Professional Scrum Master

Learning Objectives

• Understand uncertainty and complexity in software environments.
• Understand how empiricism controls risk and provides predictability in complex environments.
• Understand agility and Scrum’s place in the Agile discussion.
• Understand how each part of the Scrum framework ties back to the principles and theory while exposing waste.
• Understand the meaning and importance of the Scrum values.
• Learn what Done means and why it is crucial to transparency.
• Know how to use the Product Backlog to plan with agility.
• Understand the importance of self-organizing teams, interpersonal skills needed, and the Scrum Master role.
• Clarify what servant leadership means in the context of the Scrum Master role.
• Learn the skills, traits, and behavior shifts required to be a Scrum Master.

Who should attend?

The course assumes basic familiarity with Scrum.  If you are new to Scrum, you should read the Scrum Guide.  This course is perfectly appropriate for non-IT professionals who are looking to apply Scrum in their context. 

Topics

The PSM course is a mix of lectures, case studies, and interactive exercises as you collaborate with other students:

• Scrum Theory & Empiricism
  • The foundational reasons for an empirical approach.
  • What situations are best suited for Agile.
  • Predictive and empirical approaches to problems.
  • Exploring the advantages of Agility.
  • Keys to a more effective application of an Agile mindset.
• The Scrum Framework
  • How Scrum roles, artifacts & events relate.
  • Empowerments and limits of the Product Owner.
  • Effective Sprint Planning.
  • Creating an effective Sprint Goal.
  • Leveraging better Daily Scrums.
  • The intent of Sprint Reviews.
  • Effective Retrospectives.
  • Strategies to grow Scrum effectiveness.
• Done and Undone
  • The importance of a done increment.
  • Defining what "potentially releasable" means and how to apply it in regulated environments.
  • How to grow your Definition of Done and improve quality.
• Product Delivery with Scrum
  • Techniques for Product Backlog ordering and valuation.
  • Techniques for estimating the size of Product Backlog Items.
  • Planning and forecasting.
  • Data-driven, scope-driven, and resource-driven approaches to product releases.
  • Monitoring and reporting progress. 
• People and Teams
  • Exploring the limits and possibilities of self-organization.
  • Employee engagement as a means for better innovation.
  • Cross-functional teams and how to achieve them.
  • Team members with partial allocation or highly specialized skills.
  • Influencing people and teams.
• The Scrum Master
  • Stances of a Scrum Master.
  • What is a servant leadership?
  • Applying practices that will help others improve.
  • Responsibilities, skills, and traits of an effective Scrum Master.