Whether or not you decide to employ the services of a Scrum trainer, your whole team will still need some form of education. At this point, it’s time to determine which groups of people need training and identify their specific needs:

Executives

Though you might not think executives need training, they do require a high-level understanding of agile as it pertains to your organization, and problem-solving resources for lean thinking. This group will need to focus on organizational, cultural and communication problems endemic to the company, while receiving training that covers agile topics in broad strokes, rather than execution-oriented specifics. Remember: Executives are busy. You’ll likely only get two to four hours of their time, so make it count.

Managers

These teammates should receive high-level training that’s paired with hands-on exposure to the nuts and bolts of a Scrum process. The transition to self-organizing teams will change management positions quite a bit, so prepare them for their new roles with training in lean thinking, facilitation and coaching. Make sure the change is presented as an opportunity for managers to renew their purpose, and provide a clear list of duties they should shift toward.

Development Team

Last, but not least, we can’t forget the educational needs of your development team. Because the team will be participating in Scrum implementation on a day-to-day basis, it’s essential to provide all the training necessary to solidify their understanding of the Scrum methodology. Fortunately, your team also has the most time to dedicate to training, so don’t short-change them by rushing the process. Feel free to spend a few days on up-front instruction and hands-on exercises, then encourage ongoing learning with follow-up coaching.