For Hands On Project Managers

by Paul B. Williams, Ph.D.

In the race to become more competitive in our rapidly changing business environment, project work occupies center stage. Unfortunately, too many project managers overlook one or more essential steps in the creation, execution and/or follow through of their projects. And, with so much riding on the effects of project work on future profitability, these oversights can and do have profound effects on company and career well-being.

Whether you're improving an inefficient business project, creating products that will attract more market share or upgrading organizational communications, the investment you're making in your organization's projects deserves the largest possible return. Applied Project Management can help project managers plan for it, lead their teams to it and measure it in support of continuous project improvement.

Originally developed in 1992, Applied Project Management has been refined and adapted since then in order to meet the needs of Fortune 500 companies in the Retail, Energy, Finance and Media industries, to name just a few. For new project managers, this hands on program teaches the essential skills by applying them to projects that participants bring to class. More experienced project managers refresh their skills and are prompted to use all of the techniques that consistent success requires.

Why run the risk of under performing projects? Some of the skills you'll learn include:

• How to identify all key project players and specific types of information to get from each
• Return on Investment estimating and other fact finding essentials
• How to plan a project and how much planning is enough
• The What, Why & How of project chart development
• Scheduling and the Critical Path
• Sizing up, enabling and motivating participants
• The connection between project and time management
• Documenting results, lessons learned and ROI actuals