EXPIRED: Scrum 201 + Workshop

Charlotte, NC

Our Scrum 201 Course + Agile Release Planning Workshop approach is unique. Unlike others, we do a 2-day interactive Scrum 201 course plus a 1-day Agile Release Planning Workshop. The Scrum 201 course is a practicum for those who want to win with Scrum. The ARP Workshop is optional, and highly recommended by attendees.

The course covers the basics of Scrum and some advanced topics, so that you will have the knowledge, the interest, and the motivation to use these ideas more effectively.

The Scrum 201 Course involves:

Reviewing the basics of Scrum and returning to ‘Scrum center’
Adding additional things to your Scrum practice and addressing more advanced topics
Discussing your own experiences as a case study for the group.
Your success stories.
Learn how the highest performing teams implement Scrum.
Understand how Lean practices can be used to optimize Scrum performance.

Upon completion of our Scrum 201 course you should be able to write a Certified Scrum Professional application that would be accepted by the Scrum Alliance review team.

In addition to the Course/Workshop, you receive:

A printed copy of the course materials (and a soft copy)
Fibonacci estimating cards, for use in estimating with your team
Other Scrum-related materials

Potential Topics:

We will choose from amongst the following topics:

The basics of Scrum and how to present them. One might expect that these were well-known. But frankly it is remarkable how helpful it is to review the basics. Of course, this is true in any sport. For those who understand the basics well, we still find one always needs more practice explaining the basics to others. It is said that most games in sports are won through a keen appreciation for, and a vigorous execution of, the basics (“basic blocking and tackling”).
The underlying principles. Why Scrum works, and all the reasons why each practice is useful.
The roundedness of a good ScrumMaster
How to build a great team (real, dedicated, stable)
Removing impediments more aggressively
Identifying the best impediments
Making better business cases
Improving the Product Owner
Business Value Engineering
Better business stakeholders
The ready, ready criteria
The definition of done
Better release planning
The agile contract (fixed-price fixed-scope issues)
Patterns of ‘implementer’ evolution (and related issues from the attendees)
Improving the engineering practices
Advocating for the agile team
Advocating for the Agile Transformation
Making change happen (large and small)
Patterns for the agile transformation
What does the broader Agile Transformation look like?
Changing organizational culture
Scaling
Distributed Agile
Too many projects at once
Interruptions during the Sprint
The Team manages the key chickens
Other problems or impediments, as identified by the attendees
Taking the Scrum meetings to the next level
Taking the artifacts to the next level
How to manage in Agile
Managers and Metrics
Minimizing WIP
Knowledge workers and motivation
Hyper-productivity
Everything is not agile yet; what do we do?
What is the secret sauce?
Review of agile release planning
Smaller stories
ARP exercise

The Agile Release Planning Workshop:

We always combine a 1 day Agile Release Planning workshop with the course.
The Workshop takes the real work of the identified Product Owner at each table, and we do Agile Release Planning for that work.
It is an excellent way to take the ideas of the course and make them practical. It builds the initial product backlog. It gets your team ready to start on Monday.
You may take the CSM course only, but be aware that attendees strongly recommend the ARP workshop.
You may also take the Agile Release Planning workshop by itself. For example, at a later date.

The Trainer:

Joe Little, an experienced Agile coach and Scrum Trainer (CST), will lead this Scrum course.
Joe has co-trained 8 times with Jeff Sutherland (one of the co-creators of Scrum), and we believe you get more ‘real Scrum’ because of this experience.
Joe has an MBA and 20+ years of senior level Big 6 and related consulting experience.
Joe has in-depth practical experience in helping teams become very productive with Scrum and Agile.
He often co-teaches these courses with other great Scrum trainers. Take a look at Joe’s blog, Agile & Business.
Joe is a Certified Scrum Trainer (CST) associated with Scrum Alliance.

You may want to learn about our Referral Program and about our Refresher Program. The content of the course and workshop are described more fully here.

Registration and Fees

Early Bird for the 2 day Scrum 201 Course is $1,300. The normal price is $1,400.
Early Bird price for the 2 day Scrum 201 Course + 1 day ARP Workshop is $1,650. The normal price is $1,750.
If you are a member of a local agile or PMI group, you get a $100 reduction in these fees.
10% discount for any group of 3 or more.
3% discount off the net due if you pay with cash (eg, at the beginning of the course).

Please register on the site or contact our office and we can discuss your payment method, receipts, invoices, etc. Payments methods include USD check, money transfer, credit card, PayPal, over-the-phone (CC), cash, etc. All payments should be received before the course starts. Once you pay, you become registered.

The course date may be changed up until 16 days prior to the start date. We will advise you.

Refund Policy

If for any reason you cannot make a course, you may send another person in your place for free, or you may move to another date for a similar course for free. If you must completely cancel, 100% of the course fee will be refunded if you cancel more than 14 days in advance of the course. A 30% cancellation fee will be charged for refunds requested 14 or fewer days before the of the course start date.