring project progress and managing project scope. They will face the challenge of making difficult decisions, particularly regarding scope reductions. They will understand the benefits of continuously monitoring the validity of project assumptions and key results.

DAY 2

MODULE 3 – 3 HOURS

Goals

• Systematizing knowledge about the principles and best practices of the Kanban method.
• Developing skills for the practical application of Kanban in project work.
• Familiarization with the metrics used in the Kanban method.
• Developing solutions to enable the application of Kanban in one’s own work.

Topics

• Principles of the Kanban Method
• The 5 Time Thieves according to D. DeGrandis
• Process visualization
• Process optimization

During this module, participants will take part in a project work simulation based on the Featureban game, applying best practices from the Kanban method.

Kanban is a technique that can be implemented at any stage of a project. This method allows teams to visualize the current process, making it easier to quickly identify issues such as bottlenecks at any stage of work. It provides a range of tools for streamlining and optimizing processes, as well as ready-made metric templates, which make problems and risks immediately visible as they arise.

Participants will learn about the “5 Time Thieves,” relate them to their own practices, and develop methods to counteract them, which they can implement in their own business activities.

MODULE 4 – 5 HOURS

Goals

• Equipping participants with “soft” tools for working effectively with members of a project team.
• Increasing awareness of opportunities and risks arising from changes during project management.
• Generating ideas and exploring best practices for managing change, risk, and crisis situations during project execution.

Topics

• Communication within the team and with the project environment.
• Kick-off and retrospective meetings.
• The MRP Triangle and Feedback Grid.
• Change in the project and change management.
• Managing extraordinary events (project in crisis)

The next module will introduce participants to tools and practices for building effective communication, both within the project team and with its broader environment. It will also cover engagement-building techniques, since even the best plans are ineffective if the project team and its stakeholders lack motivation and willingness to collaborate.

The final part of the training will focus on a simulation of events that may occur during project execution. Participants will face an unexpected event that puts the project into a crisis situation. The project will also encounter: an event that represents a clear opportunity, a suggestion from a key stakeholder, and an event that could potentially be harmful. With discreet guidance from the trainer, participants will practice effective action algorithms for handling such situations.