Agile/Scrum Training in White Plains, New York

Many of us who have iPhones download every interesting app we find on the App Store, especially when they’re free. They can range from a simple payment method app, to a game, to a measurement tool. But, as you may have noticed, our phones become cluttered with tons of pages that we have to swipe through to get to an app that we need on demand. However, with an update by Apple that came out not so long ago, you are able to group your applications into categories that are easily accessible, for all of you organization lovers.

To achieve this grouping method, take a hold of one of the applications you want to categorize. Take a game for example. What you want to do is press your finger on that particular application, and hold it there until all of the applications on the screen begin to jiggle. This is where the magic happens. Drag it over to another game application you want to have in the same category, and release. Your applications should now be held in a little container on your screen. However, a step ago, if you did not have another game application on the same screen, and since you can’t swipe, try putting the held game application on any application you choose, and simply remove that extra application from the list, after moving over another gaming application from a different page.

What is Design Thinking and How Does it Apply to HR?

[Jan, 28, 2020] |
Tags:

The Context Of Design Thinking And Its Application In Employee Skill Training

Design thinking is a crucial pillar in today’s problem-solving imperatives. In fact, it is being pursued as a unit course in various institutions across the globe, thus underlying its importance in aiding objective human thinking. It’s not a specific property for designers. Far from it, it has emerged as an innovative solution-seeking tool for all great inventors and innovators.

By description, it is a design methodology used for tackling complex problems that are virtually unknown or ill-defined, through a careful evaluation of the human needs involved, understandably restructuring the problem, by brainstorming to create many solutions, and by adopting a direct approach in testing and prototyping. It helps us come up with creative ways to solve nagging problems that stem from us and especially in the workplace setting.

The ‘overwhelmed/overburdened employee’ is a common term in HR offices across many organizations in the world. Employees are faced with a huge challenge in regards to coping with fast-paced technological and office changes in the working environment. This had led to a massive stagnation in productivity, prompting HR heads to look for new ways to reduce their employees’ stress and workload.

While evaluating many options, this model of thinking has posed as a helpful tool for HR managers when dealing with their vexed employees. IT training, in particular, has helped shape the productive realms of many companies out there.

Let’s explore how this thinking domain can be used to plan employee skill training:

Empathize

If you want to show concern for your employees, first empathize with their situation. Seek to understand the needs of the employees deeply, what they lack, what they need, and the challenges that they are likely facing. This will act as the basis of plotting the problem and working on the next phase of solving it.

You can collect data in this phase through empathy maps and journey maps. In the latter, you endeavor to steadily track the day-to-day activities and tasks of employees. This is achieved through observations or structured interviews. In turn, it aids in elevating the thinking process.

Through empathy maps, you ponder on collected findings and synthesize them keenly. Here, you seek to establish how an employee is thinking, their feelings, and insights into the probable root cause of the problem.

Define the Problem

After a comprehensive analysis of the collected data; the problem definition phase should follow. The idea here is to locate the underlying root of the problem concisely. HR should seek to utilize an analysis framework to help address problems affecting the holistic being of all employees. Therefore, each issue would require a list of underlying causes: lack of motivation, lack of knowledge/understanding, or just lack of skill.

Once the root cause(s) are clearly defined, a clear problem statement should be drawn up alongside performance goals that are firmly based on actual drivers.

Think Solely About Employee-Based Solutions (iterative learning)

Conventionally, customers are at the heart of every organization’s dealings. They inspire and drive the company’s objectives because they are crucial in profit making. However, employees have greatly suffered while working ‘behind the scenes.’ Such situations have led to employees feeling discontent and work under immense pressure, which inevitably leads to underperformance. To avoid this, the experimental learning concept can be utilized by HR offices to engage employees more by creating solutions that directly suit the situations they encounter daily.

Here, trainers are removed as the center of focus. An iterative ‘reflection’ cycle is established to tap continuous employee feedback in a bid to sharpen their skills. This method helps employees adapt to new technology through a well established IT consulting network. In the long run, employees don’t forget how they handled a particular problem, and this effectively raises a firm’s productivity.

Support Employee Tasks with Simple Technology (Ideate)

The simplest way to support employee-working experience is by not sidelining them unprepared with changing technology processes. As an HR Manager, fully engage your employees when transitioning to new tech by making use of effective training or consulting services. Specific training needs can be assessed and addressed within the organization or with a third party industry expert.

According to Deloitte’s 2016 Global Human Capital Trends Report, design thinking was isolated as crucial in crafting the employee experience. 79% of those interviewed identified it as imperative. However, almost a similar percentage agreed that a lot of compliance programs and training are still based on outdated modes of meetings and processes.

