Duration
5 days
Overview
This course is intended for executives in technical and non-technical work areas, who need to acquire working knowledge and skill in planning, monitoring or tracking, measuring the implementation of projects. Their participation through an action-learning methodology will facilitate an immediate transfer of such competency to workplace. Emphasis is also on communicating, real stakeholder management and change management case studies, and practical applications through “hands-on” action learning using the ADKAR Model. Throughout the course the participant will require to have a high level of participation and group involvement to discuss and formulate stakeholder management strategies.
A high level of participation and team involvement is required. Maximum opportunities will be given to participants to inject their own examples and issues into the course and continually relate the material to their own contexts.
Participants are encouraged to bring their projects to the session. The appreciation of project management software and techniques, as well as soft skills challenges in the workplace will be used to help participants better understand project management concepts and soft skills techniques; reflecting on their current project practices, and knowing how to improve them.
Objectives
- To understand the use of project management tools for initiating, planning, executing, controlling and closing projects, in accordance to the Project Management Institute guidelines.
- Enhance the project management skills by improving soft skills techniques in communicating, negotiating, managing stakeholders, escalating, business acumen and project feasibility, and influencing skills.
At the end of the course, participants will be able to:
- Acquire communicating, negotiating, managing stakeholders, escalating, business acumen and project feasibility, and influencing skills.
- Have a comprehensive understanding of the various processes of project management.
- Evaluate risk management planning of projects.
- Determine task/project durations, and costs.
- Determine which task(s) has overwhelming influence in project duration.
- Track project progress, and spot problem areas.
- Have a working set of project management tools and techniques for monitoring project progress - appreciate the use of MS Project for planning, scheduling and tracking project progress.
Detailed Course Content (daily course content is approximate)
The sessions will start at 8.30 am and end at 5.30 pm, or at client’s timing preference; with two 15-minute tea breaks and an hour lunch.
Day 1
Strategic Management Approach
Stakeholders and their implications on projects and operations
Who are your stakeholders?
Involving opposing stakeholders
Managing internal and external stakeholders
Activity: Develop a stakeholder engagement plan
Stakeholder Needs Assessment
Soliciting and understanding stakeholders’ needs and expectations
Classify levels of importance & ways to influence stakeholders: The Power-Influence matrix
Isolating stakeholders’ needs and wants
Setting stakeholder management strategies
McClelland's three needs theory on personality profiling
Activity: Understanding motives
Activity: Building up the stakeholder engagement plan (continuation of previous activities)
Day 2
Stakeholder Change Management
The ADKAR change management methodology: preparing – managing – reinforcing stakeholders and processes for change
Ways of deploying project to ease the change transition - using ADKAR change management methodology
Activity: Develop an ADKAR mindset change strategy into the stakeholder engagement plan
Communication Management
Communication model
- Communication channel, message encode and decode, acknowledgement, and communication blockers
Effective communication and action steps
Selecting the appropriate communication media, informal and formal, written, verbal or visual basing on the communication situation
Day 3
Negotiating & Conflict Management
Stages of conflict
Major sources of conflict on project teams
Conflict negotiation strategies
How to plan and conduct collaborative negotiation
Dimensions of behaviour during conflict
Competitive modes of handling conflict
Collaborative modes of handling conflict
Applying conflict management styles
- Preparing to negotiate
- Competitive negotiation
- Collaborative negotiation
Stages of collaborative negotiation
Activity: Choosing the right negotiation model
Building Relationships
Objectives of building relationships with project stakeholders
Behaviour and motivation theories
Team behaviour
Setting positive and negative behavioural targets
Enforcing behavioural patterns
Team member’s motivational needs
Motivational patterns and deployment strategies
Relating styles: Values, Borrowed, and Masked
Day 4
Project Management Background
The time-cost-quality & project scope triangle.
The project life cycle – initiating-planning-executing-monitoring & controlling-closing phases.
Project Initialising Process
Defining measurable objectives to meet project requirements (scoping).
Initial cost estimates (order-of-magnitude/top-down/budget estimation techniques).
Project Planning Process
Scope definition & planning.
Activity: creating a simplified project charter.
Work breakdown structure (WBS).
Activity: constructing a WBS.
Work task listing.
Activity: constructing a work task list.
Day 5
Project Planning Process (continued)
Work sequencing and scheduling (Network diagram, Gantt & milestone diagram).
Activity: constructing a Gantt chart of a project.
Understanding Critical Path Method.
Resource listing – human, material, facility, equipment, etc.
Activity: creating a resource list.
Using bottom-up estimates for scheduling and cost control.
Planning for risk.
Activity: creating a risk register.
Project Execution / Monitoring & Controlling Processes
Executing the project plan.
Tracking project schedule progress using Gantt Chart.
Activity: Using project management software to track project progress.
Activity: Gantt Chart and project progress.
Responding to project risks (executing risk responses, monitor and control the execution of the responses).
Project Closeout Process
Close-out checklist.
Training Approach
The training uses practical exercises that take individuals outside their comfort zones. By giving the participants help and guidance during the process, confidence and skills are strengthened. We make the sessions challenging and practical through the use of role-play, experiential learning and group exercises. Participants will quickly discover their strengths and weaknesses in communicating with others. Moreover, this interaction makes classes enjoyable and motivational.
The tempo of the training is light-hearted and fast-paced. Our experience suggests that this makes people actually look forward to attending our training sessions and reinforces the motivational effects. Peer group pressure, structure and relaxed atmosphere are the key elements to the success of our courses.
Methodology
Presentation, case studies, and hands-on activities.
Who Can Benefit
Those who are directly involved in planning, estimating, scheduling, monitoring (tracking), and measuring, and reporting the implementation progress of projects. Examples, case studies and templates are provided.
Programme scope, delivery arrangements and suitability are confirmed during enquiry.