Thinking Strategically and Acting Tactically




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Project management traditionally focuses on tactical work such as the detailed planning and execution of tasks. Strategic work deals with the business reasons for doing projects. Tactical and strategic concerns are often compartmentalized and handled separately.

However, project management professionals are increasingly addressing a combination of both. They're thinking strategically while concurrently executing projects tactically, and that approach helps facilitate short- and long-term success.

Our partners at Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions have a downloadable infographic which covers the topic of thinking strategically and acting tactically for project management success. A link to the file will be provided in a subsequent update to this post.


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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.





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Impact Mapping Strategic Planning Technique




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Impact mapping—introduced by Gojko Adzic—is a collaborative and visual strategic planning technique for business. This article provides a concise overview of the process, and it includes real-world examples. Four major steps follow. For simplicity, most examples are listed in the singular (such as one goal). However, multiples (such as several goals) may be used.

Step 1: Answer “Why?”

First the goal is established. The focus should be on important strategic objectives—which may include increasing revenue, decreasing costs, product development, or other categories. To ensure a clear shared understanding, it is suggested that the goal is SMART:
specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. This example is not SMART: “Increase revenue.” But this version is SMART: “Increase revenue by 10% over the next 30 days.”

Step 2: Answer “Who?”

Next, the people who can help (or be a hinderance) in achieving the goal are identified. Such people may be referred to as actors or personas. Actors are someone or something that “acts” on or with the system—such as a customer. Personas are fictitious characters that represent user types—such as Developer Dave. It is suggested that the people are as specific as possible. For the goal of “Increase revenue by 10% over the next 30 days,” examples of Who include (a) Existing Customer and (b) Prospective Customer.

Step 3: Answer “How?”

In this step, the impacts that need to be had on the actors/personas—for them to help achieve the goal (or minimize/avoid them being a hinderance)—are identified. Continuing on the example from steps 1-2, an impact for the Existing Customer is to (a) refer more friends and (b) have a larger order dollar value.

Step 4: Answer “What?”

The deliverable which is hoped to create the impact on the actors/personas to achieve the goal is identified in this step. Said differently, What is the deliverable related to the How in the prior step. Continuing on the example from steps 1-3, deliverables for Refer More Friends include (a) discount code and (b) referral bounty.

Recap and Putting the Results to Use

The impact map is a visual artifact, developed collaboratively while answering the four questions: “Why (Goal)?,” “Who (Actor/Persona)?,” “How (Impact)?,” and “What (Deliverable)?” The exercise may reveal considerable items for consideration. Everything does not need to be implemented, however. It is suggested that the entries are prioritized (such as determining the shortest path) and that the most important work is done.

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The illustration above incorporates some of the examples from this article. As shown, the shortest path involves providing a discount code related to existing customers referring more friends. In this case, that’s the work that should be done (at least done first).

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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.



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"Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions" Quoted by Informa Middle East




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Content from
Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions (Scott M. Graffius, author; Chris Hare and Colin Giffen, technical editors) is quoted in a piece by Informa Middle East. Informa is a leading Dubai-based company offering business intelligence, academic publishing, and services in event management.

A red arrow in the accompanying image (a higher resolution version is available
here) points out the quote. You can read the Informa article by Anishka Abraham—which includes what to do and avoid with metrics—here: https://www.informa-mea.com/blog/7-mistakes-to-avoid-when-measuring-innovation/.

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About Scott M. Graffius


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Scott M. Graffius, CSP, CSM, CSPO, PMP, ITIL, LSSGB is a project management expert, consultant, international speaker, and award-winning author. He is the CEO of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, a professional services firm, where he partners with client companies to help them achieve their strategic objectives and business initiatives through project management leadership. The consultancy provides project, program, portfolio, and PMO management services inclusive of agile, traditional, and hybrid development and delivery frameworks. Business results include upgraded responsiveness to business needs, faster delivery and time-to-market, improved on-budget performance, higher customer and stakeholder satisfaction, and greater competitive advantage. Scott is a former vice president of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more. He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.

His full bio is available here.

Connect with Scott on:


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About Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions

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Shifting customer needs are common in today's marketplace. Businesses must be adaptive and responsive to change while delivering an exceptional customer experience to be competitive.

There are a variety of frameworks supporting the development of products and services, and most approaches fall into one of two broad categories: traditional or agile. Traditional practices such as waterfall engage sequential development, while agile involves iterative and incremental deliverables. Organizations are increasingly embracing agile to manage projects, and best meet their business needs of rapid response to change, fast delivery speed, and more.

With clear and easy to follow step-by-step instructions,
Scott M. Graffius's award-winning Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions helps the reader:

  • Implement and use the most popular agile framework―Scrum;
  • Deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation to change, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement; and
  • Support innovation and drive competitive advantage.

Hailed by Literary Titan as “the book highlights the versatility of Scrum beautifully.”

Winner of 17 first place awards.

Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is available in paperback and ebook/Kindle in the United States and around the world. Some links by country follow.



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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.




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Half-Life for Posts on Different Social Media Platforms




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🔥 Scott M. Graffius periodically refreshes his research. The newest (2024) edition is here.

Social media is one of the most important aspects of digital marketing. Well-executed, it provides several benefits: improved brand and marketplace awareness, engagement with a worldwide audience, increased traffic, enhanced search engine optimization (SEO) rankings, and more.

The lifespan of posts is of interest. Because content can live forever, a more helpful metric is half-life. It’s the amount of time it takes for a post to receive half of its total engagements. As shown in the image above and described below, the half-life of posts varies by platform.

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Twitter


Facebook


Instagram


LinkedIn


YouTube


Pinterest


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Be mindful of the half-life values when posting content.

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🔥 The latest version of this article and visual is located here.

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Note: This article and the accompanying image were updated on October 20, 2019 to add YouTube and incorporate new data. In cases where there are multiple references for a metric and they report different values, the average is applied.

© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.



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"Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions" Quoted in Innovation Management




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Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions (Scott M. Graffius, author; Chris Hare and Colin Giffen, technical editors) was quoted by Julia Myllylä in her article which appears in Innovation Management. This Swedish-based publication has the mission to provide relevant, inspiring and actionable knowledge to businesses and individuals looking to increase their innovation capabilities.

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The quote from
Agile Scrum—“If you don’t collect any metrics, you’re flying blind. If you collect and focus on too many, they may be obstructing your field of view.”—is located at point 5 of the article. It was published on November 20, 2018, and you can read it here: http://www.innovationmanagement.se/2018/11/20/7-mistakes-to-avoid-when-measuring-innovation/.



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About Scott M. Graffius


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Scott M. Graffius, CSP, CSM, CSPO, PMP, ITIL, LSSGB is a project management expert, consultant, international speaker, and award-winning author. He is the CEO of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, a professional services firm, where he partners with client companies to achieve their strategic objectives and business initiatives through project management leadership. The consultancy provides project, program, portfolio, and PMO management services inclusive of agile, traditional, and hybrid development and delivery frameworks. Business results include upgraded responsiveness to business needs, faster delivery and time-to-market, improved on-budget performance, higher customer and stakeholder satisfaction, and greater competitive advantage. Scott is a former vice president of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more. He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.

His full bio is available here.

Connect with Scott on:


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About Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions

Scott_M_Graffius_Agile_Scrum_v22123007_LR_1000x1000_sq

Shifting customer needs are common in today's marketplace. Businesses must be adaptive and responsive to change while delivering an exceptional customer experience to be competitive.

There are a variety of frameworks supporting the development of products and services, and most approaches fall into one of two broad categories: traditional or agile. Traditional practices such as waterfall engage sequential development, while agile involves iterative and incremental deliverables. Organizations are increasingly embracing agile to manage projects, and best meet their business needs of rapid response to change, fast delivery speed, and more.

With clear and easy to follow step-by-step instructions,
Scott M. Graffius's award-winning Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions helps the reader:

  • Implement and use the most popular agile framework―Scrum;
  • Deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation to change, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement; and
  • Support innovation and drive competitive advantage.

Hailed by Literary Titan as “the book highlights the versatility of Scrum beautifully.”

Winner of 17 first place awards.

Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is available in paperback and ebook/Kindle in the United States and around the world. Some links by country follow.



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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.





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Scott M. Graffius to Speak at Project World Business Analyst World




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Scott M. Graffius, CEO of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions and author of Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, will be speaking at Project World * Business Analyst World Toronto 2019. He will be presenting best practices on agile project management, including tools and techniques which attendees will be able to immediately apply at work. His talk will be held on Tuesday, May 28, 2019 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Canada. You can read more about it here: http://bit.ly/AGILE-1.



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About Scott M. Graffius


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Scott M. Graffius, CSP, CSM, CSPO, PMP, ITIL, LSSGB is a project management expert, consultant, international speaker, and award-winning author.

Scott is the CEO of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, a professional services firm, where he partners with client companies to help them achieve their strategic objectives and business initiatives through project management leadership. The consultancy provides project, program, portfolio, and PMO management services inclusive of agile, traditional, and hybrid development and delivery frameworks. Business results include improved responsiveness to business needs, faster delivery and time-to-market, upgraded on-budget performance, higher customer and stakeholder satisfaction, and greater competitive advantage. For additional information including i
nfographics and more, visit http://Exceptional-PMO.com.

A fantastic agile transformation experience and result with a client in the entertainment industry was the inspiration for Scott’s book,
Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. The publication has garnered 17 first place awards. The credit is shared with Chris Hare and Colin Giffen, the technical editors on the book. Scott and Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions have been featured in Yahoo Finance, the Dallas Business Journal, BookLife by Publisher’s Weekly, Innovation Management, and additional media outlets. A trailer, high-resolution images, reviews, a detailed list of awards and more are available at https://AgileScrumGuide.com.

Scott is a former vice president of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more. He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.

He holds six professional certifications: Certified Scrum Professional (CSP), Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), Project Management Professional (PMP), Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL). He is a member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the IEEE Computer Society, the IEEE Consumer Electronics Society, the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society, the IEEE Internet of Things Community, and the IEEE Consultants Network.

Scott regularly speaks at conferences and other events in the United States and internationally where he delights audiences with presentations on agile, traditional, and hybrid project, program, portfolio, and PMO management. He integrates and includes professional standards, best practices, and his first-hand experience with successful implementations. Scott uses everyday language and vibrant visuals to make complex topics clear and understandable, and he provides audiences with practical information they can use. His upcoming and past appearances are listed at
http://scottgraffius.com/publicspeaker.html.

His full bio is available here.

Connect with Scott on:


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About Project World * Business Analyst World Toronto 2019

The conference—which appears stylized as ProjectWorld*BusinessAnalystWorld—is an educational and training event for project management and business analysis professionals. Thought leaders will arm attendees with new skills, tools, and techniques that can be immediately applied in the workplace. Over 30 expert speakers will present more than 40 interactive sessions, workshops, and keynotes. All sessions are Project Management Institute (PMI) and International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) accredited. Offering professional development units (PDUs) and continuing development units (CDUs) for each hour of learning, attendees can earn up to 26 credits over the four-day period. It will be held on May 27-30, 2019 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Canada. The official hashtag is #PWBAWTOR19. The website for the conference is here:
https://www.pmbaconferences.com/toronto.

© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.



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The Holiday Nice List: 11 Gifts to Impress




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The Holiday Nice List: 11 Gifts to Impress is a carefully curated list of highly rated items for all budgets.

Note: Values are the list price. The online price may be lower in some cases. This article contains affiliate links that may provide ScottGraffius.com earnings on purchases originating from them.

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1. LinkOn Multi-Adapter Cable

This cable is useful for anyone who has to charge USB-C, MicroUSB, and Lightning devices at the same time. $11.99, Amazon

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2. Rocketbook Erasable Notebook

How it works: Write, scan, send, and reuse. Like magic. $34.00, Amazon

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3. Fire TV Stick 4K with All-New Alexa Voice Remote, Streaming Media Player

The most powerful 4K streaming media stick with a new Wi-Fi antenna design optimized for 4K Ultra HD streaming, with more storage for apps and games than any other 4K streaming media stick. $49.99, Amazon

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4. Tile Pro

We all lose things. The Tile Pro helps us get them back quickly.
$59.99, Amazon

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5. Nightingale Sleep System

The compact Nightingale is the perfect white noise machine for home for on the go. $149.99, Amazon

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6. Zero Halliburton Profile Deluxe Backpack

Designed for the business person on the go. The backpack is made of strong and high-density Condura nylon that keeps electronics safe while one travels. The leather handle is ergonomically designed for comfort while holding. Each detail reflects the Zero Halliburton philosophy.
$275.00, Amazon

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7. Bose SoundLink Revolve+ Portable & Long-Lasting Bluetooth 360 Speaker

The best-performing portable speaker from Bose. Delivers Deep, loud, jaw-dropping sound with True 360-degree coverage. $299.00, Amazon

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8. Bose QuietComfort 35 (Series II) Wireless Headphones, Noise Cancelling

QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones II are the best from Bose. They’re engineered with world-class noise cancellation and direct access to Amazon Alexa and the Google Assistant for simple voice control on the go.
$349.00, Amazon

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9. U-Turn Orbit Special Turntable

Expressive and uncompromised playback. Beautiful hardwood bases.
$479.00, Amazon

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10. Sonos Play:5

Sonos’ biggest speaker—ideal for large rooms and wide open spaces—produces pristinely rich sound to impress even the most discerning audio enthusiast.
$499.99, Amazon

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11. Zero Halliburton Geo Black Aluminum 3.0 24” Suitcase

Rugged yet refined, the Geo Aluminum 3.0 suitcase is the pinnacle of style, innovation and craftsmanship. The 24-inch Geo Aluminum travel case is made from durable, anodized aluminum and styled with a modern interpretation of Zero Halliburton’s iconic double-ribbed design. For extra security, the bag is fastened with a sturdy piano hinge and draw-bolt latches with two TSA-approved combination locks. A neoprene gasket seal around the zippers offer an airtight closure. $796.00, Amazon

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And, if a gift card makes more sense …
Amazon offers them in the following popular denominations:

$25.00
$50.00
$100.00

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Happy Holidays!



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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.




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Public Speaking Engagements for Scott M. Graffius




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Scott M. Graffius presents thought leadership on project, program, portfolio, and PMO management related topics of timely importance. He regularly speaks at private and public events in the United States and internationally. This article provides an overview of his
prior speaking engagements.

(For a list of both prior and upcoming speaking engagements, visit
http://scottgraffius.com/publicspeaker.html.)

The most recent event is shown first.

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techstars

Scott spoke at Techstars Startup Week, where he presented "Agile Scrum Helps Innovators, Disruptors, and Entrepreneurs Develop and Deliver Products at Astounding Speed Which Drives Competitive Advantage" to an audience of startups and others in the entrepreneurial community on October 4, 2018.

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Scott presented “Agile Scrum: An Overview (Originally) for The Board of Directors of an Entertainment Company” at a meeting of the PMI California Central Valley Chapter (PMI-CCVC) on September 13, 2018.

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vegas

Scott facilitated an interactive workshop, “Retrospectives and Continuous Improvement in the Agile Scrum Framework,” at a private event in Las Vegas, Nevada on August 25, 2018.

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inland

Scott presented “Agile Scrum: An Overview (Originally) for The Board of Directors of an Entertainment Company” at a meeting of the PMI California Inland Empire Chapter (PMICIE) on August 14, 2018.

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Scott presented “Agile Scrum: An Overview (Originally) for The Board of Directors of an Entertainment Company” at a meeting of the PMI California Central Coast Chapter (PMI-4C) on June 28, 2018.

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LA

He was a guest speaker on agile project management at an event of the Project Management Institute Los Angeles Chapter (PMI-LA) on July 25, 2017.

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london

Scott gave an interactive talk on innovation and project management at a private meeting in London, England on February 9, 2017.

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For more information on Scott’s speaking engagements including a list of prior and upcoming engagements, visit
http://scottgraffius.com/publicspeaker.html.



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About Scott M. Graffius

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Scott M. Graffius, CSP, CSM, CSPO, PMP, ITIL, LSSGB is a project management expert, consultant, international speaker, and award-winning author. He is the CEO of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, a professional services firm, where he partners with client companies to achieve their strategic objectives and business initiatives through project management leadership. The consultancy provides project, program, portfolio, and PMO management services inclusive of agile, traditional, and hybrid development and delivery frameworks. Business results include upgraded responsiveness to business needs, faster delivery and time-to-market, improved on-budget performance, higher customer and stakeholder satisfaction, and greater competitive advantage. Scott is a former vice president of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more. He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.

His full bio is available here.

Connect with Scott on:


Follow_ScottGraffius_-_v22020507-SG-BLG-LR-SQ

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About Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions

Scott_M_Graffius_Agile_Scrum_v22123007_LR_1000x1000_sq

Shifting customer needs are common in today's marketplace. Businesses must be adaptive and responsive to change while delivering an exceptional customer experience to be competitive.

There are a variety of frameworks supporting the development of products and services, and most approaches fall into one of two broad categories: traditional or agile. Traditional practices such as waterfall engage sequential development, while agile involves iterative and incremental deliverables. Organizations are increasingly embracing agile to manage projects, and best meet their business needs of rapid response to change, fast delivery speed, and more.

With clear and easy to follow step-by-step instructions,
Scott M. Graffius's award-winning Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions helps the reader:

  • Implement and use the most popular agile framework―Scrum;
  • Deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation to change, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement; and
  • Support innovation and drive competitive advantage.

Hailed by Literary Titan as “the book highlights the versatility of Scrum beautifully.”

Winner of 17 first place awards.

Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is available in paperback and ebook/Kindle in the United States and around the world. Some links by country follow.




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About Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions

Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions (
http://Exceptional-PMO.com) helps organizations achieve their strategic objectives and business initiatives via world-class project management. The firm provides expert advisory, training, and facilitative consulting services related to project, program, portfolio, and PMO management in agile, traditional, and hybrid development and delivery frameworks.

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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.

Q&A with Author Chris Hare: Transforming Project Management into Time-Saving, Stress-Relieving Solutions for Parents of K-12 Students

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Author Chris Hare knows the meaning of “polymath”―but is too modest to use it about herself.

When you look at her resume, it’s an impressive array of roles: full-time project manager at such brand behemoths as Guitar Center, Adobe, Patagonia…and then there’s her role as Technical Editor on two Amazon best-sellers (
mine included), plus her many years as a playwright and contributing editor, and not to mention, role as wife and mother―and now, a newly self-published author of a book geared towards busy parents like herself. All that said, one has to wonder:

How does she do it all?

Well, when pressed about the polymath comparison, Chris joked: “If you define polymath as someone who can do many things well―including add and subtract―then you have the wrong girl!”

It’s this kind of relatable wit that is infused in her insightful new book: “
From Homework Hell to Help! A Parent’s Guide to 75 Solutions to Help Kids Save Time and Stress Less Using Project Management Techniques.” In its first two weeks on Amazon, it garnered an impressive “Amazon Hot New Releases” top ten ranking for both Parenting & Family Reference and Study Skills categories.

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SMG: So, where did the idea for this book come from, Chris?

CH: Basically, it was born out of the underpinnings and underbelly of my project management career, overlaid with my role as wife and mom. I needed a way to introduce balance, time management, and organizational skills in an already hectic life, and there they were all the time―within the tenets of basic project management, something I was already implementing every business day from 9-6.

SMG: What are your thoughts surrounding project-based learning as a trend?

CH:
I am happy to see that “project-based learning” has gone from buzz term and hashtag to mainstream usage in the school environment. I have personally seen an uptick in the amount of project-based work my sons have undertaken during their early school years and it’s a very favorable trend. I cannot underscore enough how critical it is for young students to learn the basic life skills of cooperation, teamwork, task management, organization, time management, people management, budgeting, risk management―and these are all part and parcel of project management.

SMG: This book is clearly for parents, but I can see it benefitting other audience types as well.

CH: “From Homework Hell to Help!” primarily targets parents/caregivers, that’s true; however, there is a section devoted to students. I call the book a “Parent’s Guide,” as it’s geared towards the parent/caregiver working in collaboration with their student(s). And, even though it is education-related, it’s not geared toward educators, but I can see them getting sufficient usage out of this content as well.

SMG: As you just mentioned, and is also apparent in your book, you take great care to use the term “parents/caregivers,” rather than simply “parents.”

CH: This was done with purposeful, inclusive intent. I wanted to make sure I was not isolating any one group who holds this very important role. In the end, this book is for parents, whether they be: stay-at-home, working, single, military, special needs, adoptive, custodial—any singular or pair of individuals who are responsible for a child or children in grades K-12.

At the same time, the “child” or “student” I refer to in the book embraces all inclusive types and neurodiversity. So, whether you have a child on the spectrum, or one with ADHD, these same modalities can be applied, and there are also some strategies that may be more effective for those with certain propensities, such as being more visually oriented.

SMG: I think you have a unique opportunity here that inadvertently markets to some other unsung audience members: the wannabe personal or professional project manager!

CH: That’s right! It’s inferred with my second, unofficial subhead inside the book: “Plus: The quickest possible ramp-up for everyone else on using project management in your everyday life!” If you’re a wannabe professional project manager, this is a great 101 that won’t bore you to tears; it takes the project management-babble and explains concepts in real-world terms that everyone can understand.

And, if you’re just a person who’s looking for ways to better manage your time and be more organized, several of the problems and solutions can be flipped and used to apply to your situation. Many others can be used directly, such as how to manage successful meetings, Outlook and email shortcuts and tips to help you work more quickly, how to write effective notes, and helpful time-saving apps.


SMG: Another thing that struck me while reading this book is how it is structured, which is unique. Can you talk a bit about that?