The report also recommended the need to put necessary consideration on employees through proper IT training for far colossal efficiency. One way to make this work is by drawing a connected roadmap of skills and information needed at certain work intervals. Shedding off overwhelming and irrelevant amounts of data for new employees is vital in retaining their concentration and output. What’s more, a customizable app can help employees undertake appropriate tasks at the specified time, thus resulting in higher revenue for the long term.

Implementing an Intuitive Tech Learning Approach (Ideate)

The basis of this argument is that not every employee is the same. All of them are differently gifted and shouldn’t be forced to use one inflexible technology or system that doesn’t cater to their individual needs in a buzzing work environment. This mode of critical thinking brings to life personas such that fictive employees representing a defined group of external employees are drawn up. In this set-up, the personas should be able to learn and work efficiently within their own small environment while quickly utilizing their own skill set and the required information to make things work.

An HR manager can replicate this working scenario through the use of role-plays. This can be achieved by conducting short-term soft skills training sessions to sharpen their ability to handle similar situations. In the case of new technology, video-replays on how to use it in a one-on-one customer scenario can help relieve the pressure and spur the employee to be more productive.

Prototype and Testing

Here, the HR Manager should run a couple of tests to ensure whether the desired model of skill training is working. One way to get started is by crafting a simple prototype of the technology required, probably as a single module to establish its viability.

The new technology should be vigorously tested during prototyping to pinpoint any leaks, disjoints, or performance issues. Structured walkthroughs can be implemented to help employees navigate the solution through proper IT training sessions.

What’s more, HR should conduct sessions to get the employees’ views, emotions, or feelings regarding the new solution. In case of any cause for concern, the prototype should be improved until it meets the intermediate needs of its users.

Iterations are also a common occurrence in this phase. Refinements and alterations are curved out to make sure that the final thing suits every employee in some understandable capacity.

Wrapping Up

Design thinking is crucial in any organizational setting in making sure that employees sync properly with the technology in place. This will go a long way in improving their productivity.

What are a few unique pieces of career advice that nobody ever mentions?

[May, 14, 2014] |
Tags:

Anonymous reprint from Quora (career advice)

Occasionally we come across a unique profound perspective that makes one stop and really listen. The following advice is one such as this.

Small actions compound: Reputation, career trajectory, and how others perceive you in the workplace can come down to a handful of things/moments that seem inconsequential/small at the time but compound. Random Thought: Redwood trees come from small seeds and time. With every action you're planting small seeds and these seeds can grow into something bigger (sometimes unimaginably bigger) over time. Don't let small basic mistakes sabotage your reputation because it only takes a few small snafus for people to lose confidence/trust in your ability to do more important tasks. Trust is a fragile thing and the sooner people can trust you the faster they'll give you more responsibility. Some Examples: Being on time (always) or early (better); spending an extra 10-15 minutes reviewing your work and catching basic mistakes before your boss does; structuring your work so it's easy for others to understand and leverage (good structure/footnotes/formatting); taking on unpleasant schleps/tasks (volunteer for them; don't complain; do it even when there's no apparent benefit to you)

Rising tide lifts all boats: Fact: You don't become CEO of a multi-billion dollar public company in your 30s based purely on ability/talent. Your career is a boat and it is at the mercy of tides. No matter how talented you are it's a lot harder to break out in a sluggish situation/hierarchy/economy than a go-go environment. Even if you're a superstar at Sluggish Co., your upside trajectory (more often than not) is fractional to what an average/below average employee achieves at Rocket Ship Co. There's a reason Eric Schmidt told Sheryl Sandberg to "Get on a Rocket Ship". I had colleagues accelerate their careers/income/title/responsibility simply because business demand was nose bleed high (go go economy) and they were at the right place at the right time to ride the wave. Contrast that to the 2008 bust where earnings/promotions/careers have been clamped down and people are thankful for having jobs let alone moving up. Yes talent still matters but I think people generally overweight individual talent and underweight economics when evaluating/explaining their career successes. Sheryl Sandberg Quote: When companies are growing quickly and they are having a lot of impact, careers take care of themselves. And when companies aren’t growing quickly or their missions don’t matter as much, that’s when stagnation and politics come in. If you’re offered a seat on a rocket ship, don’t ask what seat. Just get on.

Seek opportunities where the outcome is success or failure. Nothing in between! You don't become a star doing your job. You become a star making things happen. I was once told early in my career that you learn the most in 1) rapidly growing organizations or 2) failing organizations. I've been in both kinds of situations and wholeheartedly agree. Repeat. Get on a rocket ship. It'll either blow up or put you in orbit. Either way you'll learn a ton in a short amount of time. Put another way; seek jobs where you can get 5-10 years of work experience in 1-2 years.

