Effective Stakeholder Collaboration for Scrum Teams™

Scrum.org Endorsed
In this self-paced online course, you will learn how to effectively collaborate with stakeholders in Scrum environments.
By Glaudia Califano, David Spinks
  • 5 hours
    Approx. time to complete
  • Topics Include
    Backlog Developer Leadership Product Management Product Owner Scrum Master
Effective Stakeholder Collaboration for Scrum Teams Logo
 

Effective stakeholder collaboration is one of the most critical, yet challenging parts of building products. Ineffective stakeholder collaboration can result in delays, frustration, waste and broken trust, undermining the work that has been done to deliver the product.

This self-paced course helps Scrum Teams evolve the way they work beyond the fundamentals of Scrum to engage with practical, human-centered stakeholder collaboration. It focuses on identifying the right stakeholders, engaging them early, building empathy, understanding needs and navigating conflict with Scrum centered as the engine that drives collaboration and the delivery of value.

Throughout the course students take part in interactive activities, reading, watching videos and quizzes while learning from real-world scenarios. Learn what makes effective stakeholder collaboration for Scrum Teams for better alignment, better decisions and better outcomes!

Course Overview

In this self-paced online course, you will learn how Scrum Team members effectively collaborate with stakeholders of all kinds. In complex product development, real success depends on how people collaborate with those outside of the Scrum Team in shaping a product vision, priorities and outcomes. This course goes beyond theory to focus on the skills, mindsets and techniques needed for Scrum Teams to build trust, alignment and shared ownership with stakeholders. This course prepares you to move beyond the mechanics of frameworks into the art of stakeholder collaboration. It will equip you to deliver value not only through your Scrum Team, but also through the partnerships you create across and beyond your organization.

Course Learning Outcomes

After completing the course students will be able to effectively engage stakeholders in Scrum by leveraging empathy, Scrum events, artifacts and complementary practices to improve product outcomes and they will be able to:

  • Explain the role of stakeholders in Scrum and how they contribute to the success of a product
  • Explain the importance of a clear product vision and shared goals for aligning stakeholders to enable effective decision-making
  • Implement collaboration strategies based on the categorization of stakeholders
  • Demonstrate empathy-driven techniques to uncover stakeholder needs, goals and pain points beyond stated product requirements
  • Adapt stakeholder collaboration strategies for different stakeholders, situations and levels of complexity
  • Describe how to align stakeholders around priorities and trade-offs when managing conflict and challenging dynamics
  • Describe effective communication skills to drive decisions and sustain stakeholder engagement in real-world scenarios

Who Should Attend this Course?

This course is for Scrum Team members including Scrum Masters, Product Owners and Developers as well as anyone interested in developing their collaboration skills with the goal of delivering outcomes that are aligned with customer and organizational goals. 

It is recommended that students have familiarity with the Scrum framework before taking this course. Some examples include reading the Scrum Guide, completing a Scrum training class, or having experience applying Scrum.

Take the Course

This course is delivered fully online at your own pace.  You can take it over a period of days, weeks or months, whatever suits your availability and needs. The course will take approximately 5 hours to complete. The cost of the course is $199 USD. After completing the course, students will receive a downloadable recognition of course completion certificate.

Buy the CourseStart the CourseReturn to Course

Course Outline

  • Preparing for the Course: This section provides instructions on how to get started including navigating the course and how to contact Scrum.org support if need.
  • Effective Stakeholder Collaboration for Scrum Teams Overview: This section provides an overview of the course including: learning objectives, learning outcomes, exercises and checkpoints.

In this module we will define stakeholders in Scrum, some different types of stakeholder and the importance of collaboration between Scrum Teams and stakeholders.  
  • Case Study Introduction
  • Interacting with Stakeholders
  • Reflection and Summary
  • Checkpoint

In this module, we will explore techniques for discovering and categorizing different types of stakeholders to better understand who they are and how to engage with them effectively.
  • Stakeholder Mapping
  • Managing the Stakeholder Map
  • Reflection and Summary
  • Checkpoint

This module explores how misalignment between the Scrum Team and stakeholders can affect outcomes and why establishing alignment at the start of an initiative helps set Scrum Teams up for success.
  • The Benefits of Early Alignment
  • Creating Early Alignment
  • Ordering the Product Backlog
  • Reflection and Summary
  • Checkpoint

In this module, we will delve into empathy and what distinguishes it from sympathy. We will learn why empathy is key to collaborating effectively with stakeholders and look at some examples of responding with empathy. Finally, we will explore how empathy can build strong stakeholder relationships.
  • What is Empathy?
  • Empathetic Engagement
  • Active Listening and Human Needs
  • Reflection and Summary
  • Checkpoint

In this module, we discuss how different stakeholders may require unique collaboration and communication approaches tailored to their needs and personality. We delve into approaches for understanding each stakeholder and adapting collaboration accordingly.

  • Making Adaptations
  • Navigating Stakeholder Conflict and Negotiation
  • Collaborating Toward Value
  • Reflection and Summary
  • Checkpoint

In this final module of the course, we will explore how the Scrum framework fosters effective stakeholder collaboration. We will look at how the elements and rules of Scrum promote transparency, enable inspection and adaptation and support continuous collaboration with stakeholders.
  • Taking Advantage of the Scrum Framework
  • Techniques to Keep Stakeholders Satisfied
  • Reflection and Summary
  • Checkpoint

  • Course Summary
  • End-of-Course Survey

 

Scrum.org Endorsed Learning

This course is endorsed by Scrum.org for its exceptional content and learning experience. Scrum.org endorsed courses are developed by Agile experts who work with the Scrum.org team to create engaging, self-paced learning experiences designed to help students build real-world skills and confidence. The course materials are all reviewed, updated and approved by Scrum.org and its instructional designers to ensure a high quality learning experience.

About the Course Authors

Glaudia Califano

Glaudia Califano is an agile and lean practitioner and mentor, working with and within teams in various capacities, from facilitating workshops to getting deeply involved ‘in the trenches’. Her expertise comes from her experience embracing a variety of roles across multiple disciplines, including Developer, Scrum Master, Product Manager, Business Analyst, Service Delivery Manager, Agile & Lean Coach and Learning Designer. She has guided numerous organizations on their journey toward greater business agility, supporting them in embracing continuous improvement and maintaining a focus on customer value. Glaudia is a Professional Scrum Trainer (PST), Accredited Kanban Trainer (AKT) and a Certified Facilitator of LEGO® Serious Play®.

David Spinks

David Spinks is an experienced software developer, Scrum Master, Agile Coach and Delivery Manager. He is also a Professional Scrum Trainer (PST) and Accredited Kanban Trainer (AKT). David is a Course Delivery Enabler with Scrum.org which involves working closely with the Scrum.org community to improve course delivery and supporting Professional Scrum Trainers in gaining deep understanding of the intent and design of the courses. David believes in servant leadership and he values environments where empowerment, autonomy and flexibility enable teams to do the best work possible. He is committed to continuous learning and development in himself and others. He is passionate about getting the best out of teams and seeing people reach their full potential.

Together, Glaudia and David founded the company Red Tangerine with the mission to release people’s potential and transform work environments. They are co-authors of the Professional Scrum Series book, Facilitating Professional Scrum Teams and the book Mastering Collaboration in a Product Team.