CH: Sure. The book, while containing background information on what project management is to set the tone, is structured around project subject matter, with a problem/solution-based schema throughout. So, for example, if you’re looking at the section covering how to work with others (aka teamwork), you will see problems that a child might encounter on this topic, such as: “My child has taken on a leadership role and is not meshing well with others.” Then, I offer real-world, easy-to-consume solutions extrapolated from project management principles to be used to solve those problems.

SMG: You mentioned giving some background information on what project management is. Do you feel people still generally need an explanation of what it is, and why do you think that is?

CH:
Absolutely. As you and I both know well, being practicing project managers for the many years we have being doing so, there pervades a sense of mystery, misconception, and stigma surrounding the practice of project management. And, I hoped I have helped to crush those mysteries, misconceptions, and stigmas! I included an opening section on how I explained what the concept of project management was to my sons, who were the first to pose this basic question to me. I also go a bit into how project management evolved, for a significant historical perspective, as well as the benefits of project management, to give parents and students as sense of WIIFM.

SMG: Excellent. So, what’s next for you?

CH:
Other than marketing this book, I am thinking of jumping into a new one, this time focused on helping future project managers to break into the field. I eventually would like to publish some of my fiction works, but that will have to be backlogged until there’s a bigger aperture of time.

SMG: Speaking of time, thanks for sharing yours with me, Chris! Where can readers find your book?

CH: You’re welcome, Scott! Thanks for having me; this was fun. My book can be found here: bit.ly/helltohelp

SMG: Would you like to also share where readers can get in touch with you?

CH:
Sure. Here is how to reach me via various online and social media means:

Also, I can be reached via email at: authorchrishare@gmail.com. I love to hear what my readers think, so drop me a line and let me know your thoughts!

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Scott M. Graffius Featured in Success Story by BEA




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The Book Excellence Awards features Scott M. Graffius, author of Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, in a story. The article highlights factors contributing to the book's success — including credit to Chris Hare and Colin Giffen, the technical editors on the publication. You can check out the story at https://www.bookexcellenceawards.com/scott-graffius-success-story.

About Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions

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Shifting customer needs are common in today's marketplace. Businesses must be adaptive and responsive to change while delivering an exceptional customer experience to be competitive.

There are a variety of frameworks supporting the development of products and services, and most approaches fall into one of two broad categories: traditional or agile. Traditional practices such as waterfall engage sequential development, while agile involves iterative and incremental deliverables. Organizations are increasingly embracing agile to manage projects, and best meet their business needs of rapid response to change, fast delivery speed, and more.

With clear and easy to follow step-by-step instructions,
Scott M. Graffius's award-winning Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions helps the reader:

  • Implement and use the most popular agile framework―Scrum;
  • Deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation to change, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement; and
  • Support innovation and drive competitive advantage.

Hailed by Literary Titan as “the book highlights the versatility of Scrum beautifully.”

Winner of 17 first place awards.

Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is available in paperback and ebook/Kindle in the United States and around the world. Some links by country follow.



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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.




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Talk at Techstars Startup Week in the Inland Empire on October 4, 2018



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I had the pleasure of speaking to a highly-engaged audience of startups and others in the entrepreneurial community at the Techstars Startup Week in the Inland Empire on Thursday, October 4th. My talk was on agile project management. It covered Scrum—including the roles, responsibilities, tools, and techniques unique to the framework—with a focus on best practices and top factors in typical successful implementations. Benefits such as rapid adaptation to change, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement were incorporated in the talk as well.

Thank you to everyone who attended the event. Special thanks to
Steve Massa and all of the conference organizers, Michael Ring for managing the control booth/ops in the theater, and Lara Phillips for the excellent photographs of the event.

Here's the link to the home page for the Techstars Startup Week conference: https://ie.startupweek.co.

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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.




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Scott M. Graffius to Serve as Subject Matter Expert Reviewer of Content for PMI EMEA Congress 2019




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This story contains excerpts from a press release located here.

Scott M. Graffius will
serve as a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the Project Management Institute (PMI) Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) Congress 2019. The conference will be held from May 13-15 at the Convention Centre Dublin in Dublin, Ireland. For more information and to register for the event, visit https://www.pmi.org/emea-congress.

Certificate of Appreciation from Project Management Institute to Scott M Graffius for Volunteer Engagements in 2019 - LR-SQ
After the volunteer engagement, the Project Management Institute provided Scott M. Graffius with the above in recognition of his service



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About Scott M. Graffius


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Scott M. Graffius, PMP, CSP, CSM, CSPO, ITIL, LSSGB is a project management expert, consultant, international speaker, and author.

He is the CEO of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions
, a management consulting firm with expertise in project management. Graffius is a former vice president of project management with a global, publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more. He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.

A fantastic agile transformation experience and result with a client in the entertainment industry was the inspiration for Graffius
book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. It helps technical and non-technical teams develop and deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation to change, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement—which supports innovation while driving competitive advantage. The book, which was published in 2016, has since garnered 17 first place awards. A trailer, high-resolution images, reviews, a detailed list of awards and more are available at: https://agilescrumguide.com.

Graffius holds six professional certifications: Certified Scrum Professional (CSP), Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), Project Management Professional (PMP), Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and IT Service Management (ITIL). He is a member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the IEEE Computer Society, the IEEE Consumer Electronics Society, the IEEE Internet of Things Community, and the IEEE Consultants Network.

He has also been actively involved in the development of professional global standards. Graffius was a member of Project Management Institute (PMI) standards team which produced the
Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition. Scott was a contributor and reviewer of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge—Sixth Edition, a contributor and reviewer of The Standard for Program Management—Fourth Edition, a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI Global Congress 2016, and a judge for the PMI 2015 Professional Education Provider of the Year Award. He is currently engaged as a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI EMEA Congress 2019.

Graffius presents thought leadership on project, program, portfolio, and PMO management related topics of timely importance. He regularly speaks at private and public events in the United States and internationally.

His full bio is available here.

Connect with Scott on:


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About the Project Management Institute

The Project Management Institute (https://www.pmi.org) is the world's leading association for those who consider project, program or portfolio management their profession. Founded in 1969, PMI delivers value for more than three million professionals working in nearly every country in the world through global advocacy, collaboration, education and research. The PMI advances careers, improves organizational success and further matures the project management profession through globally-recognized standards, certifications, communities, resources, tools, academic research, publications, professional development courses and networking opportunities.

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About the PMI EMEA Congress 2019

The PMI is passionate about helping its members to bring about positive change. PMI EMEA Congress 2019 (
https://www.pmi.org/emea-congress) will give attendees the concepts, skills and behaviours needed to make a difference. Over three days, attendees will hear innovative keynotes and cutting-edge global perspectives on fast-moving project management profession. Attendees will leave with skills they can apply straightaway to solve your challenges and develop their careers. The conference will be held from May 13-15 at the Convention Centre Dublin in Dublin, Ireland.

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About Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions™

Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions™ (
http://exceptional-pmo.com) helps organizations achieve their strategic objectives and business initiatives via world-class project management. The professional services firm provides expert advisory, training, and facilitative consulting services related to project, program, portfolio, and PMO management in agile, traditional/waterfall, and hybrid development and delivery frameworks.

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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.




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Yahoo Finance: Scott M. Graffius to Speak on Agile Scrum at Techstars Startup Week




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Scott M. Graffius, Founder and CEO of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions™, will be speaking at Techstars Startup Week. A press release, distributed today, was carried by Yahoo Finance and other media outlets. You can read it on Yahoo Finance here.

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Talk by Scott M. Graffius at PMI California Central Valley Chapter Dinner Meeting on September 13, 2018




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I had the honor of speaking on agile project management at a dinner meeting of the Project Management Institute - California Central Valley Chapter (PMI-CCVC) in Bakersfield last night. The presentation provided a highly visual overview of Scrum — including the roles, responsibilities, tools, and techniques unique to the framework — with a focus on best practices and top factors typical in successful implementations.

Thank you to Fred Valenzano for the invitation and thank you to all of the PMI-CCVC members who attended the session. I enjoyed meeting and talking with everyone.

The feedback was fantastic. For those not at the event: an example of a sticky note used to collect comments at the end of the meeting is shown (the example is a blank one — not filled out — for privacy). It's excellent to know "What Went Well?" Potential improvements, however, typically come from the other question: "What Would You Change?" (Additionally, attendees can provide feedback via an online survey.) All of the feedback is important, appreciated, and valued.

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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.






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Scott M. Graffius to Speak on Agile Scrum at Techstars Startup Week - Inland Empire




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Scott M. Graffius, CEO of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions™, will be speaking at Techstars Startup Week. He will be presenting "Agile Scrum Helps Innovators, Disruptors, and Entrepreneurs Develop and Deliver Products at Astounding Speed Which Drives Competitive Advantage." The talk will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 4, 2018 at The Box Riverside (also known as The Box Theater) in Riverside, CA. For more information and to register for the event, please visit https://ie.startupweek.co.

Techstars Startup Week provides presentations, workshops, events, and mentoring sessions designed to inspire, educate, and advance startups and others in the local entrepreneurial community.

Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions™ helps organizations achieve their strategic objectives and business initiatives via world-class project management. The firm provides expert advisory, training, and facilitative consulting services related to project, program, portfolio, and PMO management in agile, traditional/waterfall, and hybrid development and delivery frameworks.


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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.





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“Agile Scrum" Guide Nabs Silver Medal from Readers' Favorite International Book Awards




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Scott M. Graffius of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions™ had consulting engagements with a division of a global entertainment business. A fantastic agile transformation experience and result with that client was the inspiration for Scott's book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. This is an update on the book.

Agile Scrum won the silver medal in the Business/Finance category at the 2018 Readers' Favorite International Book Awards. A press release from Scott is located here and the news is presented below as well.

★★★★★

Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions
by Scott M. Graffius helps technical and non-technical teams develop and deliver products at astounding speed with rapid adaptation to change and continuous improvement which supports innovation and drives competitive advantage. Reactions to the book have been incredibly positive. The latest accolade comes from the 2018 Readers' Favorite International Book Awards (https://readersfavorite.com/2018-award-contest-winners.htm), which awarded Agile Scrum with the silver medal in the Business/Finance category. With thousands of entries ranging from New York Times bestsellers to works from first-time self-published authors, the program is one of the largest book competitions. Graffius will be presented with the silver medal on stage at a gala in Miami, Florida on Saturday, November 17, 2018.



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About the Author

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Scott M. Graffius, PMP, CSP, CSM, CSPO, ITIL, LSSGB is a project management expert, consultant, author, and international speaker. He is the Founder and CEO of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, a management consulting firm. Scott is a former vice president of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.

His full bio is available here.

Connect with Scott on:


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About Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions

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Shifting customer needs are common in today's marketplace. Businesses must be adaptive and responsive to change while delivering an exceptional customer experience to be competitive.

