You're looking to improve your team's Agile development skills. What training options are worth considering?

Improving Agile teams's development skills is an essential role of every Scrum Master or an Agile Coach, below are a few actions to consider; - Continuous coaching and mentoring -Online courses - Engaging in an active community of practice - Organizing knowledge-sharing sessions across the board etc

All of above options sounds promising, but from my point of view more than anything, reading and understanding the scrum agile guide is crucial. It's a simple and small book which is easy to read. By nature it's very interpret-able which allows different teams to implement their own way of doing it. There are also many good blogs and articles in the scrum website which is quite useful. Beside that, i like watching videos on YouTube to see how other teams run their day to day agile activities. Apart from that, there are many good courses on online platforms like, Coursera, Udemy, and LinkedIn also offers a wide range of Agile or scrum courses.

Improving your team's Agile development skills can be achieved through various training options, tailored to different learning styles and organizational needs. Here are some valuable training options to consider: Certified Agile Training Courses: Look for courses that offer certifications such as Certified Scrum Master (CSM), Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), or SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework) certifications. These courses are often led by experienced practitioners and provide both theoretical and practical knowledge. Online Learning Platforms: Websites like Coursera, Udemy, Pluralsight, and LinkedIn Learning offer a wide range of Agile courses. Also Conduct workshops and seminars, Internal Training Sessions, Peer Learning Groups, etc

I would say start with human values first! There is a human side of Agile that has gone unnoticed amidst the hue and cry of rushing to deliver. Impart values of safety, encouraging healthy conflicts w/o fear, owning commitments, taking accountability and driving results. This builds foundations for winning teams as I say. It calls for strong Servant Leader SM Next: 1. Help them understand the "Why" behind Agile practices, roles and responsibilities, value of empiricism 2. Encourage pairing, swarming. The concept of stop starting and start finishing. This helps develop cross functional skills. Help them see how it increases process efficiency 3. Encourage story maps to build with the big picture in mind. 4. Measure outcomes and not outputs

Considering courses specifically available for agile developers, a team shall opt to start with any of these, based on their agile framework choice. ??Agile Fundamentals (IC Agile), ??Certified Scrum Developer (Scrum Alliance), ??Professional Scrum Developer (Scrum org), ??Certified SAFe Practitioner (SAFe), ??Team Kanban Practitioner (Kanban). There are much more courses under each umbrella and even more, to suit the person/team's level and purpose.

A leader's responsibility is to empower and encourage team members in their organizational journey and career growth. When team members feel comfortable and confident, it fosters a valuable environment for knowledge sharing, facilitating collective learning, and propelling the organization forward.

Online courses can still be valuable for learning the fundamentals of agile. However, immersive group workshops involve more hands-on activities tailored specifically to a team's needs and dynamics. This can drive greater engagement, learning retention, and skill development to improve agile adoption. Live agile development workshops can be more beneficial than online courses for teams because: - Interactive exercises and collaboration in workshops allow for hands-on skill practice. - Instructors can provide personalized coaching and feedback. - Shows organizational commitment to agile upskilling. - Teams learn and practice agile principles together, building shared understanding.

It is the duty of a leader to support and empower their team members as they advance in their careers and organizations. A positive work atmosphere that encourages information sharing, facilitates collective learning, and advances the company is created when team members are at ease and self-assured.

Consider the following training options to enhance your team's Agile development skills: 1. Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) Certification: Offers foundational Agile and Scrum training. 2. Advanced Certified ScrumMaster (A-CSM) Certification: Expands on ScrumMaster skills for deeper Agile understanding. 3. Agile and Scrum Training Courses on platforms like Udemy and Coursera: Provide flexible, in-depth learning opportunities. These options equip your team with essential Agile knowledge, ensuring effective collaboration and development practices.

When an agile/scrum team is facing developmental setbacks, the first go-to answer when attempting to resolve those issues is typically to engage in coaching and mentoring. That said, I believe workshops play a pivotal role in fostering a collaborative and solution-oriented environment. Workshops can provide a structured platform for team members to actively engage with each other, share diverse perspectives, and collectively tackle any roadblocks or setbacks to the team's development. Last but certainly not least, workshops are also valuable because they promote open communication; encourage hands-on learning, and create a space for continuous improvement by allowing the team to reflect on their processes.

