Overview

Cross-functional team working; matrix management; multi-tasking; the way we are working is continually changing. Everyone appears to be working harder to meet the challenges of their business and the need to manage a variety of projects simultaneously becomes essential.

Project management used to be the sole preserve of the professional Project Manager - and still is for many larger company-wide initiatives. It is now also a key competency for many other people who are expected to manage projects as part of their job.

In a recent survey, most respondents agreed that they could benefit from learning how best to manage their project portfolio. Furthermore, all said that they would benefit from learning how best to manage the people aspects of the project. People Centred Project Management (PCPM) achieves both.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to;

• integrate people skills with a project management process
• engage key sponsors, team members and stakeholders
• use templates and techniques to plan and manage projects successfully
• apply skills to their own projects
• Recognise how best to clarify the scope and outcomes for any project
• Learn techniques to manage relationship tension during the course of a project
• Develop skills to time table projects successfully

Outline Content

The People Centred Project Management training workshops are tailor-made to meet your needs. Post-programme coaching and mentoring sessions with individuals and teams are also available.

While the outline below shows the content of the programme, much of the learning will be obtained by applying this learning to real projects. Participants are encouraged to bring along actual examples of work place projects which they can use to apply the principles and tools. This programme will be especially helpful at the start of such projects.

Day One:

• Project Definitions & Objectives
• Stakeholders
• Risks & Issues
• Success – measures & Return on Investment
• Plan Types: Project, Communication, Quality, Resources, Change Control, Contingency
• Why we need plans
• What the plans need to achieve
• What we mean by “activity” or “task”
• Milestones & Milestone Plans
• Plan Formats - Gantt Charts, PERT Charts, What sort of plan do you need?
• 7 phases of planning
• Communication Plans
• Quality Plans
• Resource Plans
• Manpower
• Materials
• Machinery
• Money

Day Two:

• Change Control Plans & Issues
• Types of projects
• Leadership
• Communication Plans
• Delegation & Motivation
• Coaching & Feedback
• Negotiation
• Facilitation
• Prioritising
• Presenting Plans
• Managing Change & Managing in a Matrix
• Implementation Tasks
• Formal controls assessments & Tasks
• Closing a project

Core topics include:

• Recognising the type of project & implications for management
• Clarifying the scope and goals of the project with the project sponsor
• Aligning the project with the organisation’s business plan
• Developing and proposing the business case and vision statement
• Balancing constraints: specification [deliverables], time and resources
• Creating and gaining commitment to a plan
• Documenting the project
• Time-tabling, assigning and delegating tasks; Gantt & Pert Charts
• Communicating the vision, goals and plan
• Identifying and managing stakeholders
• People skills
• Prioritising and making decisions
• Measuring and measurements; best value
• Influencing and motivating others; questioning, listening and feedback
• Understanding and recognising the importance of the team life cycle
• Celebrating success and avoiding crises
• Analysing the root cause of the problem
• Assessing risks
• Creating and selecting solutions
• Developing others: training, coaching and mentoring
• Integration of project competencies into personal development plans
• Additional people skills e.g. work preferences, work under pressure

These are an integral part of this training and will enhance existing personal development approaches e.g. Belbin, FIRO-B, Myers-Briggs, Covey Principle- Centred Leadership.

Programme Design

To maximise everyone's learning, the training programme is both fun as well as very practical. Participants engage in a number of activities that simulate real projects. These activities are deliberately easy in principle so that all the training is focused on the project management process and not on understanding an artificial situation. As participants soon discover, these activities are deceptively simple and the lessons learnt are very memorable! The level of challenge is adjusted to the experience of each participant giving them even greater confidence in their own abilities.