There are a variety of frameworks supporting the development of products and services, and most approaches fall into one of two broad categories: traditional or agile. Traditional practices such as waterfall engage sequential development, while agile involves iterative and incremental deliverables. Organizations are increasingly embracing agile to manage projects, and best meet their business needs of rapid response to change, fast delivery speed, and more.

With clear and easy to follow step-by-step instructions,
Scott M. Graffius's award-winning Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions helps the reader:

  • Implement and use the most popular agile framework―Scrum;
  • Deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation to change, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement; and
  • Support innovation and drive competitive advantage.

Hailed by Literary Titan as “the book highlights the versatility of Scrum beautifully.”

Winner of 17 first place awards.

Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is available in paperback and ebook/Kindle in the United States and around the world. Some links by country follow.



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About Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions

Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions
(http://Exceptional-PMO.com) helps organizations achieve their strategic objectives and business initiatives via world-class project management. The firm provides expert advisory, training, and facilitative consulting services related to project, program, portfolio, and PMO management in agile, traditional, and hybrid development and delivery frameworks.

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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.






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Scott M. Graffius Speaking at PMI California Central Valley Chapter




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Scott M. Graffius will present “Agile Scrum: An Overview (Originally) for The Board of Directors of an Entertainment Company” at a public event of the Project Management Institute California Central Valley Chapter (PMI-CCVC) on September 13, 2018. His talk provides a vibrant and highly visual overview of Scrum, the most popular agile framework for the development and delivery of products and services. For more information and to register for the event, visit here.

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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.




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Talk at Project Management Institute California Inland Empire Chapter on August 14, 2018




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I had the pleasure of speaking on agile project management at a public
event of the Project Management Institute California Inland Empire Chapter (PMICIE) on August 14th. My talk was titled "Agile Scrum: An Overview (Originally) for The Board of Directors of an Entertainment Company." It covered Scrum — including the roles, responsibilities, tools, and techniques unique to the framework — with a focus on best practices and top factors in typical successful implementations.

Thank you to William Parris, PMICIE President, and Stacey Wong, PMICIE Vice President of Programs, for the invitation and thank you to everyone who attended the session. I enjoyed meeting and talking with everyone.

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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.






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Scott M. Graffius Presents Thought Leadership on Project and PMO Management; Listed at SpeakerHub




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I'm pleased to present thought leadership on project, program, portfolio, and PMO management related topics of timely importance. I've delivered talks at private and public events in the United States and internationally. Examples of upcoming and past events follow.

  • Scheduled to present “Agile Scrum: An Overview (Originally) for The Board of Directors of an Entertainment Company” at a public event of the Project Management Institute California Inland Empire Chapter (PMICIE) on August 14, 2018.
  • Delivered a talk—“Agile Scrum: An Overview (Originally) for The Board of Directors of an Entertainment Company”—at a public event of the Project Management Institute California Central Coast Chapter (PMI-4C) on June 28, 2018.
  • Spoke on agile project management at a public event of the Project Management Institute Los Angeles Chapter (PMI-LA) on July 25, 2017.
  • Delivered a talk on innovation and project management at a private event in London, England on February 9, 2017.

I'm now on SpeakerHub. My profile includes information on availability, fees, pro bono work, and more.

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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.




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"Agile Scrum" Now Available to Wider Audience Through More Retailers, Bookstores, Libraries, Academic Institutions, and Distributors




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Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions
(Scott M. Graffius, author; Chris Hare and Colin Giffen, technical editors) helps teams deliver products and services in short cycles with rapid adaptation to change, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement—which supports innovation and drives competitive advantage. Reactions to the book have been incredibly positive. It has won 17 first place awards.

I've been proud to have Amazon as the exclusive channel for Agile Scrum. Last month I received an email from a bookstore who wanted to carry the publication and asked about ordering it for resale. And on Monday of this week, a different bookstore called and had the same question. However, under the exclusive arrangement, distribution was limited to Amazon, and the bookstores were not able to get Agile Scrum for resale. To make the book available to those sellers—and others—I transitioned it to Expanded Distribution.

Both the print and ebook formats of Agile Scrum will still be available at Amazon, just not exclusively. Expanded Distribution provides access to a larger audience through more online retailers, bookstores, libraries, academic institutions, and distributors. With the change, Agile Scrum is now available for order through the following channels (in addition to Amazon):

  • Bookstores and Online Retailers - available to online and offline retailers such as Barnes & Noble and to distributors such as Ingram and the National Association of College Stores, Inc. (NACSCORP).
  • Libraries and Academic Institutions - offered through Baker & Taylor to libraries and academic institutions.
  • CreateSpace Direct - available to certified resellers through the CreateSpace Direct wholesale website.

The move to Expanded Distribution was initiated on July 5.

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Agile Scrum is offered in ebook/Kindle format (ASIN: B01FZ0JIIY) in:

🇦🇺 Australia from Amazon.com.au
🇦🇹 Austria from Amazon.de
🇧🇪 Belgium from Amazon.fr
🇧🇷 Brazil from Amazon.com.br
🇨🇦 Canada from Amazon.ca
🇫🇷 France from Amazon.fr
🇩🇪 Germany from Amazon.de
🇮🇳 India from Amazon.in
🇮🇪 Ireland from Amazon.co.uk
🇮🇹 Italy from Amazon.it
🇯🇵 Japan from Amazon.co.jp
🇱🇮 Liechtenstein from Amazon.de
🇱🇺 Luxembourg from Amazon.de
🇲🇽 Mexico from Amazon.com.mx
🇲🇨 Monaco from Amazon.fr
🇳🇱 Netherlands from Amazon.nl
🇳🇿 New Zealand from Amazon.com.au
🇸🇲 San Marino from Amazon.it
🇪🇸 Spain from Amazon.es
🇨🇭 Switzerland from Amazon.de
🇬🇧 United Kingdom from Amazon.co.uk
🇺🇸 United States of America from Amazon.com
🇻🇦 Vatican City from Amazon.it

Agile Scrum is sold in paperback (ISBN-13: 9781533370242) in:

🇦🇼 Aruba from The Book Depository (via UK/Australia)
🇦🇺
Australia from Amazon.com.au
🇦🇹 Austria from Bokus.com (via Sweden)
🇧🇸 Bahamas from The Book Depository (via UK/Australia)
🇧🇪 Belgium from Bokus.com (via Sweden)
🇨🇦 Canada from Amazon.ca
🇨🇿 Czech Republic from Bokus.com (via Sweden)
🇩🇰 Denmark from The Book Depository (via UK/Australia)
🇫🇯 Fiji from The Book Depository (via UK/Australia)
🇫🇮 Finland from Bokus.com (via Sweden)
🇫🇷 France from Amazon.fr
🇩🇪 Germany from Amazon.de
🇬🇷 Greece from Bokus.com (via Sweden)
🇭🇺 Hungary from Bokus.com (via Sweden)
🇮🇸 Iceland from Bokus.com (via Sweden)
🇮🇳 India from Amazon.in
🇮🇪 Ireland from Amazon.co.uk
🇮🇱 Israel from The Book Depository (via UK/Australia)
🇮🇹 Italy from Amazon.it
🇯🇲 Jamaica from The Book Depository (via UK/Australia)
🇯🇵 Japan from Amazon.co.jp
🇱🇺 Luxembourg from Bokus.com (via Sweden)
🇲🇽 Mexico from Amazon.com.mx
🇲🇨 Monaco from Bokus.com (via Sweden)
🇳🇱 Netherlands from bol.com
🇳🇿 New Zealand from Fishpond.co.nz, Amazon.com (via USA), and Booktopia.com.au (via Australia)
🇳🇴 Norway from Bokus.com (via Sweden)
🇵🇪 Peru from The Book Depository (via UK/Australia)
🇵🇭 Philippines from The Book Depository (via UK/Australia)
🇵🇷 Puerto Rico from The Book Depository (via UK/Australia)
🇸🇬 Singapore from OpenTrolley Bookstore
🇿🇦 South Africa from Loot.co.za
🇰🇷 South Korea from Bokus.com (via Sweden)
🇪🇸 Spain from Amazon.es
🇸🇪 Sweden from Adlibris.com
🇨🇭 Switzerland from Bokus.com (via Sweden)
🇺🇦 Ukraine from The Book Depository (via UK/Australia)
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates from Amazon.ae
🇬🇧 United Kingdom from Amazon.co.uk, Blackwell's, and The Book Depository
🇺🇸 United States of America from Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, AbeBooks, Books-a-Million, Diesel Bookstore (Santa Monica, California), Laguna Beach Books (Laguna Beach, California), Warwick’s (La Jolla, California), The Booksmith (San Francisco, California), University Press Books (Berkeley, California), Compass Books at SFO/Books Inc. (San Francisco, California), University of Arizona Bookstore (Tucson, Arizona), Strand Books (New York, New York), Hudson Booksellers (New York, New York), Harvard Book Store (Cambridge, Massachusetts), Savoy Bookshop & Café (Westerly, Rhode Island), Books & Books (Miami, Florida), and others
🇻🇳 Vietnam from U-buy.vn

Get your copy today!


Review copies of Agile Scrum are available to members of broadcast, print or online media. Visit http://bit.ly/REVIEW-COPY.

For more information on the book and to connect on social:

- Digital press kit https://AgileScrumGuide.com
- Trailer http://bit.ly/ASG-TRAILER
- Video channel https://bit.ly/ASG-CHANNEL
- Amazon https://amzn.to/2fVA3lW
- Twitter http://bit.ly/ASG-TWITTER
- Facebook https://bit.ly/ASG-ON-FB
- Instagram https://bit.ly/ASG-INSTA
- Pinterest http://bit.ly/ASG-PIN
- Blog https://bit.ly/AGILE-BLOG

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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.




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"Agile Scrum" Bonus Content Updated on 5 July 2018


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Scott M. Graffius of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions™ had consulting engagements with a division of a global entertainment business. A fantastic agile transformation experience and result with that client was the inspiration for Scott's book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. This is an update on the book.

Online bonus material—containing an ever-growing list of supplemental content that comes free with the purchase of Agile Scrum—was updated today. Contents include satisfaction survey examples, quizzes, tools, select resources, and more. Instructions on how to access the online bonus material are provided inside the publication (both the ebook and the paperback format of the book).

For more information on
Agile Scrum and to connect on social:


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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.



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Talk by Scott M. Graffius at PMI California Central Coast Chapter Event on June 28, 2018


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Thank you, California Central Coast chapter of the Project Management Institute (PMI-4C), for inviting me to speak at your June 28, 2018 meeting, where I presented “Agile Scrum: An Overview (Originally) for The Board of Directors of an Entertainment Company.” The turnout was fantastic, and it was a pleasure and honor to speak with such an engaging audience.

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Special thanks to Chris Hare and Colin Giffen—the technical editors on the award-winning book,
Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions—for their involvement.

Thanks to PMI-4C's Michael Peter and Robert Tucker for organizing and managing the event.

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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.






