Running Agile at Scale

Learn how to implement Agile in large organizations

There are several frameworks which aim to enable large organizations to implement the ideas and principles of the agile manifesto. However the results often fail to create transformative change. In this course, I’ll describe the common issues that arise when trying to implement agile at scale, discuss how to run large programs in an agile way, provide a case study of such an implementation, and show how worker-led continuous improvement is at the heart of an effective agile adoption.

In Unit 1, I highlight the problems large organizations often face in trying to implement Agile at scale, including the often-fatal errors of managing cost instead of creating value, combining high-value and low-value features into a single large project, and wasting the creative power of our people by developing only to executive-driven requirements created at program inception.

In Unit 2, We take a look at the five principles of high-performance program management, with emphases on collaborating to set measurable desired program outcomes, creating a culture of experimentation, and developing software in small batches—enabling faster feedback loops and a means through which teams can constantly validate their approaches to meeting desired program outcomes.

In Unit 3, I present a case study that demonstrates how the ideas presented in this course can be implemented in practice.

In Unit 4, I discuss how the case study team from Unit 3 independently invented the concept of Continuous Delivery, and we’ll look at a problem-solving method called the Improvement Kata, a systematic, scientific method for problem-solving that can be used both to implement continuous improvement and in software feature development.

The Principles of High Performance Program Management apply to all organizations trying to develop in an agile manner, and this course is ideal for rank-and-file developers and their managers alike.