We have wrapped up our Summer Special. There are still a few classes scheduled this year that have the discount price, but others have reverted to our normal price. I encourage you to take a look at our course schedule at http://www.berteigconsulting.com/ to see what is still available.
Also, all our future Certified ScrumMaster courses will have a knowledge test as part of the certification process. Please see the Scrum Alliance website for more information at http://www.scrumalliance.org/.
Our summer special is proving to be very popular! We started with 100 spots at our 50% discount price of CAD995.00. We’re down to 76 spots. Check out our course listing page – every CSM course we have scheduled in Canada is available at this fantastic price (Toronto, Waterloo, Edmonton, Ottawa).
Even without the discount, our course is a better value than many out there. It’s a three day course instead of the normal two. This gives you a chance to really dig into the concepts and practices of Scrum and Agile Project Management. Our course is really designed for project managers, team leads and other managers, instead of being for anyone interested in Scrum. Of course, if you are interested in a leadership role, but aren’t there yet, you are still welcome to come!
Not only that, we don’t run courses in locations where it is not easy for use to support you after you take the course. We run our business in Canada, and our consulting and coaching work is there to help you if you want further assistance with doing agile in your organization. Even if you aren’t in Canada, maybe your organization has a group in Canada or you have professional contacts in Canada – if so, let them know about this fantastic opportunity.
We’ve updated the Scrum Study Guide and lowered the price! The Scrum Study Guide is an editable tool for helping ScrumMasters do their jobs. It is like a personal assistant that helps you:
Plus, every time we update content, pictures, tools, and best practices, you get the updates for free for the rest of your life!
Are you one of the many satisfied Scrum Study Guide customers? Tell us how it is working for you.
Canada. We love it. We love it so much that we have decided to completely change our strategy for helping organizations here in our home country.
We have noticed that Certified Scrum Trainers from other parts of the world are starting to offer ScrumMaster training here in Canada. But there is a problem. They aren’t local. They won’t be able to stick close by you as you learn about Scrum, learn about hyper productive teams, and learn to transform your organization.
We are local. Our home base is in the Toronto area and we have experienced coaches and consultants in other areas of the country as well. We are here to accompany you on your journey with Scrum and agile methods. How?
By changing the price on our Certified ScrumMaster seminars. The value in our seminars is huge already: three days (vs. the normal two), the focus on implementing Scrum and obstacles to overcome with Scrum, a focus on leadership in Scrum, and a great deal of experience with both successful and not-so-successful attempts to do Scrum.
What is the new price? For the first 100 people to sign up for one of our scheduled courses, the price is $995 – Canadian! That’s a 50% discount off of our regular price. Pretty good, eh?
We are investing in your success. Our new strategy: make the premier Certified ScrumMaster training course more accessible locally! Come to our seminar. Connect with our trainers and coaches. And rest assured that we will be around to help you out when you need it.
“… this was an outstanding class! I was originally very nervous on starting this role, but now have the confidence needed to successfully implement this role.”
— Kristopher Laughrey [Project Lead of Paychex Inc.] about Certified ScrumMaster course.
“Excellent kickstart for any organization going agile.”
— Yvon Leclerc [Dev. Manager of Espial] talking about Certified ScrumMaster course.
“Overall extremely good, best training I have received in years.”
— Deane VanLuven [Manager of Product Development of Pitney Bowes Business Insight] regarding Certified ScrumMaster course.
We have courses scheduled in:
The full description of our course goes into even more detail about the advantages of taking this seminar with us!
PLEASE NOTE: This stream of notes does not reflect everything said in this session which was very discussion-heavy.
50k+ registered agilists – what about the unregistered?
Project Managers are the largest segment (18%) of agilists
CSM is a distinguishing designation for PMPs
How to mature the certifications – team members, etc.
Everyone wants it
PMI is responding to this because it has to. Richmond chapter signed a collaborative agreement with the APLN, this is happening in other places as well.
People asking lots of questions.
IT Telecomm PMI Chapter playing a large role in building bridges.
PMI Global Congress in 2008 had 5 agile presentations that were all very popular.
PMI Agile group.
What gaps are there?
Shu-Ha-Ri progression:
Study under a master the “one true way”. Then try many variations. Then understand the principles and “the Way”.
Tension for agilists – transition.
Project/Product/Program manager vs. ScrumMaster and Product Owner – no set definitions.
Worried about hiding behind process…
Project Management is a scapegoat
Agile is a scapegoat
Both are because of human dysfunction
Mac vs. PC = Agile vs. PMI – camps based on labels
Moves us away from pragmatism to fundamentalism
Certifications:
CSM -> Scrum -> Agile Thinking
The CSM is the gateway to agile thinking
PMP -> Project Management -> Tools
How do we move people between PM and Agile?
Fundamentalism in Scrum – wrongness of not doing agile.
Not adapting Scrum to reality.
Agile is about truth-telling – different flavors of agile do this a little differently.
The Project manager often has multiple roles – this hides the truth.
The truth is necessary to successful projects.
Scrum focuses around an objective – e.g. making money.
Would it help if the PMBoK had explicity added an agile component?
PMI like IBM – when the IBM launched a PC, then it was okay for the corporate environment to use PCs.
Differences b/w PMBoK and Scrum are more about who, how and why, but not so much about what.
In most organizations, there is a customized “one way” and it is this that is difficult to change, not so much the PMBoK.
Some fundamentalism in Scrum: if you aren’t doing it right, then you are hiding dysfunction – not because Scrum is the one true way to do delivery, but because it is a way to do learning.
Keep my job!
Get agreement around values and principles. – do no harm -
How do we save the world? Top down? Grassroots? Viral? Not forced! Building on success!
Attraction vs. promotion.