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“Agile Scrum: An Overview (Originally) for The Board of Directors of an Entertainment Company” Talk at PMI-4C Chapter

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Scott M. Graffius will deliver a talk—“Agile Scrum: An Overview (Originally) for The Board of Directors of an Entertainment Company”—at a public meeting of the Project Management Institute California Central Coast Chapter (PMI-4C) on June 28, 2018. For more information, and to register for the event, visit here.

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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.


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Scott M. Graffius Speaking at PMI California Inland Empire Chapter

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Scott M. Graffius will deliver a talk—“Agile Scrum: An Overview (Originally) for The Board of Directors of an Entertainment Company”—at a public meeting of the Project Management Institute California Inland Empire (PMICIE) Chapter on August 14, 2018. For more information, and to register for the event, visit here.

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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.






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“Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions” Wins First Place in Business at Pacific Book Awards

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Scott M. Graffius of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions™ had consulting engagements with a division of a global entertainment business. A fantastic agile transformation experience and result with that client was the inspiration for Scott's book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. This is an update on the book.

Agile Scrum won first place in the Business category at the 2018 International Pacific Book Awards. A press release from Scott M. Graffius, the author of the book, is located here. Additionally, the text from the release is presented below.

Los Angeles, CA — Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions (Scott M. Graffius, author; Chris Hare and Colin Giffen, technical editors) won first place in the Business category of the 2018 International Pacific Book Awards. The annual program is sponsored by Pacific Book Review—a literary review outlet, and a member of the National Book Critics Circle and the National Education Association. The competition was open to English-language books in print, e-book, and audiobook formats worldwide. The judging panel included professionals with expertise in the categories over which they presided, as well as experts from the fields of editing, reviewing, and publishing. Books were evaluated on innovation, originality, and readability. Results will be announced to booksellers, publishers, public and academic librarians, wholesalers, distributors, and agents through the sponsor's site, Publishers Weekly, and additional outlets.

There are a variety of frameworks supporting the development of products, and most approaches fall into one of two broad categories: traditional or agile. Traditional practices engage sequential development, while agile models involve iterative and incremental deliverables. Organizations are increasingly embracing agile to best meet their business needs—and successfully manage projects, innovate, and prosper at astounding speed.

Scott released
Agile Scrum to provide those interested or involved in innovation, product development, project management, software development or technology management with a roadmap to implement Scrum, the most popular agile framework. It helps technical and non-technical teams deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation to change, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement—which supports innovation and drives competitive advantage.

Reactions to
Agile Scrum have been incredibly positive. Earlier honors include 16 first place wins from national and international competitions: the 5th Annual Beverly Hills International Book Awards (for Business-General, and also for Technology), 2016 London Book Festival (for Business), Fall 2016 Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards (for Business), 2017 Feathered Quill Book Awards (for Informational), 2016 New Apple Book Awards (for Technology), 2017 Independent Press Award (for Technology), 11th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards (for Technology), 2017 Pacific Rim Book Festival (for Business), 2017 Bookvana Awards (for Green/Conscious Business), 2017 Book Excellence Awards (for Technology), 2017 Best Book Awards (for Business Reference), 2017 New York City Big Book Awards (for Technology), 2017 Royal Dragonfly Book Awards (for Science & Technology), 2017 Human Relations Indie Book Awards (for Workplace), and the 2018 Florida Book Festival (for Business).



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About the Author

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Scott M. Graffius, PMP, CSP, CSM, CSPO, ITIL, LSSGB is a project management expert, consultant, international speaker, and author. He founded and is CEO of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, an Inc. Verified Business, which helps organizations better solve their problems and capitalize on opportunities via world-class project management related services. Results include more consistent realization of business outcomes, faster delivery speed, improved on-budget performance, higher satisfaction, and more. A fantastic agile transformation experience and result with a client in the entertainment industry was the inspiration for Scott's book, Agile Scrum. He is a former vice president of a provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet including social networking and internet access. Before that, Scott worked in organizations with businesses ranging from advanced technology products and services to business services, retail, e-commerce, manufacturing, and entertainment. He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets, as well as experience spanning 20 countries.

His full bio is available here.

Connect with Scott on:


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About the Book

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Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is offered in digital and print formats.

The ebook (ASIN: B01FZ0JIIY) is available in:


The
paperback (ISBN-13: 9781533370242) is for sale at:


Specs are detailed at
AgileScrumGuide.com.

Review copies of
Agile Scrum are available to members of broadcast, print or online media. Visit bit.ly/REVIEW-COPY.

Visit
AgileScrumGuide.com to learn more about the book. For information on the Pacific Book Review and their international awards program, visit pacificbookreview.com.

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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.





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The Importance of Managing Work in Progress (WIP)

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The following example illustrates the importance of managing work in progress (WIP). While the scenarios pertain to a Scrum project, the point applies to other types of projects—such as Kanban and SAFe—as well.

Take a look at the results at the end of a sprint on a Scrum project. There are two scenarios. Both have the same user stories with the same story points for each:

  • User story 1: 13 story points
  • User story 2: 8 story points
  • User story 3: 3 story points
  • User story 4: 5 story points
  • User story 5: 1 story point
  • User story 6: 3 story points
  • User story 7: 1 story point

Scenario A

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Here are some details on A:

  • User story 1: 70 hours of work performed, 5 hours of work remaining
  • User story 2: 51 hours of work performed, no work remaining (and it meets the Definition of Done [DoD])
  • User story 3: 45 hours of work performed, 13 hours of work remaining
  • User story 4: 29 hours of work performed, no work remaining (and it meets the DoD)
  • User story 5: 3 hours of work performed, 2 hours of work remaining
  • User story 6: 30 hours of work performed, 17 hours of work remaining
  • User story 7: 4 hours of work performed, 1 hour of work remaining

A is summarized as:

  • 232 hours of work was performed, and 38 hours of work remains
  • 2 user stories were done, and 5 user stories were not completed

Scenario B

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Here are some details on B:

  • User story 1: 75 hours of work performed, no work remaining (and it meets the DoD)
  • User story 2: 51 hours of work performed, no work remaining (and it meets the DoD)
  • User story 3: 58 hours of work performed, no work remaining (and it meets the DoD)
  • User story 4: 29 hours of work performed, no work remaining (and it meets the DoD)
  • User story 5: 5 hours of work performed, no work remaining (and it meets the DoD)
  • User story 6: 14 hours of work performed, 33 hours of work remaining
  • User story 5: no work performed, and five hours of work remaining

B is summarized as:

  • 232 hours of work was performed, and 38 hours of work remains
  • 5 user stories were done, and 2 user stories were not completed

What Counts

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Scrum requires teams to build an increment of functionality during every sprint. Only work meeting the Definition of Done (DoD) is counted as complete, demonstrated at the sprint review meeting, and is potentially shippable.

There were two scenarios. Both had the same user stories with the same story points for each, and the same amount of work hours performed. Yet the outcomes were dramatically different. In A, 2 user stories were done--and are to be demonstrated at the sprint review meeting, and are potentially shippable. In B, 5 user stories were done--and are to be demonstrated at the sprint review meeting, and are potentially shippable. B is the better scenario.

A possible explanation for the differences between the two situations is that the Scrum team in B may have done a better job of limiting Work in Progress.

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To learn more about agile/Scrum, check out the award-winning book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. You're invited to visit the digital press kit, watch the trailer, and pick up a copy of the publication. It’s offered in digital and print formats.

The ebook (ASIN: B01FZ0JIIY) is available in:


The
paperback (ISBN-13: 9781533370242) is for sale at:


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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.





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Are Agile and Scrum Limited to Technology Projects or Technology Industries?

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Shifting customer needs are common in today's marketplace. Businesses must be adaptive and responsive to change while delivering an exceptional customer experience to be competitive. Traditional development and delivery frameworks are often ineffective. In contrast, Scrum is a value-driven agile approach which incorporates adjustments based on regular and repeated customer and stakeholder feedback. And Scrum's built-in rapid response to change leads to substantial benefits such as fast time-to-market, higher satisfaction, and continuous improvement—which supports innovation and drives competitive advantage.

Agile and Scrum were once the sole domain of software development. However, the benefits and results have not gone unnoticed by others. Practices are being adopted by additional departments and industries. Examples follow.

  • The State of Scrum Report(1) revealed that 21% of Scrum projects are run by departments outside of Technology such as Marketing, Finance, and Sales.
  • An article published in The New York Times(2) noted agile's use in diverse industries—with examples ranging from a museum in Sydney, Australia, to an automobile dealership in Maine.
  • A business brief(3) illustrated how varied businesses—including John Deere, NPR, and Mission Bell Winery—employed agile.

In summary, agile and Scrum are used broadly. For more information on agile/Scrum, pick up a copy of the award-winning book,
Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. For more information on the publication, and to connect:


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References:

(1) Scrum Alliance (2017). The State of Scrum Report. Westminster, CO: Scrum Alliance, Inc.
(2) Hardy, Q. (2016, November 25). "The New Workplace is Agile, and Nonstop. Can You Keep Up?" The New York Times, page B1.
(3) Rigby, D. K., Berez, S., Caimi, G., and Noble, A. (2016).
Bain Brief: Agile Innovation. Boston, MA: Bain & Company.

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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.




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"Agile Scrum" Book Trailer — Updated on 13 April 2018



Agile Scrum Guide | Official Book Trailer from Scott Graffius on Vimeo.


Scott M. Graffius of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions™ had consulting engagements with a division of a global entertainment business. A fantastic agile transformation experience with that client was the inspiration for his book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. This is an update on the book.

The new book trailer for Agile Scrum is live at https://vimeo.com/178858753 (and it can be played above). This new version highlights some editorial reviews, and it features fresh music and additional updates. The total run time is 1 minute.

Scott_M_Graffius_-_Agile_Scrum_-_International_v-22020507-ASG-BLG-LR-SQ

Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is offered in digital and print formats.

The ebook (ASIN: B01FZ0JIIY) is available in:


The
paperback (ISBN-13: 9781533370242) is for sale at:


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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.



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"Agile Scrum" Author Interview of Scott M. Graffius for Literary Titan

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Scott M. Graffius of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions™ had consulting engagements with a division of a global entertainment business. A fantastic agile transformation experience with that client was the inspiration for his book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. This is an update on the book.

On March 16, Literary Titan published their review of Agile Scrum—“The book highlights the versatility of Scrum beautifully”—and they gave it five stars. On April 6, the program honored Agile Scrum with their Gold Award.

Today, Literary Titan published an
interview I did for them. It's titled "That Fantastic Agile Transformation Experience: Scott M. Graffius Author Interview," and you're invited to check it out.

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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.



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“Agile Scrum" Business and Technology Guide Recognized by Shelf Unbound Competition

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Today,
Shelf Unbound named Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions a Top 100 Indie Book. A press release from Scott M. Graffius, the author of the book, is located here. Additionally, the text from the release is provided below.

