With rapid technological change in the workplace today, we live in a world
of projects. According to Tom Peters, the renowned author, consultant, and
speaker, “Tasks are things of the past. To win today you must master the art
of The Project!” As businesses look for more efficient and effective ways
to manage work, they have discovered that project management is the answer
for increasing white-collar productivity.
Project management is not only happening in technology industries. This
strategy is increasingly being used in all industries to get the work done
on time and within budget. In today’s workplace, the ability to manage projects
is an essential skill. Effective project managers are increasingly in demand,
while people without those skills are being left behind. Rapid change in business
and industry is driving this transformation from task-based to project-based
work.
Whether you realize it or not, everyone manages a project at some point.
For example, a couple manages their wedding day, a student manages a class
project, homeowners manage home-improvement projects, and the list goes on.
These same people can take advantage of the same project management skills
and tools that engineers, managers, and contractors use because the principles
are the same.
Participants are surprised how many project management skills they already
have when they attend the AchieveMax®
“Project
Management: From Concept to Completion” seminar. This basic seminar helps
participants organize their work into projects and helps them build project
management skills. The seminar involves “hands-on” activities where they work
in project teams. Participants learn that almost every employee, regardless
of job title, will spend more and more time focused on projects. In fact,
everyone in business and industry will soon be expected to be project completion
experts.
The
project management seminar helps participants obtain the necessary skills
to become more adept at project completion. After participants learn to identify
their project management skills, they realize how valuable these skills can
be in developing their careers, especially when they discuss the impact of
project management skills with other seminar participants. As a result, employees
with project management skills are more valuable to their employers, creating
a “win-win” situation for both employee and employer.
When seminar participants are asked if they handle multiple projects, the
great majority respond by saying yes. The participants discuss strategies
that have worked for them in dealing with multiple projects and activities.
The seminar provides a networking opportunity to share effective ideas to
deal with this perplexing problem.
Project teams have been able to work on current and planned projects as
a part of the seminar. Not only do project teams learn project management
skills, they also make progress in completing their scheduled and planned
projects.
Progressive businesses are realizing the value of providing their project
managers and project teams with this type of training so that they can bring
in projects on time and within budget. Employers are definitely finding the
return-on-investment (ROI) by scheduling their employees in the Project Management
seminar.
Jeffrey W. Drake, Ph.D., is a professional speaker
and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a firm
specializing in custom-designed keynote presentations, seminars, and consulting
services. Jeff has made presentations ranging from leadership to empowered
teams and project management to communication styles for a number of industries,
including education, financial, government, healthcare, and manufacturing. He
can be reached at 800-886-2MAX or by visiting http://www.AchieveMax.com.
Publication
Date: Fall 2000
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