Agile Project Management: Leadership & Core Skills

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Overview

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This course features Coursera Coach! A smarter way to learn with interactive, real-time conversations that help you test your knowledge, challenge assumptions, and deepen your understanding as you progress through the course. Become a leader in agile project management with this comprehensive course designed to develop core leadership and management competencies. You’ll gain a deep understanding of agile principles, frameworks, and leadership techniques that drive successful teams. By exploring agile methods and essential leadership traits, you'll be equipped to lead adaptive, high-performing teams in a dynamic, digital-first business world. The course begins by introducing the concept of agile project management, focusing on its evolution from waterfall approaches, the core principles and values of agile, and when it’s most effective to apply these methods. You'll then move into leadership development, where you'll learn how to embrace servant leadership, cultivate collaborative cultures, and support teams through coaching and facilitation. As you progress, the course emphasizes coaching excellence, with a focus on the 8 essential habits of successful coaching, including engaging listening, asking powerful questions, and challenging assumptions. The practical exercises and case studies throughout the course provide hands-on experience for leaders to master facilitation techniques, decision-making methods, and conflict resolution strategies within agile teams. This course is perfect for managers and professionals seeking to hone their leadership skills in agile environments. It’s ideal for individuals who wish to learn how to drive team performance, foster continuous improvement, and navigate the complexities of agile frameworks such as Scrum and Kanban. No prior experience in agile is required, although a basic understanding of project management concepts would be beneficial.

Syllabus

Introduction to Agile: Understanding the History, Principles, and Values

In this module, we will dive into the foundational concepts of agile, examining its history, principles, and core values. You will gain an understanding of how agile can help businesses navigate the complexities of the digital world. Additionally, we will compare traditional project management approaches with agile, highlighting its evolution and future potential in transforming project execution.

Transform Your Leadership Style: Learn to Lead in an Agile Environment

In this module, we will focus on transforming your leadership approach to thrive in an agile environment. You will learn how to embrace servant leadership and cultivate collaboration and adaptability within your team. Through key exercises and the agile competency framework, we’ll equip you with the tools to enhance your coaching and facilitation skills, ensuring your leadership style supports agile principles.

Develop Coaching Excellence: Adopt the 8 Essential Habits of Successful Coaching

In this module, we will guide you through the 8 essential habits that form the foundation of successful coaching in an agile environment. Each habit is designed to improve your ability to support and guide others, from observing and listening to asking insightful questions and providing effective feedback. Through practical exercises, you’ll enhance these skills, enabling you to foster a productive coaching relationship and drive positive outcomes.

Facilitate Like a Pro: Skills to Run Effective Meetings and Guide Discussions

In this module, we will equip you with the skills to facilitate meetings and guide discussions in an agile environment. You will explore a variety of tools and techniques, from mind-mapping to root-cause analysis, to enhance the effectiveness of your facilitation. Through interactive exercises, you’ll practice decision-making methods and develop strategies for keeping conversations productive and focused, ensuring your meetings drive meaningful outcomes.

Kickstarting and Developing Agile Teams

In this module, we will focus on the key elements of building and developing agile teams, from establishing shared values to understanding team dynamics. You will explore the stages of team development and how to guide teams from the forming stage to high performance. Through practical exercises, you will gain valuable insights into managing conflict and addressing team challenges, ensuring your agile teams remain cohesive, productive, and aligned with their objectives.

Understand Key Agile Frameworks: Learn Essentials of Scrum, Kanban, and More

In this module, we will introduce you to a variety of agile frameworks, including Scrum, Kanban, Lean, and others, highlighting their unique features and applications. You will learn how to select the right framework for your projects, understand key principles like continuous improvement and flexibility, and evaluate if transitioning from waterfall to agile is beneficial. By the end of this module, you’ll have a solid understanding of the essential frameworks and how to apply them to improve your project management processes.