Guided Learning Solutions

In-depth programs designed to build resilient and self-managing teams

A recent survey by Scrum.org found that both leaders (75%) and agile practitioners (70%) value mentorship and coaching as an effective means of deepening agile skills and competencies.  Additionally, research on “learning while doing” shows the power and need for people to solidify learning by assimilating it within their own context (Co-Constructed Developmental Teaching Theory). Together, these findings suggest that we look to complement our existing competency in the classroom and take the challenge of learning to the next level. 

Understanding that people are different and they learn differently means we need to optimize their learning experience. Formal training can be valuable on its own; however, it should not stop there. To give people the greatest opportunity for accelerated growth, they need the ability to purposefully apply new concepts within their job and access to support and ongoing feedback as they continue growing their agile skills.

Guided Learning Solutions

For nearly two decades, Scrum.org has delivered world-class training through Professional Scrum Trainers (PSTs) and validation of what students have learned, yet that is only a part of helping people, teams and organizations be successful in their adoption of Scrum and Agile techniques. Leaders in organizations and the practitioners that work with them told us in a 2023 survey that leveraging structured development programs and internal coaches close to the teams and work has led to a high degree of effectiveness with agile ways of working.  Furthermore, only 15% of practitioners responded that they are receiving structured mentorship and development support from their organizations, while nearly 74% said it would be beneficial to their future success.  People need help getting to the next level and Guided Learning Solutions can accelerate that change.

Guided Learning Solutions enhance how PSTs and their companies partner with an organization to build proficiency in competencies optimized for individuals and their role (Scrum Master, Product Owner, Developer, Agile Leader) working with resilient, self-managing teams. This approach takes a typical coaching or consulting engagement to the next level by bringing transparency to the learning journey, focusing growth in core areas and on real problems and leveraging an iterative approach to maximize the impact and value gained.

Ways to use Guided Learning

The potential solutions leveraging Guided Learning are numerous, and are designed collaboratively between a PST and an organization with the organization’s goals in mind.  Below are a few solutions that may fit your needs as well.

Uplifting Scrum Master capabilities 
Organizations with highly capable Scrum Masters are more likely to have teams that reliably deliver value each Sprint. Over 75% of organizations we surveyed said it was essential to continue to develop their Scrum Masters, yet often fall short by only investing in Scrum Master training. With a Guided Learning approach to building up your Scrum Masters’ capabilities, they will be better positioned to help their teams grow and deliver more value for the organization.

Enhancing Product Agility
Product Owner competencies build the foundation for the agile team to deliver upon.  Refining the approaches to market awareness, product fit and measurement are keys to maximizing the value that the scrum team can deliver. From a recent survey, we know that Product Owners are the least served population in terms of training and development and that measurement in general is a practice and competency that can continue to improve.

Building internal change agents
Resilient agile organizations leverage the talent of their employees to create and sustain an environment where agile teams thrive. Insights from our 2023 survey suggest this is a key area for growth in leaders’ minds, with over 85% responding that future investment in their Product Owners, Scrum Masters, and internal coaches was necessary for their success. A Guided Learning approach for deliberately developing your internal change agents provides an accelerated pathway for aligning staff with new ways of working and enabling outcomes the organization seeks to achieve. This creates an engine of growth within your organization capable of adapting to the evolving challenges that appear in complex work.
 

A Structured Approach for Developing Organizational Capabilities

The Scrum.org approach for Guided Learning facilitates the development of organizational capabilities centered around succeeding with Professional Scrum. It focuses on amplifying the effectiveness of on-the-job Learning for agile practitioners.

Guided Learning is the intersection of coaching and consulting services and professional development for individualsGuided Learning blends Coaching & Consulting Services for organizations with Professional Development optimized for the individual who is learning. While each can be done in isolation, the value is maximized when combined with more traditional approaches for training, coaching and consulting agile teams and organizations.  

Meet people where they are. A Guided Learning approach starts with understanding the type of work a person does and their proficiency with the Professional Scrum Competencies.

Curate a developmental journey. A Guided Learning approach provides individuals with structure through a series of curated assignments completed in the context of their day-to-day work. Each assignment is designed to help a person focus and deepen their proficiency in the Professional Scrum Competencies while delivering better business outcomes with their teams. 

Adapt from individual guidance and feedback. Each time an assignment is completed, detailed feedback from a Guide is provided to the person who completed the work. This feedback reinforces where they are improving and reflects where additional growth and changes in work can unlock the full value Professional Scrum and complementary practices have to offer. Feedback can also result in an update to the assignments they have to work through.

Use evidence to understand growth. As people progress, they produce evidence about what is (and is not) working for them, their team and their organization. Over time, this evidence creates a transparent portfolio of work. It reveals an individual's patterns of working and learning that enable people to grow and thrive in complex and uncertain environments.
 

Benefits

• Specific and customizable: Guided Learning is tailored to the specific needs of the individual, company and the job they are doing, based on a consistent set of competencies driving consistency across the organization. This allows for a more personalized approach that considers the individual's learning style, work context and the specific skills they need to develop all while continuing to deliver value with their teams.
    
• A more effective way to learn: Guided Learning is often more effective and efficient than traditional classroom-based training alone because it allows the individual to apply what they learn immediately to real-world, product delivery-based scenarios. The hands-on, iterative feedback approach of Guided Learning accelerates learning and increases knowledge retention through direct application to real work.
    
• Increased impact through proficiency: When individuals participate in guided Learning, they become more proficient at their job, which can increase job satisfaction, productivity and engagement. As satisfaction, productivity and engagement increase, learner commitment to the efforts and the organization also improve.
• Improved critical thinking skills: Guided Learning encourages learners to think critically and reflect on their Learning, which can help them develop essential problem-solving skills. Applying those skills encourages learners to explore alternative approaches, providing new opportunities for personal and organizational growth.
    
• Enhanced adaptability: 77% of organizational leaders surveyed felt it was important to invest in the skills & capabilities of their people in order to create an adaptable workforce capable of quickly embracing change.  Engaging in Guided Learning develops skills for learning how to learn. People who complete assignments develop skills for approaching their personal development when faced with challenging situations or uncertainty about how to create the outcomes they seek to achieve.
    

Interested in bringing Guided Learning to your organization?

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