Advanced Project Management

It’s easy to forget the “manager” part of your “project manager” title among the other range of activities you are responsible for. However, your management skills are an important part of your success as a project manager, so it is crucial that you grow both of those skill sets. There are also some advanced project management techniques that you can master to help bring your projects to successful completion.

This workshop presumes that participants have a thorough understanding of project management, including topics such as preparing a statement of work, setting project goals, scheduling, budgeting, managing project risks, and executing a project.

• Think critically when choosing a project team
• Make the best of an assigned project team
• Help teams move through various stages to become a high-functioning unit
• Maximize productivity at team meetings
• Reward and motivate a team
• Develop and execute a communication plan
• Communicate with sponsors and executives more effectively
• Identify strategies for working with problem team members

This session covers some things to consider when choosing a project team and how to make the best of an assigned team. Other topics include the pre-assignment review, assigning the project work, negotiating for the people you want, and preparing for team problems.

In this session, we will discuss why teamwork is so important. We will also look at Tuckman and Jensen’s team development model: Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning.

Most projects should have a defined timeline for team meetings. First, project managers meet with the individual members of the team. Then, the project manager meets with the team as a whole. Next, the first status meeting occurs. This session will discuss all of these meetings in detail, plus some general meeting management tips.

One challenge many project managers face is how to keep the team motivated during the project. We discuss some ways that project managers can keep the team moving and performing at their best.

To ensure your project’s success, you must include a communications plan as part of your initial project planning. This plan will cover the who, when, why, what, and how of your communications with various project members throughout the whole project.

Your project sponsor and executives are key members of your team. Typically, they provide the authority and the resources to execute your project. During this session, we will discuss some ways to effectively communicate with your sponsor and executives.

In this session, participants will receive some tips for managing difficult conversations. They will also learn how to handle escalating situations.