Career Tracks & Meritocracies don't exist: Your career is not a linear, clearly defined trajectory. It will be messy and will move more like a step function.

You will probably have champions and detractors on day 1: One interesting byproduct of the recruiting & hiring process of most organizations is it can create champions & detractors before you even start the job. Some folks might not like how you were brought into the organization (they might have even protested your hiring) and gun for you at every turn while others will give you the benefit of the doubt (even when you don't deserve one) because they stuck their neck out to hire you. We're all susceptible to these biases and few people truly evaluate/treat folks on a blank slate.

You'll only be known for a few things. Make those labels count: People rely on labels as quick filters. Keep this in mind when you pick an industry/company/job role/school because it can serve as an anchor or elevator in the future. It's unfortunate but that's the way it is. You should always be aware of what your "labels" are.

Nurture & protect your network and your network will nurture & protect you: Pay it forward and help people. Your network will be one of the biggest drivers of your success.

How to Improve Your Computer Dating Profile

[Mar, 07, 2013] |
Tags:

Not getting any hits on your dating profile? It doesn’t mean you’re a loser. There are literally millions of computer dating profiles out there and dozens of free and paid websites to find a date. A dating profile is kind of like a resume for your personal life. To succeed, you have to learn a few tricks to stand out.

Tips to Improve Your Computer Dating Profile

1. Make a Good First Impression

Filling out an online dating profile can be a daunting task. When you’re faced with all that blank space to write about yourself, it gets intimidating. The best way to improve your computer dating odds is to make a good first impression. Start with a good opening line such as a favorite quote or a personal motto you can easy build on.

Tech Life in New York

City The Big Apple is home of two of the world?s largest stock market exchanges, the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ. As a leading business center in the United States, New York has more Fortune 500 headquartered companies than any other city. Technology is blossoming in the Big Apple as major internet conglomerates like Google move their offices into ?telecom hotels? such as the 311,000 square feet office space downtown. As in any other city there are pros and cons of living in New York City. For instance, there is so much to do, it?s easy to get around with the transit system, it?s safe, convenient, and has plenty of job opportunities. On the other hand, it can be overwhelmingly expensive, overcrowded, a bit impersonal and fast paced. New Yorkers enjoy Central Park, multi cultural activities and food, theatre, film festivals, farmers markets, fashion and anything else they could possibly think of...it?s all there.

Science fiction does not remain fiction for long. And certainly not on the Internet. Vint Cerf, Chief Internet Evangelist for Google

other Learning Options

Software developers near White Plains have ample opportunities to meet like minded techie individuals, collaborate and expend their career choices by participating in Meet-Up Groups. The following is a list of Technology Groups in the area.

NYC ColdFusion Users Group · Web and Mobile Designers and Developers based in Peekskill · The New York City Java Meetup Group ·

Fortune 500 and 1000 companies in New York that offer opportunities for Agile/Scrum developers

