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Business · Project management

Agile Working in Practice: From Principles to Everyday Productivity

A practical, jargon-free course for UK adult learners who want to understand and apply Agile methods in real work settings. You'll learn how to plan, collaborate, and adapt using simple tools and techniques, whether you're in a team, managing projects, or working independently.

360 min8 modulesBeginner friendly
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Free to take. This course does not use any Learning Credits.

What you’ll be able to do

By the end of this course, you will be able to plan and manage a small work project using Agile principles, run a basic stand-up meeting, create a simple Kanban board, and adapt your approach when priorities change.

Course outline

A clear route from first principles to practical confidence

  1. 01

    Module 1: What Agile Really Means for Your Work

    • Agile vs. traditional planning: why flexibility matters
    • The Agile Manifesto – stripped of jargon
    • Common myths about Agile (and what it isn't)
    • When to use Agile – and when not to
  2. 02

    Module 2: Building an Agile Mindset

    • Embracing uncertainty: from fixed plans to learning loops
    • Feedback as fuel: giving and receiving useful input
    • Prioritising what matters: the 80/20 rule in practice
    • Self-reflection: simple ways to review your own work
  3. 03

    Module 3: Planning in Short Cycles

    • User stories: describing work from the user's perspective
    • Sizing work without complex estimates
    • Running a simple sprint planning session
    • Creating a backlog and keeping it tidy
  4. 04

    Module 4: Visualising Your Work with Kanban

    • What a Kanban board is and how it helps focus
    • Designing your own board: columns, swimlanes, and limits
    • Moving work from 'To Do' to 'Done' smoothly
    • Spotting bottlenecks and improving flow
  5. 05

    Module 5: Effective Stand-ups and Team Rituals

    • The three questions: what, what's next, what's blocking
    • Keeping stand-ups to 15 minutes (or less)
    • Other lightweight rituals: retrospectives and reviews
    • Handling remote or hybrid stand-ups
  6. 06

    Module 6: Adapting When Things Change

    • Responding to new information without panic
    • Reprioritising your backlog on the fly
    • Saying 'no' or 'not yet' professionally
    • Learning from setbacks: the blameless post-mortem
  7. 07

    Module 7: Agile Tools for Everyday Work

    • Low-tech options: sticky notes, whiteboards, and notebooks
    • Simple digital tools: Trello, Microsoft Planner, or a shared spreadsheet
    • Automating reminders and tracking without overcomplicating
    • When to upgrade your toolset (and when not to)
  8. 08

    Module 8: Making Agile Stick in Your Organisation

    • Starting small: one practice at a time
    • Getting buy-in from colleagues and managers
    • Measuring what matters: progress, not perfection
    • Your next steps: a 30-day Agile experiment