Advanced Project Management

This program demonstrates the practice of project management soft skills. It provides a range of soft skills tools and techniques that project managers can use to reduce people-related risks and overcome interpersonal hurdles. The program presents a number of ‘critical’ habits related to how you manage projects through, and with, people. Issues such as time management, personality types, how to understand and develop your team members, developing your leadership skills, conflict management, negotiation skills, building and motivating your team are comprehensively covered. Project management is an art and your success in mastering this art is dependent upon your ability to swiftly navigate the project challenges of working with others.

Projects are delivered by people and their attitudes and soft skills can make a massive difference to the success of project. The major difference between a project manager, and a ‘Master’ project manager lies in the ability to understand that successful Project Management is about 20% Hard Skills and about 80% Soft Skills. It goes without saying that ‘what’ you do as a project manager is important, but ‘how’ you do it is absolutely critical.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, the delegates will be able to know:

• The importance of gaining commitment
• What makes a person a ‘Master’ of Project Management
• The importance of planning and how to manage the Planning Process
• The 8 Habits of ‘Master’ Project Managers
• The importance of knowing your outcome before you start a project
• How to set up and operate disciplines required to monitor and control projects
• How to keep the team focused on the delivery goal
• How to ensure that the Project Team are working on the project not just because they have to but because they want to
• The importance of and how to take massive action

Competencies Emphasized

• Selecting and leading project teams
• Identifying and analyzing project risk
• Determining project health
• Personal effectiveness
• Effective personal time utilization
• Preparing and executing a project plan
• Responding to project change
• Ability to influence and persuade

Organizational Impact
The organization will benefit by having its project managers’ personal effectiveness tuned towards producing project outcomes. Mastering project management soft skills is a key to achieve project goals and enhance performance.This program has been designed for project managers who aspire to master their inter-personal skills in the context of managing projects in the best way possible to meet project objectives.

Personal Impact
It helps participants to develop a more effective approach to interacting with project stakeholders in a way that is driven by realizing outcomes. This program examines a wide range of soft skills necessary for mastering the art of project management.

Who Should Attend?

This program is intended for project professionals, team leaders and team members who are engaged in project work from simple to complex. Because of the universality of the principles and techniques covered, the program will also be of value to anyone managing or involved in projects regardless of their professional background or industry they operate within.

Course Outline

Day 1
Introduction to Projects

• What is a project?
• Benefits of project management
• Why some projects fail?
• The 8 habits of ‘Master’ project manager
• What makes you a ‘Master’ of project management
• Project team and leadership
• What is the team approach
• Roles in and around projects

Day 2
Identify Your Outcomes and Plan for Achievement

• Project planning
• The importance of knowing your outcomes
• Handling uncertainty
• Your own risk profile
• Elements of a great project plan
• Defining project success criteria
• Decision analysis under risk
• Planning issues

Day 3
Organize for Success and Gain & Maintain Commitment

• The project board
• Personal attitudes and human behaviors
• The keys to effective influence and persuasion
• Understanding interpersonal project team dynamics
• Empowerment
• Gaining and maintaining commitment
• Effective delegation
• The project support office

Day 4
Take Massive Action and Stay Focused

• Action vs. Achievements
• Problem solving styles
• Engaging the project team
• Influences on decision making
• Staying focused
• Effective time utilization
• Plan updating and changes handling
• Avoiding distractions

Day 5
Monitor and Control Achievements

• Achieving practical conflict management
• Integrating project scope, time and cost
• Performance measures and indicators to monitor performance
• Determinants of project success
• Lessons learned and creating learning culture
• Data, information and knowledge management

Course Methodology

A variety of methodologies will be used during the course that includes:

• (30%) Based on Case Studies
• (30%) Techniques
• (30%) Role Play
• (10%) Concepts
• Pre-test and Post-test
• Variety of Learning Methods
• Lectures
• Case Studies and Self Questionaires
• Group Work
• Discussion
• Presentation

Course Fees

This rate includes participant’s manual, Hand-Outs, buffet lunch, coffee/tea on arrival, morning & afternoon of each day.

Course Timings

Daily Course Timings
08:00 - 08:20       Morning Coffee / Tea
08:20 - 10:00       First Session
10:00 - 10:20       Coffee / Tea / Snacks
10:20 - 12:20       Second Session
12:20 - 13:30       Lunch Break & Prayer Break
13:30 - 15:00       Last Session