This course is equivalent to the formerly offered courses Project Leadership & Team Management and Project Communications Management. For more information, please click HERE to visit the Project Management Certificate webpage.

Successful completion fulfills 15 Professional Development Units toward SPSCC certificate completion and can be submitted to PMI subject to their audit process.

It has been said that 80% of all project issues are people and/or ineffective project communications.  This emphasizes the need for more effective communication, management, and leadership skills in order to be a successful project manager.  This 2-day class will provide an understanding of critical communication skills and the human factor of project management: people-based management and leadership skills.

Performance Objectives:   Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Implement basic leadership techniques to form and strengthen project teams.
• Understand the essential elements of effective communication.
• Understand the role of personality and its effect on the communication process..
• Prepare a Communications Management Plan.
• Understand communication tools within the five project management phases
• Conduct a successful meeting.
• Identify the characteristics of an effective presentation.
• Understand the basic personality types and how to leverage them to the project advantage.
• Understand how to motivate a diverse workforce.
• Facilitate team decisions.
• Manage and resolve interpersonal conflicts.
• Manage difficult team members.
• Strengthen team accountability.
• Identify the dynamics and importance of team communications.

Audience:  All interested employees responsible with the planning and management of any type of project.

Organizations that have the right change rollout conversations and involve the right people at the right times are the most successful. Organizations that are clear about their decision making criteria and how each member is expected to input are more productive. This program leads participants through an assessment of these processes in their organization and for their teams. It teaches strategies to immediately elevate functioning and provides templates for keeping the improvement focused and on track in the future.

Upon completion of this course, participants should have knowledge and be able to:

•  Understand the fundamental components of the change "process."
•  Assess themselves on three key steps in helping groups manage change.
•  Frame the change conversation so that leaders and influencers will get on board.
•  Understand the impact that change has on employees and customers.
•  Create a communications plan that ensures change deliverables are achieved.
•  Use the best components of their organizational culture to drive ethical decisions.
•  Practice assessing root causes of issues, rather than treating symptoms.
•  Utilize a simple, energizing problem solving model to use with their staff.
•  Identify the flow of typical conversations and various ways they get stuck.
•  Practice five key facilitator practices: Observing behaviors; eliciting clear communication; challenging assumptions; speaking with tact; and maintaining group energy.
•  Identify meeting behaviors that shoot progress in the foot and what to do about them.
•  Participate in actual problem-solving practice and receive real-time feedback in the training.

Intended Audience: Mid-level functional or technical managers who want to grow in leadership standing and in their ability to influence positive organizational outcomes. Also team leads and supervisors who want to learn about management for future roles.