Los Angeles, CA — Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions (Scott M. Graffius, author; Chris Hare and Colin Giffen, technical editors) was named one of the Notable 100 independently published books. The awards program is sponsored by Shelf Unbound, an international review magazine which connects readers with the best books from independent publishers. The contest was open to English-language works in digital and print formats from small press, academic press, and self-published authors. Editors of Shelf Unbound judged the entries, and the top hundred books are included in the Notable 100. The news is featured on page 90 of the April/May issue of Shelf Unbound magazine.

There are a variety of frameworks supporting the development of products, and most approaches fall into one of two broad categories: traditional or agile. Traditional practices engage sequential development, while agile models involve iterative and incremental deliverables. Organizations are increasingly embracing agile to best meet their business needs—and successfully manage projects, innovate, and prosper at astounding speed.

Scott released
Agile Scrum to provide those interested or involved in innovation, product development, project management, software development or technology management with a roadmap to implement Scrum, the most popular agile framework. It helps teams develop and deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation to change, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement—which supports innovation and drives competitive advantage.

Reactions to
Agile Scrum have been incredibly positive. Earlier honors include 16 first place wins from national and international competitions: the 5th Annual Beverly Hills International Book Awards (for Business-General, and also for Technology), 2016 London Book Festival (for Business), Fall 2016 Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards (for Business), 2017 Feathered Quill Book Awards (for Informational), 2016 New Apple Book Awards (for Technology), 2017 Independent Press Award (for Technology), 11th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards (for Technology), 2017 Pacific Rim Book Festival (for Business), 2017 Bookvana Awards (for Green/Conscious Business), 2017 Book Excellence Awards (for Technology), 2017 Best Book Awards (for Business Reference), 2017 New York City Big Book Awards (for Technology), 2017 Royal Dragonfly Book Awards (for Science & Technology), 2017 Human Relations Indie Book Awards (for Workplace), and the 2018 Florida Book Festival (for Business).



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About the Author


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Scott M. Graffius, PMP, CSP, CSM, CSPO, ITIL, LSSGB is a project management expert, consultant, international speaker, and author. He founded and is CEO of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, an Inc. Verified Business, which helps organizations better solve their problems and capitalize on opportunities via world-class project management related services. Results include more consistent realization of business outcomes, faster delivery speed, improved on-budget performance, higher satisfaction, and more. A fantastic agile transformation experience and result with a client in the entertainment industry was the inspiration for Scott's book, Agile Scrum. He is a former vice president of a provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet including social networking and internet access. Before that, Scott worked in organizations with businesses ranging from advanced technology products and services to business services, retail, e-commerce, manufacturing, and entertainment. He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets, as well as experience spanning 20 countries.

His full bio is available here.

Connect with Scott on:


Follow_ScottGraffius_-_v22020507-SG-BLG-LR-SQ

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About the Book

Scott_M_Graffius_-_Agile_Scrum_-_International_v-22020507-ASG-BLG-LR-SQ

Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is offered in digital and print formats.

The ebook (ASIN: B01FZ0JIIY) is available in:


The
paperback (ISBN-13: 9781533370242) is for sale at:


Review copies of Agile Scrum are available to members of broadcast, print or online media. Visit http://bit.ly/REVIEW-COPY.

Visit
AgileScrumGuide.com to learn more about the publication. For more information on Shelf Unbound and their awards program, visit shelfmediagroup.com.

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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.





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"Agile Scrum" by Scott M. Graffius Receives Gold Award from Literary Titan

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Scott M. Graffius of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions™ had consulting engagements with a division of a global entertainment business. A fantastic agile transformation experience with that client was the inspiration for his book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. This is an update on the book.

On March 16, Literary Titan published their review of Agile Scrum—“The book highlights the versatility of Scrum beautifully”—and they gave it five stars.

Literary Titan periodically provides additional recognition for select works. Today, the program honored
Agile Scrum with their Gold Award. Thank you to Literary Titan for the recognition. Thank you to Chris Hare and Colin Giffen, the technical editors on Agile Scrum.

A press release from Scott M. Graffius, the author of the book, is located
here.

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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.



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Technology Guide "Agile Scrum" Wins Top Honors — A Press Release from New Apple

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Scott M. Graffius of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions™ had consulting engagements with a division of a global entertainment business. A fantastic agile transformation experience with that client was the inspiration for his book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. This is an update on the book.

Agile Scrum took first place in the Technology category of the New Apple Awards last year. I'm grateful for the honor, and I'm thrilled that the program continues to feature the book. Today, New Apple published a new press release about the book—"Technology Guide 'Agile Scrum' Wins Medalist Honors in New Apple Independent Book Awards." You can see the story at https://www.pr.com/press-release/749081.

Thank you to Chris Hare and Colin Giffen—the technical editors—for helping to make the book more clear, consistent, and valuable.

Scott_M_Graffius_-_Agile_Scrum_-_International_v-22020507-ASG-BLG-LR-SQ

Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is offered in digital and print formats.

The ebook (ASIN: B01FZ0JIIY) is available in:


The
paperback (ISBN-13: 9781533370242) is for sale at:


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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.



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Produce Planning Cards™ — A Relative Estimation Tool and Technique for Agile Teams

Scott M. Graffius is the Founder and CEO of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions™, and the author of Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. This post shares news related to the business and the book.

Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions™ introduced Produce Planning Cards™ to help agile teams estimate work. An overview of the tool and the technique is provided in a video presented by Agile Scrum and Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions™. It's available at https://vimeo.com/261680776, and it can be played below.

Produce Planning Cards™ Help Agile Teams Estimate Work from Scott Graffius on Vimeo.


For more information on the Produce Planning Cards™, visit
http://exceptional-pmo.com/Produce-Planning-Cards.

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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.




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"Agile Scrum" Receives 5-Star Review from Literary Titan

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Today, Literary Titan bestowed their highest rating of 5 stars to the business and technology book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. A press release from Scott M. Graffius, the author of the book, is located here. Additionally, the text from the release is provided below.

"AGILE SCRUM: YOUR QUICK START GUIDE WITH STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS" BY SCOTT M. GRAFFIUS RECEIVES 5-STAR REVIEW FROM LITERARY TITAN

Los Angeles, CA — Literary Titan bestowed their highest rating of five stars to the business and technology book by Scott M. Graffius,
Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. Literary Titan is an organization comprised of professional editors, writers, and professors; and they review English-language fiction and non-fiction works from around the world. Here's an excerpt from their review of Agile Scrum: "Unlike other books on the market, this one offers an informal look at Scrum without losing its practicality. The tone is conversational thus does not feel like a textbook, and it provides numerous examples and insight into real-world implementations of Scrum. I would recommend this to anyone looking to change their project management framework or work out knots in their current system. Scott M. Graffius delivers an in-depth understanding of the subject matter and instills the same in the reader."

There are a variety of frameworks supporting the development of products, and most methodologies fall into one of two broad categories: traditional or agile. Traditional practices engage sequential development, while agile models involve iterative and incremental deliverables. Organizations are increasingly embracing agile to best meet their business needs—and successfully manage projects, innovate, and prosper at astounding speed.

Scott released
Agile Scrum to provide those interested or involved in innovation, product development, project management, software development or technology management with a roadmap to implement Scrum, the most popular agile framework. It helps teams develop and deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation to change, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement—which supports innovation and drives competitive advantage.

Reactions to
Agile Scrum have been incredibly positive. Earlier honors include 16 first place wins from national and international competitions: the 5th Annual Beverly Hills International Book Awards (for Business-General, and also for Technology), 2016 London Book Festival (for Business), Fall 2016 Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards (for Business), 2017 Feathered Quill Book Awards (for Informational), 2016 New Apple Book Awards (for Technology), 2017 Independent Press Award (for Technology), 11th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards (for Technology), 2017 Pacific Rim Book Festival (for Business), 2017 Bookvana Awards (for Green/Conscious Business), 2017 Book Excellence Awards (for Technology), 2017 Best Book Awards (for Business Reference), 2017 New York City Big Book Awards (for Technology), 2017 Royal Dragonfly Book Awards (for Science & Technology), 2017 Human Relations Indie Book Awards (for Workplace), and the 2018 Florida Book Festival (for Business).



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About the Author


ScottGraffius-181024_1000x1000_152KB-lowres-sq

Scott M. Graffius, PMP, CSP, CSM, CSPO, ITIL, LSSGB is a technology leader, project management expert, consultant, international speaker, and author. He founded and is CEO of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, an Inc. Verified Business, which helps organizations better solve their problems and capitalize on opportunities via world-class project management related services. Results include more consistent realization of business outcomes, faster delivery speed, improved on-budget performance, higher satisfaction, and more. A fantastic agile transformation experience with a client in the entertainment industry was the inspiration for Scott's book,
Agile Scrum. He is a former vice president of a provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet including social networking and internet access. Before that, Scott worked in organizations with businesses ranging from advanced technology products and services to business services, retail, e-commerce, manufacturing, and entertainment. He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets, as well as experience spanning 20 countries. Scott lives in Los Angeles, California.

His full bio is available here.

Connect with Scott on:


Follow_ScottGraffius_-_v22020507-SG-BLG-LR-SQ

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About the Book

Scott_M_Graffius_-_Agile_Scrum_-_International_v-22020507-ASG-BLG-LR-SQ

Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is offered in digital and print formats.

The ebook (ASIN: B01FZ0JIIY) is available in:


The
paperback (ISBN-13: 9781533370242) is for sale at:


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Note for Editors: Review copies of this award-winning book are available to credentialed journalists upon request. Visit bit.ly/REVIEW-COPY.

Visit
AgileScrumGuide.com to learn more about the author and the publication. For more information on Literary Titan, visit literarytitan.com.

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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.




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New 1-Minute Video: Agile Has a Long and Colorful Heritage

A new 1-minute video on agile/Scrum was published today. Agile Has a Long and Colorful Heritage is live at https://vimeo.com/259429846 (and it can be played below).

Agile Scrum Guide | Minisode | Agile Has a Long and Colorful Heritage from Scott Graffius on Vimeo.


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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.






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Agile Has a Long and Colorful Heritage — in an Infographic from Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions™

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There's a widely-held view that agile development is new. But agile was used decades before it became well-known. For example, software was developed in half-day iterations in 1958 for Project Mercury, the United States' first human spaceflight program. And Harlan Mills of IBM promoted in 1968 that "software development should be done incrementally, in stages with continuous user participation and replanning."

Many innovators and visionaries have advanced agile—which includes Scrum—principles and practices over time.
Agile Has a Long and Colorful Heritage: A Timeline Infographic from Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions™ illustrates via specific examples how agile has progressively evolved. The downloadable infographic is located here.

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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.





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"Agile Scrum" by Scott M. Graffius Recognized by Wishing Shelf International Competiton

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Today, The Wishing Shelf Book Awards announced an update on their 2017 international competition, and I'm pleased to share that Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is a finalist. A press release from Scott M. Graffius is located here. Additionally, the text from the release is provided below.

