How to do a Basic Agile Project | Video

For all you traditional, predictive project managers out there, who are wondering: how to do an agile project, I am going to answer that question, in this video.

This video is safe for viewing in the workplace.

This is learning, so, sit back and enjoy

Some Essential Notes about the Guide to Agile Project Management

First, note that there is no single way to do an agile project.

There are many methodologies and infinite varieties of hybrids. Every project needs its own, subtly different variant.

And second, I am no agilest.

I am reporting to you, having studied the subject and this is no more than a basic introduction.

But I am not going to tell you about the Agile Manifesto or the 12 principles or any of that. This is going to be both practical and simple.

And finally, for this reason, I shan’t bother trying to define a ‘basic project’.

Let’s just understand that this approach will give you the basics to make your project management a bit more agile.

The Essential Elements of an Agile Project

Project Planning

Establish feasibility and the basic scope of what you want to do.

Break your agile project up into short phases. These are called iterations or sprints. Aim to deliver something useful in each one. And set them in a logical sequence with foundational and higher priorities first.

Roadmap

Set out your idea of how the agile project will develop different features over time.

Don’t worry about the detail of what you will do in later phases. Just keep a list of all the things you may need or want to do. That list is your backlog.

Release Planning

Set out the main features to develop in each of the first few sprints. You will revise this frequently, at the start of each sprint.

Sprint Planning

At the start of each sprint, draw down an amount of work from the backlog that matches your capacity for the sprint. Sprints usually last from 1 to 4 weeks with 2 weeks a common duration. The backlog items you commit to a sprint are the Sprint Backlog. 

During the sprint, the team takes each feature or product through the lifecycle of:

• Analysis
• Design
• Building
• Testing

Daily Meetings

Often called morning stand-ups or, in Scrum, scrum meetings. They help the team to understand one another’s progress and plans for the coming day, and support each other through setbacks. They keep the agile project team fully coordinated.

How to Hold a Daily Stand-up Meeting | Video

Sprint Review and Retrospective

The team demonstrates their completed work to users at the Sprint Review. This is where users can do a final acceptance test before committing to accept the new feature or product into beneficial use. Afterward, the development team meets to discuss the process it has gone through, to learn lessons, and craft even better ways of working: the Sprint Retrospective.

See our video: What is a Sprint Retrospective? | Video – which also discusses Sprint Reviews.

This is followed by the Sprint Planning for the next sprint.

Ongoing Activities throughout Agile Projects

Throughout all of this, you will maintain active work on things like:

• Cost Management
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Risk Management
• Quality assurance and control

Recommended Agile Project Management Videos

Carefully curated video recommendations for you, that answer the questions, What is or are…

• Scrum?
• Kanban?
• Agile Project Management
• Sprint Retrospective?
• Epics, User Stories, and Story Points?
• the Agile Triangle – Value, Quality, and Constraints

Also:

• Introduction to Agile Scrum Project Management – with Alexis Allen | Video
• How to do a Basic Agile Project
• Waterfall vs Agile: The Big Principle at Stake | Video
• How to Hold a Daily Stand-up Meeting | Video

Recommended Agile Project Management Articles

• Agile Principles: The 12 Keys to Adaptive Project Management
• What is Agile and Why is it Important to Project Managers?
• Agile vs Waterfall: Which one is Right for Your Project?
• Agile Certification: Your Guide to the Large Array of Agile Qualifications

What Kit does a Project Manager Need?

I asked Project Managers in a couple of forums what material things you need to have, to do your job as a Project Manager. They responded magnificently. I compiled their answers into a Kit list. I added my own. 

Check out the Kit a Project Manager needs

Note that the links are affiliated.

Learn Still More

For more great Project Management videos, please subscribe to the OnlinePMCourses YouTube channel.

If you want basic Management Courses – free training hosted on YouTube, with 2 new management lessons a week, check out our sister channel, Management Courses.

For more of our Project Management videos in themed collections, join our Free Academy of Project Management.

For more of our videos in themed collections, join our Free Academy of Project Management.