Improving Your Project Management Skills: The Basics for Success

Strengthen your project management capabilities by building a comprehensive foundation of knowledge, techniques, and practical tools in this interactive workshop covering the full project lifecycle.

As competitive pressures increase, organizations undertake more projects than ever before. However, many of these organizations lack experienced professionals with strong project management capabilities. This seminar teaches and reinforces the essential tools and strategies that are proven to produce project success. Through lectures, group discussions, and hands-on activities, you'll gain expertise in the core elements required to manage projects effectively.

While this course aligns with the Project Management Institute's established standards, its primary emphasis is on real-world application of theory. You'll return to your workplace with practical knowledge and resources needed to launch projects successfully and bring them to completion on time and within budget.

Who Should Attend:

Professionals new to project management, unintentional project managers who have PM responsibilities alongside other duties, business analysis professionals, subject-matter experts who participate in projects, managers overseeing projects, and experienced project managers seeking to refresh their knowledge of current tools and best practices.

How You Will Benefit:

• Position your projects for success from the beginning
• Develop competency in gathering and documenting project requirements systematically
• Clarify the responsibilities of the project manager, business analyst, and supporting team members
• Build a complete project plan with realistic scope definition, timelines, budgets, and risk assessments; convert that plan into effective execution
• Master techniques for monitoring and communicating about project performance
• Build trust with team members and establish strong relationships with senior leadership

What You Will Cover:

An Overview of Key Project Management Concepts

Discussion of fundamental concepts, key terminology, and professional responsibilities, including:

• The project management triangle and its constraints
• The formal definition of a project
• The five fundamental PM process groups

Initiating the Project

• Producing a project charter and connecting it to organizational goals
• Systematically gathering and recording requirements
• Establishing expectations with customers, sponsors, and team members

Identifying the Work

• Constructing the work breakdown structure based on project objectives and deliverables
• Designating accountability for individual assignments

Estimating the Work

• Examining sector best practices for producing realistic time and cost projections

Scheduling the Work

• Building network diagrams showing task sequences and interdependencies
• Creating Gantt charts to visualize project schedules and timelines
• Identifying the critical path and computing schedule flexibility

Creating the Budget

• Estimating labor and direct expenses