by Portia Yip, Marketing Services

"During a time when the job market is in flux, the enjoyment of doing your work to the best of your ability is incredibly valuable," says Bryan Mavrow, an instructor with Continuing Studies at UVic.

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After 30 years of experience in digital marketing and communications, Bryan has seen more than one major shift in how organizations work. He was part of the first wave of digital marketing in the mid-90s, helping companies in Canada and the United States create their online presence.

Fast forward to six years ago, Bryan jumped into the world of Agile planning and is now an instructor in the Agile Project Management micro-certificate program.

Why Agile makes work better

According to Bryan, Agile creates the conditions for more job satisfaction by combining collaboration, continuous improvement, and project clarity.

One example of this is when he visited Spark Telecom in New Zealand. After observing a daily stand-up meeting, Bryan asked one team member how she liked working in Agile.

"She said, 'I think it ruined my career.' I must have looked shocked, because she laughed and said, 'I could never work for another organization that didn't work in Agile.'"

It was a moment that confirmed his belief that Agile helps bring out the best in people when they're involved in their work.

Agile vs. project management

Project management typically performs well for large, linear, "one-and-done" projects. While Agile thrives on continuous improvement and short phases—called sprints or iterations—where a team completes a set amount of work.

For example, it's the difference between launching a project and leaving it, versus updating an app every week based on feedback, market changes or new insights.
"A sprint is basically a time-boxed commitment to improving a product," Bryan shares. "It'll de-risk a lot of the work because you're only doing a little bit at a time and then checking to see if it's working."

Agile also reshapes the way people think about meetings. In an Agile framework, recurring meetings, known as ceremonies, are scheduled and held.

Bryan explains they are highly purposeful, inclusive, and essential to moving work forward. "People are often surprised. They'll say, 'I don't think I could do this job if I wasn't participating in these sessions.'"

Since Agile teams share visibility into each person's responsibilities, it's easy to step in when someone is away or overloaded. "You suddenly feel like you have this close network of people who can support you," he says. "It's a huge relief to know that you're not alone in your deliverable."

Learning a new mindset

While Agile includes specific tools (like Kanban boards, sprints, or ceremonies) Bryan says the biggest shift is with mindset.

"The first few weeks feel like chaos—it's like riding a bike without training wheels," he describes. "But once you learn the Agile ways of working, everything becomes synchronized."

Bryan emphasizes that being comfortable with the unknown is part of the process. Agile teams often start a project without a fixed long-term solution. Instead, they test, learn, adjust, and measure progress.

"When you measure the amount of work that gets done by the Agile team, it's very easy to see progress happen quickly," says Bryan.

This mindset also goes beyond work. For example, Bryan uses Kanban boards at home for everything from renovation projects to decluttering. "I'd rather use this tool than a checklist because it gives me a clearer idea of what to do next."

Building practical skills for Agile teams

As an experiential learner, Bryan has designed the program to be as realistic as possible. Participants in the program will run a full sprint from start to finish in a safe environment, use Agile tools hands-on, and work through real-world scenarios.

"I encourage people to make mistakes, because that's the number one learning method," Bryan notes. "I'm confident that after learners complete the program, they will be fully equipped to participate in an Agile team the next day."

The program also provides the required training hours for the Project Management Institute's Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP), a new designation that recognizes just how essential Agile has become. Primarily used in IT, Agile is now being adopted across different industries like human resources, government, financial services and more.

Who should take this Agile program

Bryan sees two main types of learners: those who have some exposure to Agile and want a deeper understanding, and those already working within an Agile environment who want to gain more confidence, clarity, or stronger foundational skills.

In the Agile Project Management program, he structures the material into digestible chunks, encourages questions, and complements the lessons with his own stories and experiences in Agile. His top advice to be successful? Reread the notes within 24 hours. "It's one of the golden keys to learning," he says.

Between Bryan's experience, the practical approach to learning new concepts and tools, plus the growing demand for Agile skills, he believes learners will leave with not only new knowledge, but momentum.

"I consistently see that people who work in Agile enjoy their jobs more," he says. "I would love learners to finish this program feeling energized and equipped to produce valuable results from the work they do every day."

 

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About the instructor

• Posted December 15, 2025