5 Small Ways That Agile Training Makes a Big Difference
It’s easy for us to say that you need quality training and coaching to succeed in going agile. After all, that’s our core competency, and our passion. But, we actually have plenty of proof showing that quality training makes agile transformation faster, easier, and more complete. Here are five of the benefits we most commonly hear that you may not have thought about yet:
1. Boosts Terminology Lessons
Going agile can be like learning a new language, in more ways than one. Not only are you changing the way you think as an organization, but an entirely new vocabulary needs to be assimilated into internal communications from top to bottom.
Scrum, kanban, user story, burndown… these are terms and concepts you simply aren’t exposed to if you’re not agile. For a company in transition, it can be a lot to take in.
Quality agile training covers terminology early and thoroughly. It provides the kind of immersion you need to kickstart the learning of any new language. An agile coach that stays with you throughout the transformation process will enhance these initial vocabulary lessons, as each term becomes a reality in your organization.
2. Helps Define Roles
When your company adopts agile methodologies, some traditional roles will disappear, others will dramatically change, and new roles will be created. These adjustments can be difficult and stressful.
Quality training and coaching helps managers define roles and relationships to put team members at ease. As your Project Manager transitions to Product Manager and your new Scrum Master leads a scrum team through their first project together, a coach helps build confidence and guidance for managers to acclimate to their new roles.
Managing an agile team or organization is a completely different animal from managing traditional teams. Agile training from a qualified coach gives managers a head start to make the most of the new landscape.
3. Eases Team Restructuring
During an agile transformation, not only do managerial roles change, but entirely new teams are created requiring individuals to form new relationships. This restructuring eventually improves workflow. However, heightened efficiency is a long-term effect. In the short term, individual team members typically feel a bit lost, uncomfortable in their new roles, and probably up-in-the-air as to where to get help.
Training can lay a solid foundation for smooth team restructuring as all team members learn what the new structure will look like, why it’s set up the way it is, and what role they play in making it a success. Ongoing coaching during the transition helps further strengthen the new team structures by offering guidance as complications inevitably arise.
3. Shortens Learning Curve
It’s challenging to maintain productivity and serve customers while learning and implementing the agile methodology, but the sooner you can make the transition, the better off everyone will be.
Agile training can shorten the learning curve to achieve faster ROI. The sooner products get to market the sooner clients’ see the benefits from improved, frequent releases. Agile training can get development moving early so a functional ‘ready to market’ product begins to emerge after a few iterations. Then, you can spend more time marketing the product and bringing in profits and less time learning the Agile methodology.
4. Reduces Anxiety
As humans, we often fear change. And going agile involves a lot of change. Simply having an experienced guiding hand available to answer questions, make practical suggestions, and point out problems before they get too big to handle can give team members the confidence to move ahead boldly into their new agile future!
A full-scale agile transformation involves a lot of change, both on the personal level with individual team members’ roles and job requirements, and company-wide with workflow, structure, and even culture. If your company is considering a move to Agile, you’ll want to check out agile training and coaching options in detail before jumping in.