Not enough of us! Lots of cultural inertia, crossing the chasm.
Not transforming people despite themselves. You can’t transform someone else!
False dichotomy b/w execution and transformation.
Learning vs. dysfunction. Example of Toyota making 1000s of improvements every day.
PMI is about advancing the profession of the project managers. Therefore it is incumbent on the PMI to bring Scrum in because it works!!!
It needs to get it into the PMBoK
AGILE Project Management with Scrum -A book by Ken Schwaber
Prior to the Certified ScrumMaster seminar I attended in August 2008, I read the book by Ken Schwaber called Agile Project Management with Scrum based on a recommendation from Mishkin Berteig. After attending the seminar and becoming certified as a ScrumMaster I re-read the book. The second reading was much more valuable than the first for I had a much better understanding of Scrum. Here are my comments on this book.
What have I learned?
1. The adoption of Scrum methodology is more about changing roles and behaviours than it is about embracing a new process.
It was obvious to me and to Ken that one of the greatest challenges facing those individuals when moving from a their current environment to a scrum environment was that they would need to change their behaviours. In the former environment the team member would be directed and inspected based on what their project manager told them to do. The PM is the boss and the team members are somewhat powerless. In Scrum the team members take responsibility for their commitments and communicate their accomplishments on a daily basis. The hardest change occurs when the project manager is asked to become a ScrumMaster. The project Manager is familiar with assigning tasks and personally inspecting results. In the scrum environment they are the servants of the team, removing obstacles and facilitating the process. As Ken states in this book some project managers have great difficulty transitioning into the ScrumMaster role. They are unwilling to give up the power and position as a project master. It is hard to move from the leader of the pack to become the sheep dog herding the sheep!
2. Scrum is unforgiving for if you do not apply the fundamental principles it is likely your efforts to adopt Scrum will fail.
As I reviewed the numerous case studies Ken chronicled is was apparent that when organizations, Team members, Product Owners and ScrumMasters followed the terms, conditions and guidelines of the Scrum methodology, they tended to deliver on their commitments. When they misunderstood, misused or deleted some portion of the methodology they tended not to accomplish their objectives. The methodology is well thought out and works in many situations when used appropriately.
3. Scrum enhances individual and team expertise.
I agree and totally support Ken’s opinion about the value of Scrum. I have no doubt the individual team member is empowered and has a greater sense of achievement. Obviously based on his case studies, Ken builds a strong case that Scrum allows the team to deliver quicker. The process is more change adaptive, responsive to customer needs, timely and economical than traditional methods. Greater energy and capacity is released in the team and individual team members.
Agile Project Management – Certified ScrumMaster Training
Offered by Berteig Consulting Inc. www.berteigconsulting.com
Agile methods promise early, continuous and accelerating return on investment for stakeholders and a high level of job satisfaction for teams. Agile methods are appropriate for a variety of projects including program development, materials development, new product development, IT projects and software development outsourcing. In this three-day course, you will learn the foundational skills of agile process facilitation and project management, focused on the role of the ScrumMaster (also known as: Agile Project Manager, Process Facilitator, Team Coach).
What You Will Learn:
In this 3-Day course participants learn how to guide a team, a project, or an organization into a process of rapid delivery of valuable results. Exercises, case studies, and examples are used to assist participants to develop the knowledge, skills, capabilities and insights needed to make the shift from traditional management practices to Agile practices.
In this workshop you will learn:
• agile project management practices that enable hyper-productive projects;
• agile processes and facilitation tools that improve the productivity of the team;
• agile collaboration methods to remove the barriers between the team and the customer; and,
• to improve the lives of the team members by facilitating creativity and empowerment.
Why is this ScrumMaster course better than others out there?
Our Agile Project Management / ScrumMaster course is unique in many ways. Here is what you get when you attend our course:
• Three intensive days of training with exercises, simulations, discussion and lecture
• Classroom management using agile methods so that you can learn by example
• Course material designed for the ScrumMaster/Project Manager role not diluted to accommodate other roles
• Taught by one of the most experienced Certified Scrum Trainers in the world
• Low class size with a maximum of 15 students compared to some trainers with 20, 30 or even 50 students!
• Electronic copies of all course materials including free updates forever
• 24 PDUs if you are a member of the Project Management Institute
• Certification as a ScrumMaster at the ScrumAlliance that never expires
• One year paid membership in the ScrumAlliance
• Light breakfast and lunch all three days
Note: To learn more about this course and to register, please visit our website:
http://www.berteigconsulting.com/AgileScrumCertificationCSMTrainingOctober2008TorontoOntarioCanada
Scrum Study Guide, “The Best Tool for New ScrumMasters”, is now available at Scrum Study Guide. This guide is designed to be an editable tool for helping ScrumMasters do their jobs effectively. With the Scrum Study Guide you are able to keep track of the rules of Scrum, to keep structured notes on your own job as the ScrumMaster, to maintain a list of online reference material, to assess the progress of your team, and to organize the obstacles you are working on. It also contains a wealth of reference information for learning along the way.
This is the project I’ve been working on for the last several months that has reduced my output here on Agile Advice. It represents a huge investment of my time as well as several other people who have assisted me in this including Paul Heidema and Garry Berteig. Purchasing the Scrum Study Guide, aside from its usefulness as a tool itself, will also give you substantial discounts on other services offered by Berteig Consulting Inc. Finally, if you like it, you can help to share it by letting us know who should get a discount on their purchase of the Scrum Study Guide. Enjoy!
This course offers ScrumMaster Certification in Toronto. The training is hands on, interactive and highly effective. By the end of the course participants will receive a professional certification in Agile Software Project Management. The dates of the course are January 16 – 18, 2008.
The complete winter and spring course list is available here.