Scrums Sprints and Cultural Training in Agile

Project Manager in Tanzania

Introduction

Project managers are responsible for ensuring that a project is completed on time, within budget, and to the required standard. In many cases, they will also be responsible for managing risks and dealing with issues as they arise. Agile project management is a methodology that is often used in software development, as it allows for flexibility and rapid delivery. However, agile project management can be difficult to implement in a country like Tanzania, where there is a lack of infrastructure and resources. This can make it difficult to communicate with team members, track progress, and make changes to the project plan. As a result, a project manager working in Tanzania would need to be very adaptable and have a good understanding of the local context in order to successfully run an agile project. One of the biggest challenges would be managing cultural differences—for as Dillow (2014) points out, Tanzania is a formerly socialist country and many of its people still retain socialist beliefs, while many investors in Tanzania come from the capitalist West.

Agile

Agile project management is a process that values individual interaction, customer collaboration, and rapid response to change. (Larson & Gray, 2017). It is an iterative and incremental approach to managing projects that emphasizes flexibility and adaptability over rigidity and predictability. The agile approach was first formalized in the late 1990s as an alternative to traditional waterfall project management, which relies on a linear, sequential approach to planning and executing projects. While waterfall management focuses on defining all aspects of a project up front and then executing the plan step-by-step, agile management embraces a more flexible approach where plans are developed incrementally and adaptable to change.

Today, agile project management is widely recognized as one of the most effective approaches to managing software development projects. However, it can be applied to any type of project in any industry. Whether one is managing a simple website development project or a complex aerospace engineering initiative, the principles of agile project management can be used to deliver successful results. One of the keys to successful implementation of Agile is that it uses face-to-face communication, which helps to drive performance, ensure accountability, and develop relationships (Lee & Yong, 2010). Face-to-face communication is vital in Tanzania, as Dillow (2014) explains because of the cultural differences that are so likely to crop up in project management.

Potential Successes

When agile project management methods are used in an international setting, cultural differences can present a challenge. In some cultures, for example, decision-making is centralized and top-down, while in others it is more decentralized and consensus-based. As a result, it is important to be aware of these differences and to take them into account when planning and managing an agile project. One way to do this is to create a cross-cultural team that includes representatives from all of the different cultures involved. In Tanzania, a project manager would want representatives from Tanzania as well as whatever other countries were represented by workers in the group. Such a team could help to identify potential areas of conflict and to develop strategies for managing them.

Additionally, it is important to ensure that communication channels are open and that everyone understands the goals and objectives of the project. If there are any questions or concerns, they can be quickly addressed. Furthermore, by keeping communication channels open, team members can provide feedback and suggestions that can help improve the project. In short, good communication is essential for ensuring that an agile project runs smoothly. By keeping the lines of communication open, everyone can stay on the same page and work together to achieve the best results (Larson & Gray, 2017). In taking these steps, it is possible to successfully manage cultural differences in an agile project setting.

Cross-cultural training is also important in international settings (Larson & Gray, 2017). It would be important for the agile project manager in Tanzania to foster an environment in which language instruction, cultural instruction, and understanding can be facilitated. Given the time constraints, it might only be feasible that a 1 week training session that uses the information-giving approach be offered. The information-giving approach would include area briefings, cultural briefings, the showing of films or the handing out of books, the use of interpreters, and survival-level language training (Larson & Gray, 2017).

However, if the opportunity is afforded for a longer-term training session of a month or more, the experiential approach could be applied. This would include making use of an assessment center, field experiences, simulations and extensive language training (Larson & Gray, 2017). If the project manager has anywhere between 1 and 4 weeks to train, he could utilized the affective approach, which would include role playing, cases, stress reduction training to alleviate culture shock, and assimilation training (Larson & Gray, 2017).

Long-Term and Short-Term

Obviously, the amount of training provided will be commensurate with the length of the project; so short-term projects will require only short-term training, and long-term projects will require long-term training. The key for an agile project manager will be to emphasize organization, teams, overseeing outsourcing, monitoring progress, and hosting scrum meetings, where goals are established and sprints are conducted (Larson & Gray, 2017).

In agile project management, short-term and long-term goals are important to consider when setting up scrums, sprints, reviews, and burndown charts (Miller, 2013). Short-term goals are important to consider because they can help ensure that the project stays on track. They can also help ensure that team members are able to focus on the tasks at hand and stay motivated. Long-term goals are important to consider because they can help the team to see the bigger picture and stay focused on the overall goal of the project (Cervone, 2011). By considering both short-term and long-term goals, agile project managers can set up a system that will help keep the project on track and ensure that team members are able to stay focused and motivated, and that scrums direct the daily actions, sprints see work goals met, and burndown charts clearly show time reductions (Larson & Gray, 2017).