Essential Skills For Managing Projects

My Experience

Project management is a hot topic and a lot of individuals and training organizations are getting into the game. So, what makes me uniquely qualified to teach others how to effectively manage projects?

  1. I have 40 years of hands-on experience managing projects ranging from the simple to bet-the-company variety. Projects such as the installation of hydro-electric turbines, development of an open-heart surgery program, startup of a new aircraft engine repair facility, development and implementation of new manufacturing processes, implementation of quality improvement programs, integration of an acquired business – just to name a few.
  2. When I’m not in the classroom teaching, I’m consulting with organizations on actual projects. This provides a great source of practical material for the classroom.
  3. I’m a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) through the Project Management Institute. The PMP credential continues to be recognized as the project management certification of choice across industries and companies.
  4. I’ve been training others how to effectively manage projects since 1997 and have developed and fine-tuned what my client’s tell me is an excellent process for helping others learn this valuable skill.
  5. I insure the maximum value from the classroom experience by helping my clients target the appropriate people for training and by offering follow-up coaching/consulting on the client’s actual projects.
  6. I’ve earned the trust of clients such as Toyota, General Electric, Federal Express, Children’s Hospital and over 55 other organizations to help their employees better manage projects. Click here to read what they’re saying.

Overview

Every year, thousands of employees are thrust into projects or project management roles at their companies without the skills and tools necessary to successfully execute their responsibilities. Today’s demanding economic environment has placed a greater emphasis on project management as a reliable process for organizing and getting work accomplished in a manner that insures the unique needs of customers are met, while valuable resources (money, time, and people) are efficiently utilized.

Project management doesn’t require any magic gifts, just some common sense coupled with a structured approach to accomplishing the work. The Essential Skills workshop provides the hands-on knowledge it takes to carry out projects effectively through the understanding and application of standard project management tools and techniques. A balanced mix of lecture, individual and group exercises, as well as a project case study are used to develop the skills necessary to manage a project from launch through completion. I place particular emphasis on defining the customer’s requirements and building a realistic schedule.

Learning Objectives

Utilize Key Project Management Concepts
Identify the Driver Constraint
Apply the Hierarchy of Three Key Project Terms
Initiate a Project
Create a Project Charter
Define Customer Requirements
Select a Project Team
Identify Stakeholders
Identify the Activities Necessary to Complete the Project
Create a Work Breakdown Structure
Assign Ownership to Activities
Estimate Cost and Time
Create Work Plans
Assess Risks
Build a Reliable Project Schedule
Create an Activity Network Diagram
Calculate Critical Path
Create a Gantt Chart
Execute the Plan
Measure Progress Against the Plan
Manage Change
Communicate Project Status
Close Out a Project
Interview Stakeholders
Capture Best Practices/Lessons Learned

Note: The tools and principles taught in this program are based on PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge) 6th & 7th Editions and are applicable to projects of all sizes.