Company Name	City	Industry	Secondary Industry
NYSE Euronext, Inc.	New York	Financial Services	Securities Agents and Brokers
Anderson Instrument Company Inc.	Fultonville	Manufacturing	Tools, Hardware and Light Machinery
News Corporation	New York	Media and Entertainment	Radio and Television Broadcasting
Philip Morris International Inc	New York	Manufacturing	Manufacturing Other
Loews Corporation	New York	Travel, Recreation and Leisure	Hotels, Motels and Lodging
The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America	New York	Financial Services	Insurance and Risk Management
Jarden Corporation	Rye	Manufacturing	Manufacturing Other
Ralph Lauren Corporation	New York	Retail	Clothing and Shoes Stores
Icahn Enterprises, LP	New York	Financial Services	Investment Banking and Venture Capital
Viacom Inc.	New York	Media and Entertainment	Media and Entertainment Other
Omnicom Group Inc.	New York	Business Services	Advertising, Marketing and PR
Henry Schein, Inc.	Melville	Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals and Biotech	Medical Supplies and Equipment
Pfizer Incorporated	New York	Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals and Biotech	Pharmaceuticals
Eastman Kodak Company	Rochester	Computers and Electronics	Audio, Video and Photography
Assurant Inc.	New York	Business Services	Data and Records Management
PepsiCo, Inc.	Purchase	Manufacturing	Nonalcoholic Beverages
Foot Locker, Inc.	New York	Retail	Department Stores
Barnes and Noble, Inc.	New York	Retail	Sporting Goods, Hobby, Book, and Music Stores
Alcoa	New York	Manufacturing	Metals Manufacturing
The Estee Lauder Companies Inc.	New York	Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals and Biotech	Personal Health Care Products
Avon Products, Inc.	New York	Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals and Biotech	Personal Health Care Products
The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation	New York	Financial Services	Banks
Marsh and McLennan Companies	New York	Financial Services	Insurance and Risk Management
Corning Incorporated	Corning	Manufacturing	Concrete, Glass, and Building Materials
CBS Corporation	New York	Media and Entertainment	Radio and Television Broadcasting
Bristol Myers Squibb Company	New York	Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals and Biotech	Biotechnology
Citigroup Incorporated	New York	Financial Services	Banks
Goldman Sachs	New York	Financial Services	Personal Financial Planning and Private Banking
American International Group (AIG)	New York	Financial Services	Insurance and Risk Management
Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc.	New York	Business Services	Advertising, Marketing and PR
BlackRock, Inc.	New York	Financial Services	Securities Agents and Brokers
MetLife Inc.	New York	Financial Services	Insurance and Risk Management
Consolidated Edison Company Of New York, Inc.	New York	Energy and Utilities	Gas and Electric Utilities
Time Warner Cable	New York	Telecommunications	Cable Television Providers
Morgan Stanley	New York	Financial Services	Investment Banking and Venture Capital
American Express Company	New York	Financial Services	Credit Cards and Related Services
International Business Machines Corporation	Armonk	Computers and Electronics	Computers, Parts and Repair
TIAA-CREF	New York	Financial Services	Securities Agents and Brokers
JPMorgan Chase and Co.	New York	Financial Services	Investment Banking and Venture Capital
The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.	New York	Media and Entertainment	Newspapers, Books and Periodicals
L-3 Communications Inc.	New York	Manufacturing	Aerospace and Defense
Colgate-Palmolive Company	New York	Consumer Services	Personal Care
New York Life Insurance Company	New York	Financial Services	Insurance and Risk Management
Time Warner Inc.	New York	Media and Entertainment	Media and Entertainment Other
Cablevision Systems Corp.	Bethpage	Media and Entertainment	Radio and Television Broadcasting
CA Technologies, Inc.	Islandia	Software and Internet	Software
Verizon Communications Inc.	New York	Telecommunications	Telephone Service Providers and Carriers
Hess Corporation	New York	Energy and Utilities	Gasoline and Oil Refineries

training details locations, tags and why hsg

the hartmann software group advantage

why take Agile/Scrum Training with the hartmann software group?

A successful career as a software developer or other IT professional requires a solid understanding of software development processes, design patterns, enterprise application architectures, web services, security, networking and much more. The progression from novice to expert can be a daunting endeavor; this is especially true when traversing the learning curve without expert guidance. A common experience is that too much time and money is wasted on a career plan or application due to misinformation.

The Hartmann Software Group understands these issues and addresses them and others during any training engagement. Although no IT educational institution can guarantee career or application development success, HSG can get you closer to your goals at a far faster rate than self paced learning and, arguably, than the competition. Here are the reasons why we are so successful at teaching:

Learn from the experts.
1. We have provided software development and other IT related training to many major corporations in New York since 2002.
2. Our educators have years of consulting and training experience; moreover, we require each trainer to have cross-discipline expertise i.e. be Java and .NET experts so that you get a broad understanding of how industry wide experts work and think.
Discover tips and tricks about Agile/Scrum programming
Get your questions answered by easy to follow, organized Agile/Scrum experts
Get up to speed with vital Agile/Scrum programming tools
Save on travel expenses by learning right from your desk or home office. Enroll in an online instructor led class. Nearly all of our classes are offered in this way.
Prepare to hit the ground running for a new job or a new position
See the big picture and have the instructor fill in the gaps
We teach with sophisticated learning tools and provide excellent supporting course material
Books and course material are provided in advance
Get a book of your choice from the HSG Store as a gift from us when you register for a class
Gain a lot of practical skills in a short amount of time
We teach what we know…software
We care…

learn more

page tags

what brought you to visit us

White Plains, New York Agile/Scrum Training , White Plains, New York Agile/Scrum Training Classes, White Plains, New York Agile/Scrum Training Courses, White Plains, New York Agile/Scrum Training Course, White Plains, New York Agile/Scrum Training Seminar

training locations

New York cities where we offer Agile/Scrum Training Classes

·Rochester, New York · Buffalo, NY · Schenectady · Mount Vernon, NY ·New York City (nyc), New York · Syracuse, NY ·Yonkers, New York · Albany, NY · White Plains · Utica, NY ·New Rochelle, New York · Niagara Falls, NY ·Hempstead, New York

Agile/Scrum Training Classes in White Plains, New York

Agile/Scrum Training Catalog

Course Directory [training on all levels]

Blog Entries publications that: entertain, make you think, offer insight

Tech Life in New York

training details locations, tags and why hsg

Interesting Reads Take a class with us and receive a book of your choosing for 50% off MSRP.