Coaching and mentoring significantly enhance a team's agile development by providing personalized support for skill development and facilitating the transfer of key knowledge. These relationships can serve as valuable resources for problem-solving, leveraging the experience of mentors to navigate challenges in the agile landscape. The collaborative nature of coaching and mentoring cultivates strong interpersonal relationships and effective communication, fundamental for success in agile development.

A coach’s role is to ask good questions, create more self-awareness for the team, and step out of the way to showcase/highlight the people. An excellent coach, both supports and challenges the team to be their best while encouraging them along the way. Finally, talented coaches and mentors drive true transformation and guide the organization to new heights.

Coaching and Mentoring releases strength and energy in individuals and organizations. As a person you can reach a higher self-regulation, As a team balanced relationships, As an organization your structure and processes will foster strong innovative products and services and a healthy culture. Coaching and Mentoring are more and more accepted and the norm for businesses, just like it is a standard in Sports.

Encouraging collaboration and continuous learning : Promote the knowledge sharing across different teams and foster an environment where various team members collaborate to achieve a common objective. Place a strong emphasis on participating in agile workshops and giving them the chance to apply what they learn to any project. Promote constant learning and information exchange

Agile values “individuals and interactions over process and tool .” For this reason one of the most overlooked forms of Agile training is team building . One of the most impactful trainings in terms of agile transformation I have experienced was Discovery Personality Color Wheel . This training involves the whole team , and we learned a lot about each other , including communication styles.

Books and podcasts contribute significantly to improving a team's agile development by offering insights, best practices, and real-world examples. These resources provide in-depth knowledge of agile principles and methodologies, helping teams refine their processes. By staying informed through dynamic podcasts and well-researched books, teams foster a continuous learning culture that enhances collaboration, adaptability, and overall project success. My top 3: *The Scrum Field Guide by Jeff Sutherland and Kenneth Rubin *Agile for Humans Podcast *Badass Agile Podcast

Books and podcasts are very useful resources to raise awareness for the team to develop Agile skills and learn in depth. It is very important to move teams forward to embrace the concept of a learning mindset and continuous learning. However, teams should also try the theoretical knowledge in practice and share their experiences with each other. Podcast List: 1. The Agile Book Club Podcast 2.Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast 3.Agile Toolkit Podcast Book List: 1. How to be Agile? (Ahmet Akdag) 2.SCRUM: A Story of Transformation: A Go-To Guide To Start Your Agile Journey (Mehmet Yitmen) 3. Kanban ile ?evik Y?netim (Altu? Bilgin Alt?nta?) 4. SCRUM: Usta Sorulara Uzman Cevaplar (Mehmet Yitmen, Emin Gürbüz)

Agile Manifesto is the essential foundation to start with. My agile coaches have suggested me a lot of great books on agile, just listing down a few of those here. ??‘Agile Project Management with Scrum’ by Ken Schwaber ??‘Scrum: A Pocket Guide by Gunther Verheyen ??‘Agile Retrospectives: Making Good Teams Great’ by Esther Derby and Diana Larsen ??‘Kanban: Successful Evolutionary Change for Your Technology Business’ by David J. Anderson ??‘Essential Kanban Condensed’ by David J. Anderson and Andy Carmicheal ??‘Continuous Delivery: Reliable Software Releases through Build, Test, and Deployment Automation’ by Jez Humble and David Farley ??‘The Art of Agile Development’ by James Shore & Shane Warden ??'Coaching Agile Teams' by Lyssa Adkins

I think books and podcasts help us understand the depth of the subject better and especially realize wrong practices over time. I think there is a huge difference between the depth I understood when I first started working in Agile and today. I'm sure I'll find different meanings in the future. For this reason, I think it is useful to re-read books at certain periods. My suggestions; - The Age Of Agile (Steve Denning) - Measure What Matters (John Doerr) - Corporate Rebels (Joost Minnaar & Pim de Morree

Books and Podcasts are an excellent way for one or team to enhance Agile skills. Reading books and listening to podcasts helps to learn from other people's success stories and also lessons they have learnt in their journey. These serve as an inspiration and motivation to the team. There are a series of Agile books and podcasts out there to subscribe to, they help sharpen one to becoming an Agile leader/Champion.

