Managing People in a Project Environment — A 3-Day Course

 Open Public Course Closed In-House Course

Course Synopsis

Critical to Project Management is the ability to leverage the full abilities of the available resources and maximise the effectiveness of the entire project team. Volatile team members, part-time resources, matrix management, and seniority issues can all conspire to pose obstacles to successful project delivery.

This course provides Project Mangers with a unique opportunity to develop core competencies in essential 'people skills' - how to improve self-understanding, understanding how you relate to others, and assessing your personal effectiveness when managing others. Motivation, leadership, delegation, coaching, team building and problem solving skills are all identified and developed.

On this course we use a powerful 'learning resource' called Strength Deployment Inventory (SDI) that identifies your personal strengths and your motivational values. This understanding acts as a catalyst for clear, effective communication, resulting in a 'common language', which can be used by everyone!

It is an understanding that'll take you deeper into the motivations of why people do what they do and how to work with them for greater harmony in teams and for better one to one interactions.

This is a very participative and enjoyable course based around a series of management instruments and exercises which provide personal feedback to delegates. Some brief pre-course work involving your immediate manager and a team member is required.

This course carries the award of 22.5 Professional Development Units (PDU's) for PMI re-certification.

Course Objectives

Delegates will learn how to:

• understand the likely issues involving projects and people
• appreciate their own personal strengths and those of others
• build teams quickly and efficiently
• recognise the leadership requirements necessary in a variety of project situations
• understand the importance of interpersonal communications
• appreciate the skills required for effective delegation
• coach team members in the acquisition of new or enhanced skills
• negotiate to achieve success in project related situations
• handle typical management situations appropriately

Intended Audience

This course is for managers or team leaders of all levels who are likely to be involved in the creation and/or management of people in project teams. The course provides a substantial insight into the attendee's own personal style and approach to management, why it works with some team members yet is far less successful with others. Armed with this insight, changing one's style can be a controlled exercise with high prospects for success.

Prerequisites

There are no specific pre-requisites for this course. However delegates need to be aware that they will be responsible for ensuring the completion of two Strength Deployment Inventories (Questionnaires) by a peer and manager. Completed forms to be brought with them to day one of the course.

Publicly scheduled dates, locations, and prices

Outline Course Contents

Management Styles

• Recognising personal management styles
• Different behaviour patterns under pressure
• Effect of manager's style on staff
• Considering the right style of management
• Behaviour modification and its significance

Motivation

• That is it
• How it affects team members and teams
• Recognising demotivation
• Base theories of motivation
• Improvement techniques

Task Initiation and Delegation

• The barriers to delegation
• Why managers need to delegate
• What to delegate
• How to delegate

Negotiating Skills

• The 6 stages in the negotiating process
• Preparation techniques
• The way people behave during negotiations

The Nature of Leadership

• Differences between leadership and management
• Different leadership styles
• Recognising what team members look for in a leader
• Varying leadership styles to suit individuals and tasks

Coaching

• What is coaching
• When it should be used
• Its motivational effects
• Setting things up
• The coaching session
• Subsequent reviews

Team Building

• The numerical profile of a project team
• Its impact on the creation and maintenance of a team ethos
• Interaction between team members
• Effects on team performance
• Dealing with Joiners and Leavers

Problem Solving

• Applying management techniques for problem solving in a team environment

Management Situations and Action Plans

• Preparation to deal with team members' or general management issues
• Confronting the situation via face to face interviews
• Planning the future

Practical Exercises

• Practical exercises are undertaken throughout the course to facilitate understanding of the principles discussed and to gain an appreciation of the value of effective interpersonal communication