"AGILE SCRUM: YOUR QUICK START GUIDE WITH STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS" BY SCOTT M. GRAFFIUS RECOGNIZED BY WISHING SHELF INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

Los Angeles, CA — Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions by Los Angeles author Scott M. Graffius was named a finalist in the 2017 Wishing Shelf Book Awards. The United Kingdom-based contest is open to English language books from around the world which are self-published or published by small, independent or academic presses. Readers in London and Stockholm judged entries, and books rated as excellent are credited by the program.

There are a variety of frameworks supporting the development of products, and most methodologies fall into one of two broad categories: traditional or agile. Traditional practices engage sequential development, while agile models involve iterative and incremental deliverables. Organizations are increasingly embracing agile to best meet their business needs—and successfully manage projects, innovate, and prosper at astounding speed.

Scott released
Agile Scrum to provide those interested or involved in innovation, product development, project management, software development or technology management with a roadmap to implement Scrum, the most popular agile framework. It helps technical and non-technical teams deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation to change, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement—which supports innovation and drives competitive advantage. Reactions to Agile Scrum have been incredibly positive. Earlier honors include 16 first place wins from national and international competitions. Awards—along with reviews, photos, and more—are detailed at https://AgileScrumGuide.com.



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About the Author

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Scott M. Graffius, PMP, CSP, CSM, CSPO, ITIL, LSSGB is a project management expert, consultant, international speaker, and author. He founded and is CEO of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, an Inc. Verified Business, which helps organizations better solve their problems and capitalize on opportunities via world-class project management related services. Results include more consistent realization of business outcomes, faster delivery speed, improved on-budget performance, higher satisfaction, and more. A fantastic agile transformation experience with a client in the entertainment industry was the inspiration for Scott's book, Agile Scrum. He is a former vice president of a provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet including social networking and internet access. Before that, Scott worked in organizations with businesses ranging from advanced technology products and services to business services, retail, e-commerce, manufacturing, and entertainment. He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets, as well as experience spanning 20 countries. Scott lives in Los Angeles, California.

His full bio is available here.

Connect with Scott on:


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About the Book

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Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is offered in digital and print formats.

The ebook (ASIN: B01FZ0JIIY) is available in:


The
paperback (ISBN-13: 9781533370242) is for sale at:


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Note for Editors: Review copies of this award-winning book are available to credentialed journalists upon request. Visit http://bit.ly/REVIEW-COPY.

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For more information on the author and his publication, visit
https://AgileScrumGuide.com. For more information on The Wishing Shelf and their international awards program, visit http://www.thewsa.co.uk.

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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.





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"Agile Scrum" — Update on 19 February 2018

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This is an overview and update on the award-winning book,
Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, by Scott M. Graffius.

There are a variety of frameworks supporting the development of products and services, and most methodologies fall into one of two broad categories: traditional or agile. Traditional practices engage sequential development, while agile involves iterative and incremental deliverables. Organizations are increasingly embracing agile to best meet their business needs and effectively manage projects.

With clear and easy to follow step-by-step instructions,
Agile Scrum helps the reader:

  • Implement and use the most popular agile framework—Scrum
  • Deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation to change, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement
  • Support innovation and drive competitive advantage

This guide is for those interested or involved in innovation, project management, product development, software development or technology management.

  • It's for those who have not yet used Scrum
  • It's also for people already using Scrum, in roles such as Product Owners, Scrum Masters, Development Team members (business analysts, solution and system architects, designers, developers, testers, etc.), customers, end users, agile coaches, executives, managers, and other stakeholders

For those already using Scrum, the book can serve as a reference on practices for consideration and potential adaptation.

Reactions to the book have been incredibly positive. Honors to date include 16 first place awards in national and international competitions.

  • First Place Winner, Business-General Category, 5th Annual Beverly Hills International Book Awards
  • First Place Winner, Technology Category, 5th Annual Beverly Hills International Book Awards
  • First Place Winner, Business Category, 2016 London Book Festival
  • First Place Winner, Business Category, Fall 2016 Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards
  • First Place Winner, Informational (Business) Category, 2017 Feathered Quill Book Awards
  • First Place Winner, Technology Category, 2016 New Apple Book Awards
  • First Place Winner, Technology Category, 2017 Independent Press Award
  • First Place Winner, Technology Category, 11th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards
  • First Place Winner, Business Category, 2017 Pacific Rim Book Festival
  • First Place Winner, Green/Conscious Business Category, 2017 Bookvana Awards
  • First Place Winner, Technology Category, 2017 Book Excellence Awards
  • First Place Winner, Business Reference Category, 14th Annual Best Book Awards
  • First Place Winner, Technology Category, 2017 New York City Big Book Awards
  • First Place Winner, Science & Technology Category, 2017 Royal Dragonfly Book Awards
  • First Place Winner, Workplace Category, 2017 Human Relations Indie Book Awards
  • First Place Winner, Business Category, 2018 Florida Book Festival

Additional awards—along with reviews and more—are listed in the digital media kit at
AgileScrumGuide.com.

Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is offered in digital and print formats.

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The ebook (ASIN: B01FZ0JIIY) is available in:


The
paperback (ISBN-13: 9781533370242) is for sale at:


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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.



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Scott M. Graffius Served as a Judge in the 2018 Textbook Excellence Awards

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I was honored to serve as a judge (business/technical fields) in the Textbook & Academic Authors Association's 2018 Textbook Excellence Awards.

The Textbook & Academic Authors Association (TAA) provides professional development resources and events for textbook authors and authors of scholarly journal articles and books. Established in 1987, TAA is the only national, nonprofit membership association dedicated solely to assisting textbook and academic authors. TAA's name was changed from "Text and Academic Authors Association" to "Textbook & Academic Authors Association" in 2016 to offer a clearer identity for TAA in light of the new meaning of "texting" on smart devices today.

TAA created the Textbook Excellence Award—also known as the Texty—in 1992 to recognize current textbooks and learning materials. Nominated works must carry a copyright date for the previous or current year, and entries can include learning materials in all mediums. Textbooks in their first editions with publication dates in the previous or current year may compete for a Most Promising New Textbook Award. In 1993, TAA initiated the William Holmes McGuffey Longevity Award, to recognize textbooks and learning materials whose excellence has been demonstrated over time. Nominated works must have been in print 15 years and are still being sold. All works are ranked on certain criteria: interesting and informative, well organized and well prepared, up to date and appealing, and teachability.

TAA's annual conference will be held on June 15-16 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Awards will be presented at a ceremony during the meeting.

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For more information on Scott M. Graffius, visit
scottgraffius.com. For more information on the TAA including their awards program, visit taaonline.net.

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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.





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Scott M. Graffius Receives Certified Scrum Professional (CSP) Advanced Designation from Scrum Alliance

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Today, I received the Certified Scrum Professional® (CSP®
) advanced designation from the Scrum Alliance®. It's based on having fulfilled 70 or more hours of approved education/training, already holding recognized Scrum credential(s) (CSM® and CSPO® in my case), and documented successful professional experience with agile/Scrum in the last five years (my engagements with a fantastic client in the entertainment business—the inspiration for my book—contributed towards it). I'm proud to share this news.

The updated, long-length format of my bio is below.

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Scott M. Graffius is a technology leader, project management expert, consultant, international speaker, and author.

He founded and is CEO of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, an
Inc. Verified Business (https://www.inc.com/profile/exceptional-solutions), which helps organizations achieve their strategic objectives and boost business results through world-class project management. The consultancy provides project, program, portfolio, and PMO management services inclusive of agile, traditional, and hybrid frameworks. Business results are significant. Examples include strategically aligned initiatives, faster delivery and time-to-market, improved on-budget delivery, higher customer and stakeholder satisfaction, and greater competitive advantage. Visit Exceptional-PMO.com.

Scott is a former vice president of a provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet including social networking and internet access. Before that, he worked in organizations with businesses ranging from advanced technology products and services to business services, retail, e-commerce, manufacturing, and entertainment. He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international customer markets, as well as international experience spanning 20 countries.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a focus in Human Factors. Scott has six certifications: Certified Scrum Professional (CSP), Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), Project Management Professional (PMP), Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL). He is a member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the IEEE Computer Society, the IEEE Consumer Electronics Society, the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society, the IEEE Consultants Network, and the IEEE Internet of Things Community.

Scott has been active in the development of professional global standards through engagements with the Project Management Institute. He was a member of PMI standards team which produced the Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition. Select recent examples include contributor and reviewer of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge—Sixth Edition, contributor and reviewer of The Standard for Program Management—Fourth Edition, subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI Global Congress 2016, and judge for the PMI 2015 Professional Education Provider of the Year Award.

He wrote
Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions to provide those interested or involved in innovation, project management, product development, software development or technology management with an authoritative roadmap to easily and quickly implement Scrum, the most popular agile project management and delivery framework. Reactions to the book have been incredibly positive. Honors include 16 first place wins from national and international competitions: the 5th Annual Beverly Hills International Book Awards (for Business-General, and for Technology), 2016 London Book Festival (for Business), Fall 2016 Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards (for Business), 2017 Feathered Quill Book Awards (for Informational), 2016 New Apple Book Awards (for Technology), 2017 Independent Press Award (for Technology), 11th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards (for Technology), 2017 Pacific Rim Book Festival (for Business), 2017 Bookvana Awards (for Green/Conscious Business), 2017 Book Excellence Awards (for Technology), 14th Annual Best Book Awards (for Business Reference), 2017 New York City Big Book Awards (for Technology), 2017 Royal Dragonfly Book Awards (for Science & Technology), 2017 Human Relations Indie Book Awards (for Workplace), and the 2018 Florida Book Festival (for Business). See the press kit at AgileScrumGuide.com.

His full bio is available here.

Connect with Scott on:


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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.




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Inc. Verified Business: Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions

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Scott M. Graffius is the Founder and CEO of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions™, and this is a concise overview and update on the company.

Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions™ helps organizations achieve their strategic objectives and boost their business results through world-class project management. The consultancy leverages its expertise, industry standards and best practices to deliver significant results. Examples include strategically aligned initiatives, faster time-to-market, improved on-budget delivery, higher customer and stakeholder satisfaction, and greater competitive advantage.

Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions™
is proud to be an Inc. Verified Business. The link to the profile on Inc. is https://www.inc.com/profile/exceptional-solutions.

For more on
Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions™, visit exceptional-pmo.com.

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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.






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Using Bruce Tuckman's Phases of Team Development

Phases of Team Development




Teams go through stages of development, and Bruce Tuckman established a popular framework on the subject. According to Tuckman, all phases—Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning—are necessary for the team to grow, tackle problems, find solutions, plan work, and deliver results. This article provides a brief overview of the model, including descriptions and strategies for each phase.

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1. Forming

Characteristics of Forming include questioning, socializing, displaying eagerness, focusing on group identity and purpose, and sticking to safe topics. Strategies for this phase include taking the 'lead,' providing clear expectations and consistent instructions, and quick response times.

