The Basics Of Project Management Training

Project managers wear more hats than anyone. Whether the job is simple (streamlining an internal process, for example) or complex (whisking a new product to market) the current thinking says "assign it to a project team and consider it done"...but organizations are also finding that as the number of projects proliferates, the pool of capable people to manage them gets smaller.

The intent of this course is to provide organizations with more of their own trained people who can step comfortably into the demanding role of project manager.

Participants will learn how to plan, budget, and schedule all of the so-called "hard skills" critical to the success of any project. But they'll also discover another side to project management that's equally important. Namely, they'll get a thorough grounding in the behind-the-scenes skills it takes to champion a project successfully from start to finish. For instance:

• How to build a good working relationship between project manager and project sponsor
• How to recruit and hire the right people for a project team
• Tips on assessing risks and their consequences
• Ways to rebound quickly from setbacks
• Best methods to communicate progress

How We Present This Material

This training is presented in a 2-day format designed to allow the trainer to deliver a highly experiential program — including discussions, group exercises and hands-on practice to help drive home key project management skills.

Participants get their questions answered on the spot, receive "real-time" coaching, and benefit from the synergy of learning with their co-workers.

As A Result Of This Training

• More projects will be completed on time, within budget and with desired results
• People assigned to lead projects will do so with greater confidence
• The process will run more smoothly, and with greater autonomy
• Your people will be freed of the "crisis" mind-set that results from poorly planned and managed projects

Who Will Benefit Most?

• Self-taught or limited-experience project managers
• Leaders unaccustomed to managing employees who aren't their subordinates
• Project teams themselves, especially those that have stalled, lost enthusiasm or aren't producing as expected

What You'll Learn:

• What you must do first: determining the project's goals and constraints
• How to lay out the tasks to be done, and how to build the right team to accomplish them
• Ways to assemble and manage an "on-loan" project team — how to get other managers to lend you their best people, and how to lead team members not ordinarily under your supervision
• How to develop realistic schedules and budgets
• Using Gantt charts and critical paths as planning aids
• Ways to optimize communication and efficiency within a team
• Keeping a project on track when problems arise
• What to do when it's time to deliver the product and wrap up the project