Question
I have recently moved in to a dedicated project management role having progressed from a development manager background.
Whilst I understand the technology side of the project I am running, I am comfortable managing teams and understand the mechanics of running a project I feel like I have a long path towards to being a solid project manager and would like to shorten the learning curve.
Working within an Agile environment I am currently looking at gaining my Agile PM and Scrum Master certifications.
I wondered whether anyone had any recommendations in terms of follow on course or qualifications and any good project management books aside from the basic introductory texts.
Many thanks
Answer
Here are some recommendations to help you become a more polished Agile project manager:
Certifications:
CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management): A good next step after intro PM certs.
PMP (Project Management Professional): The industry standard for experienced PMs.
CSM (Certified ScrumMaster): Valuable for facilitating Agile and Scrum teams.
Advanced Training:
Agile Project Management with Scrum (Coursera): Hands-on Practice of Scrum PM.
Advanced Scrum and Agile (Scrum.org): Dives deeper into advanced Scrum patterns.
Books:
Agile Project Management with Scrum (Microsoft Press) is a great companion to Certified ScrumMaster learning.
The Phoenix Project (an IT revolution novel) is an inspiring fable showing agile transformation.
Inspired by Marty Cagan's best practices in product management from top tech firms.
Skills:
Stakeholder management
Earned value analysis
risk management
Communication skills
emotional intelligence
Facilitation and coaching
Experience:
Seek project leadership roles with more responsibility
Mentor or be mentored by an experienced Agile PM
Consider volunteering for a project at a local nonprofit
Staying current: Follow thought leaders on LinkedIn and attend local PM user group meetups regularly. Continuous learning is key to sharpening your skills as an Agile PM.
