A transformative training style for a transformative product: Welcome AgileSHIFT

9 Nov 2018 02:15 PM

Blog posted by: Mark Hudson, Academia Manager at AXELOS, 07 November 2018.

Trainer presenting to class in front of whiteboard with Post-It notes

I recently became one of the first candidates to complete AXELOS’ new AgileSHIFT® training and certification.  I was delighted to pass the exam in the process, and (full disclosure here!) although I am an employee of AXELOS, I was impressed by the course enough to want to write about my experience. Here’s what you can expect from the two-day training:

  1. We can all relate to the material and key concepts  
    AgileSHIFT is introduced by saying ‘most organizations today recognize that the business landscape is changing and if they want to survive, they need to welcome change. The most influential and pervasive factor that has brought about significant transformation has been the rise of digital technology. This tech shift has been the leading cause of change, driving the rise of new disruptive organizations.’
     
    Everyone in the room, regardless of job title and seniority, could associate with this context. It resonated with us all that there has recently been a profound shift in the pace and extent of change and organizations need to respond by creating a culture of agility across their entire organization.
     
  2. ….and it’s presented in a readily digestible format 
    No pre-reading is required. There wasn’t even any homework overnight! Best of all, the content allowed us to relate the digital change messages to daily life and how digital tech has changed that. This helped us to engage with the course material, understand what that means for organizations and the part we can all play in supporting organizational agility. 
     
  3. The pace of the course is just right 
    Two days is not too long out of the office, but it’s long enough to be able to properly absorb the course content and even have chances to ask questions and discuss the key issues with the trainer and fellow attendees. This is reinforced with group exercises that are placed periodically throughout the course and help to really understand the content – although I’m not sure if my group’s idea for renting original art masters is going to win us any prizes on Dragon’s Den!
     
  4. The exam is completed in three stages   
    Wow! The facilitators were keen to describe the exam as quizzes – and I thought this was an accurate description. Stage one was at the end of day one, with stages two and three during day two. This break-up of the end of course exam into more digestible, short tests allowed me to focus less on what was coming at the end of the course and more on the course content. And even though I wasn’t able to find out my score, having questions after each stage gave me confidence for what would be coming next.

So, in summary: highly relevant, forward-thinking content provided in a digestible and engaging learning format with bite-sized exams throughout – giving you the know-how and tools to be a part of successful transformational change in your organization. What’s not to like?

See our AgileSHIFT section for more information.