2 Day Comprehensive Project Management
Project Management Training sessions are two full days of classroom training designed to teach Project Managers and Team Members how to effectively plan and manage projects. Through a combination of lecture and real-life company project workshops, the participants will learn how to effectively plan and execute projects, run efficient status meetings, deal with authority issues and people management, deal with project problems and manage change control.
This class is workshop-intensive where the students will be broken up into groups of 4 - 6 and will spend the two days using the tools they learn to progressively elaborate one of their real projects from scope to objective, charter to Work Breakdown Structure, Responsibility Matrix to Schedule and Budget until they have the entire project in their hands. We use large charts and wet-erase markers to ensure the entire team is involved in the workshops.
Questions and discussions are encouraged. Bruce involves everyone in the class through his use of stories and examples, bringing the lessons to life in an entertaining, humorous and, ultimately, lasting fashion. You will walk out of class with the tools you need to plan and execute your projects with efficiency and confidence.
Shown below are examples of the workshop results we obtain while going through the progressive elaboration.
Class Charter Example
Class WBS Example
Class Responsibility Matrix Example
Class Schedule Example
Class Budget Example
Day 1 Agenda
Day 2 Agenda
FAQs
How many students are in a class?
Class size is limited to 30 to promote open discussions and cross-learning from one class project to another. Teams will present their work to the rest of the class.
Because project management is all about working within groups, minimum class size does not go below 5.
What techniques are used to teach the class?
Slides, videos, lecture, workshops, stories, quizzes and discussions all combine to make the class a vibrant and memorable experience. We use the adult learning technique of Point/Example/Non-Example/Workshop/Point.
This means we teach a tool, using lecture or story, show how it works using the class project as an example, show common mistakes people make when using the tool, set a quick quiz for people to find the common mistakes, send the teams to the workshop to use the tool to further elaborate their class project, then link it back to the next tool in the class using the final point.
I’m uncomfortable speaking in public. Will the instructor force me to present my work?
Project Managers are expected to be effective communicators but this class is also intended for Team Members. Most of the tools used are very graphical and visual for those who are nervous about speaking in public. You will be expected to participate to some level in the class discussions but the instructor will do this in a way that is comfortable for you.
How can I use my real company projects in a public setting?
While this class is usually taught in-house within a corporation where secrets are out, this class is often taught in a public setting where 1 – 3 people from different companies attend, some of whom compete. In this case we use projects that are not confidential. We have never had a situation where we could not find enough real projects to work on during the class. There is usually enough people who want their projects partially planned through the course of the class that we have enough projects for the teams to work on.
How can I be a team workshop member for a project I know nothing about?
Remember that the main goal of the workshops is to learn how to use the tool. If we end up with the real project partially planned as an added benefit, that’s wonderful. While in workshop, we recognize that certain artificialities are present. We have the wrong team members, a dearth of facts and limited time. But, in addition to using the tool, we do come out of the class with a straw objective, many of the deliverables, some idea of the schedule and a lot of risks we might never have thought of within the real team.
Is this class taught in accordance with PMI standards?
Yes. All terminology is straight out of the PMI’s guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). All the instructors are Project Management Professionals (PMPs). This class teaches you HOW and WHEN to use the tools within the PBOK and how to customize the tools for your company and your project.
Will I obtain PDUs for this class or can I use the hours for my PMI pre-requisite training hours?
Yes. You can type the hours into the appropriate PMI website along with the name, date and location. If you are audited, you can show them the certificate as proof of attendance.
How can I attend this class in a virtual setting?
While the ideal setting for this class is in-house, we recognize that this is not always possible today. The instructor has made adjustments in the virtual class to involve people in workshops by splitting the workshops into sections and having each team member work on one section. Then the instructor or in-house team leader consolidates the work to result in a full workshop which is then displayed for the entire team and full student body.
How does this class teach about dealing with people?
People are the least predictable part of any project and they need to be studied in terms of their individual, group and cultural behaviors.
For individual behavior, the instructor has developed a fun and interactive way to show these different types of people using exaggeration and hyperbole in a way that will have you laughing at the truths behind the exaggerations. Then he will give you practical tools to teach you how to deal with different personalities.
For social behavior, the instructor teaches how to deal with teams at the different levels of the Tuckman model.
For cultural behavior, the instructor will put you in a scenario and ask you questions that show how differently groups from different cultures react and teach you how to work effectively in a global environment.
Do I need to purchase any special software program to attend this class or use the tools after?
No. The tools used in class are low-tech high visibility. The instructor emphasizes visibility over all things as a way to boost your communication ability. All the templates are available in MS-Word or Excel and the scheduling tool is MS-Project but the techniques taught are usable in any other software program.