'Learning by Doing', is the best way to learn and evolve as an agile professional. Besides earning certificates and badges, one has to be part of an agile team, practicing the chosen agile framework and essentially evaluate oneself, via the feedback loops.

Encourage self-organized learning within your team. Allocate time for team members to explore Agile concepts, share findings, and discuss how to apply them. Self-directed learning allows individuals to pursue areas of interest and build their expertise.

In my experience I have discovered when teams engage in shaping their own learning journeys, trust and understanding naturally flourish. The collaborative nature of this approach encourages open communication, mutual support, and the exchange of diverse perspectives. As team members collectively navigate the learning process, they build a foundation of trust rooted in shared experiences, fostering a deeper understanding of each other's strengths and challenges. This, in turn, contributes to a more cohesive and resilient team dynamic.

Boosting your team's Agile skills is like leveling up in a video game. Self-organized learning is like being the hero of your own quest. Your team takes control, sets goals, and uses their own strategies and tools. It's like choosing your own adventure. This approach builds a growth mindset, a sense of ownership, and a habit of trying new things. Picture it as your team embarking on missions, sharing experiences in a guild, getting feedback, and leveling up as they go. It's like turning every project into a rewarding game where everyone becomes a skilled player.

Self-organized learning can greatly enhance Agile development by empowering team members to continuously improve their skills and knowledge. Which involves - - Encouraging regular knowledge sharing sessions - Promoting a culture of experimentation and feedback - Providing access to relevant resources and training materials - Fosteting a supportive environment where team members are encouraged to take ownership of their learning journey. This approach fosters adaptability, innovation, and collaboration within Agile teams, leading to more efficient and effective development processes.

Online courses provide structured learning, while workshops & bootcamps offer hands-on experience. Mentoring foster personalized guidance for team members. Books & podcasts provide in-depth knowledge & insights. Self-organized learning encourages autonomy & exploration. Beyond these, attending Agile conferences facilitates networking & exposure to industry trends. Utilizing collaborative tools is crucial for remote teams to enhance communication & collaboration. Engaging in real-world projects enables practical application of Agile principles, & seeking feedback ensures continuous improvement. Embrace a holistic approach, combining education, practical experience & community engagement for a well-rounded Agile skill development strategy.

After coaching over 5,000 employees and spearheading agile transformations, I have consistently stressed the significance of embracing an agile mindset, moving from doing Agile to Being Agile.Through close collaboration with feature teams and stakeholders my focus has been on delivering high-quality products and applications. To elevate agile development skills, I advocate for a range of initiatives including comprehensive training, brilliant basics, personalized mentoring, feedback loops, fostering cross-functional collaboration, embracing agile tools, empowering self organization,cultivating a deep grasp of agile values & principles, working closely with team for initial PI’s focusing your efforts to address the unique needs of your team.

Spare some time within the sprint or capacity within the week for learning & development. It doesn’t matter how one gets knowledge or with what certification one validates it. All that matters is how one implements it & adds value to the customer.

a. Certifications: Agile certifications like Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), Certified Product Owner (CSPO), or SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework) certifications can provide structured learning paths and validate Agile skills. However, certifications should complement, not replace, practical knowledge and experience. b. Agile User Groups: Join local or virtual Agile user groups or communities. These groups often organize meetups, conferences, and networking events where you can learn from peers and industry experts. c. Practice and Application: Learning Agile is not just about theory; it's about application. Encourage your team to apply Agile principles and practices in their daily work.

Each of the above listed options are very helpful, however it’s difficult to keep up with how it changes over time- as to what’s in demand now? which podcast to look at, which certification to take, which book to read, and more.. Many professionals struggle to do that research,as it needs time and ongoing focus Hence I’d recommend to associate with professional communities that can help you stay in the know so you have all the latest information about what’s changing in the profession and can keep up. Note: Personally I find the PMI membership very helpful as it opens the access to multiple resources - articles , events, certs, research , survey, and much more. Enabling continuous learning in terms of Agile and everything related to it.