2. Storming

Traits of Storming include resistance, lack of participation, conflict, competition, high emotions, and moving towards group norms. Strategies for this stage include normalizing matters and encouraging leadership.

3. Norming

Features of Norming include reconciliation, relief, lowered anxiety, members are engaged and supportive, and developing cohesion. Strategies for this phase include recognizing individual and group efforts, providing learning opportunities and feedback, and monitoring the 'energy' of the group.

4. Performing

Characteristics of Performing include demonstrations of interdependence, healthy system, ability to effectively produce as a team, and balance of task and process orientation. Strategies for this stage include celebrating, 'guide from the side' (minimal intervention), encouraging group decision-making and problem-solving, and providing opportunities to share learning across teams.

5. Adjourning

Traits of Adjourning include a shift to process orientation, sadness, and recognition of team and individual efforts. Strategies for this phase include recognizing change, providing an opportunity for summative team evaluations, and providing an opportunity for acknowledgments.

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The illustration summarizes the above information—and it shows how performance fluctuates as teams move through each phase. This information may be helpful for looking at your team.

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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.





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Potentially Shippable Product Increment and Minimum Viable Product Approach

Potentially Shippable Product Increment

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Scrum requires teams to build an increment of functionality during every sprint, and the increment must be potentially shippable because the Product Owner might decide to release it at the end of the sprint.

  • The product increment is the sum of all backlog items completed during the current sprint
  • Potentially shippable is defined by a state of confidence or readiness
  • Shipping is a business decision: shipping may or may not occur at the end of the sprint (new functionality may be accumulated via multiple sprints before being shipped)

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Minimum Viable Product Approach

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The product increment may or may not be marketable. However, a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) approach is sometimes used to help test marketable ideas. MVP is a product release strategy which can be used in Scrum (or another framework). The term was created by Frank Robinson, and popularized by Steve Blank and Eric Ries.

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Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions (http://bit.ly/scrumone) says:

"The MVP has just those features considered sufficient for it to be of value to customers, and allow for it to be shipped or sold to early adopters. Customer feedback will inform future development of the product."

Here are a few examples of then-startups use of an MVP:

  • Facebook: The first product (originally called Thefacebook) tested traction of students connecting with their college/class and posting messages. Other features—built on the initial success—came later.
  • Groupon: It launched with a WordPress site and PDFs emailed to early subscribers. The test proved successful, and the company subsequently built its voucher system and backend.
  • Spotify: The initial product was simple desktop app, tested in a closed beta. The MVP proved to be of interest to consumers, and more features followed.

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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.




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"Agile Scrum" by Scott M. Graffius Takes First Place in Business at Florida Book Festival

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Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions by technology leader, project management expert, consultant, international speaker and author Scott M. Graffius won first place in Business at the 2018 Florida Book Festival. This is the sixteenth first place award for the book.

The competition was open to works from small, medium, large (including the Big Five), and independent presses as well as self-published authors. Judging was conducted by a panel of industry professionals, and placements were determined based on overall excellence. Winners will be honored at a gala on Saturday, February 24 in Orlando, Florida. Graffius is scheduled to attend and speak at the ceremony.

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Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is offered in digital and print formats.

The ebook (ASIN: B01FZ0JIIY) is available in:


The
paperback (ISBN-13: 9781533370242) is for sale at:


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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.



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Product Backlog Ordering Technique: Factoring Business Value and Risk

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Scrum is the most popular agile project development and delivery framework. In Scrum, the product release backlog (sometimes referred to as the product backlog) is a list of features, user stories, bugs to be fixed, and/or other requirements. The Product Owner is the ultimate holder of the backlog. The Product Owner prioritizes items, and different methods can be employed to help accomplish that work. This brief article focuses on the technique of factoring business value and risk.

Each item in the product release backlog would be rated as either high or low in two dimensions: business value and risk. It is suggested that high business value, high-risk items are worked on first. While that may seem counterintuitive, the earlier this work is done, the sooner the team will move to mitigate the issues and unknowns—leading to a higher quality product. If there's a failure, it will occur early and relatively inexpensively.

An ordering of priorities is illustrated above, and it follows:

1. High business value, high risk.
2. High business value, low risk.
3. Low business value, low risk.
4. Low business value, high risk.

Alternatively, other prioritization methods—such as the MoSCoW ranking model— may be used. MoSCoW will be highlighted in a subsequent article.

This content is an abridged excerpt from the award-winning book,
Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, available in paperback and ebook formats.

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The ebook (ASIN: B01FZ0JIIY) is available in:


The
paperback (ISBN-13: 9781533370242) is for sale at:


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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.





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"Agile Scrum" — Update on 12 January 2018

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This is an overview and update on
Agile Scrum.

There are a variety of frameworks supporting the development of products and services, and most methodologies fall into one of two broad categories: traditional or agile. Traditional practices engage sequential development, while agile involves iterative and incremental deliverables. Organizations are increasingly embracing agile to best meet their business needs and effectively manage projects.

With clear and easy to follow step-by-step instructions,
Agile Scrum helps the reader:

• Implement and use the most popular agile framework—Scrum
• Deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation to change, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement
• Support innovation and drive competitive advantage

This guide is for those interested or involved in innovation, project management, product development, software development or technology management.

• It's for those who have not yet used Scrum
• It's also for people already using Scrum, in roles such as Product Owners, Scrum Masters, Development Team members (business analysts, solution and system architects, designers, developers, testers, etc.), customers, end users, agile coaches, executives, managers, and other stakeholders

For those already using Scrum, the book can serve as a reference on practices for consideration and potential adaptation.

Reactions to the book have been incredibly positive. Honors to date include 15 first place awards in national and international competitions.

  • First Place Winner, Business-General Category, 5th Annual Beverly Hills International Book Awards
  • First Place Winner, Technology Category, 5th Annual Beverly Hills International Book Awards
  • First Place Winner, Business Category, 2016 London Book Festival
  • First Place Winner, Business Category, Fall 2016 Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards
  • First Place Winner, Informational (Business) Category, 2017 Feathered Quill Book Awards
  • First Place Winner, Technology Category, 2016 New Apple Book Awards
  • First Place Winner, Technology Category, 2017 Independent Press Award
  • First Place Winner, Technology Category, 11th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards
  • First Place Winner, Business Category, 2017 Pacific Rim Book Festival
  • First Place Winner, Green/Conscious Business Category, 2017 Bookvana Awards
  • First Place Winner, Technology Category, 2017 Book Excellence Awards
  • First Place Winner, Business Reference Category, 14th Annual Best Book Awards
  • First Place Winner, Technology Category, 2017 New York City Big Book Awards
  • First Place Winner, Science & Technology Category, 2017 Royal Dragonfly Book Awards
  • First Place Winner, Workplace Category, 2017 Human Relations Indie Book Awards

Additional awards—along with reviews and more—are located in the digital media kit at
AgileScrumGuide.com.

Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is offered in digital and print formats.

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The ebook (ASIN: B01FZ0JIIY) is available in:


The
paperback (ISBN-13: 9781533370242) is for sale at:


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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.




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Planning Cards Help Agile Teams Estimate Work

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🔥 Update: The product sold out!

Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions™ has Planning Cards as a tool to help agile teams estimate work. Excerpts of the information and instructions—which are included with each deck of the cards—follow. This article is for those interested in getting an overview.

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About These Planning Cards

  • These cards are used to help estimate work
  • Each deck contains four sets of cards—enough for four estimators
  • Each of the four sets has a unique color on the front side of cards—it’s in either blue, green, orange, or yellow
  • Cards are based on the Fibonacci sequence, where every number after the first two is the sum of the two preceding numbers
  • Each set includes cards with the following values: 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, and "?"
  • Each deck comes in a storage case

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Purpose

These cards and instructions support the most popular approach to estimating work in Scrum projects—estimating the complexity of work via story points.

The Development Team—which may be comprised of business analysts, coders, testers, etc.—collaboratively estimates each item in the product backlog in story points. Story points are a relative measure of complexity.

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Participants

  • Product Owner
  • Development Team
  • Scrum Master (facilitator/observer)

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Frequency

  • Once or twice per sprint

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Time-box

  • One hour for each week of the sprint
  • It’s a common practice to limit each meeting to one hour and have multiple meetings as appropriate

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Prerequisites/Inputs

  • Product backlog containing user stories, bugs, and other requirements
  • One set of planning cards for each member of the Development Team

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Suggested Steps

1. If each member of the Development Team does not already have their own set of planning cards, the Scrum Master provides materials as needed

2. The Product Owner describes an item (a user story, bug, or other requirement) from the product backlog and mentions its intent and business value

3. Each member of the Development Team silently picks a card best representing their assessment of the complexity of the work and places the card face-down

4. After all of the Development Team members have made their selections, the cards are turned face-up, and the values are read aloud

5. If all of the selections have the same value, the Product Owner records it as the estimate, and that completes the exercise for the item; otherwise, proceed to the next step

6. Team member(s) who gave an outlier value —such as someone who gave a high value and/or someone who gave a low value—explain their reasoning

7. After a brief discussion, the team may take the most common value (the mode average) as the estimate or they may play another round of this planning game (steps 3-7)

8. Steps 2-7 are repeated until each item in the product backlog has been estimated

9. The Product Owner updates the product backlog with the estimate values

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Options

Some organizations use a subset of the cards and slice product backlog items when the estimate is "too large." Here's an example:

  • Development Team uses cards with the following values: 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, and 21
  • Predetermined that 21 is "too large"
  • If a product backlog item is estimated at 21, it is sliced into two or more parts in collaboration with the Product Owner, and the resulting smaller items are estimated by the Development Team

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This article provided a quick overview of an aspect of estimation in agile projects. Further details—including more information on the Fibonacci sequence, and additional options—are provided in the book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions.

About Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions

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Shifting customer needs are common in today's marketplace. Businesses must be adaptive and responsive to change while delivering an exceptional customer experience to be competitive.

There are a variety of frameworks supporting the development of products and services, and most approaches fall into one of two broad categories: traditional or agile. Traditional practices such as waterfall engage sequential development, while agile involves iterative and incremental deliverables. Organizations are increasingly embracing agile to manage projects, and best meet their business needs of rapid response to change, fast delivery speed, and more.

With clear and easy to follow step-by-step instructions,
Scott M. Graffius's award-winning Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions helps the reader:

  • Implement and use the most popular agile framework―Scrum;
  • Deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation to change, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement; and
  • Support innovation and drive competitive advantage.

Hailed by Literary Titan as “the book highlights the versatility of Scrum beautifully.”

Winner of 17 first place awards.

Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is available in paperback and ebook/Kindle in the United States and around the world. Some links by country follow.



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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.


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"Agile Scrum" Listed on 22 Best Scrum Books of All Time

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Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions made the list, "22 Best Scrum Books of All Time." Thank you, Roy Povarchik and Book Authority!

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Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is offered in digital and print formats.

The ebook (ASIN: B01FZ0JIIY) is available in:


The
paperback (ISBN-13: 9781533370242) is for sale at:


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© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.




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