Managing People with Power Skills (edX)

As the PMBOK Guide® aptly states, “projects are performed by people and for people,” (page 9, 7th Edition).

People make projects. Period.

As project managers, we are continuously working with stakeholders to maintain good relationships and ensure that their expectations are in alignment with the goals of the project.

Linked to the Leadership skill area of the PMI Talent Triangle®, this course will place focus on managing the expectations and relationships of the people involved in projects. To achieve the project goals, it is important to have the knowledge, skills and behaviors needed to guide, motivate and/or direct others. People skills are crucial in achieving success. One way to effectively motivate others is to show them what they can achieve through collaboration and cooperation. Project leaders are constantly helping project stakeholders see the potential for success by demonstrating knowledge, skills and behaviors related to people.

There are a variety of skills that will be covered in the course, such as negotiation, active listening, emotional intelligence, and servant leadership. These powerful skills can be incredibly helpful throughout the lifecycle of your projects, so it’s important that project professionals learn them well.

In this course we'll cover the core interpersonal skills and key techniques to effectively manage the expectations and the relationships with project stakeholders:

- Identifying project stakeholders

- Planning resource needs

- Sharing the vision of the project with your stakeholders

- Keeping your stakeholders informed in the predictive vs. the agile environment

- Motivational theories

- Addressing interpersonal conflicts

- Emotional intelligence

- Decision making techniques

- Communications management.

Learners will uncover the importance of managing expectations and relationships effectively and how to create a positive work environment and build good relationships with team members. This is an essential skill for any project manager, and this course will focus on how to manage the expectations of others, both internally and externally. By doing so, you can help your team and organization stay productive and successfully meet the goals of the project..

By the end of the course, learners will be able to confidently identify the stakeholders of a project and determine the appropriate strategies to manage expectations and maintain a productive working relationship with team members and all stakeholders. Additionally, upon successful completion of this course, learners can earn 8 contact hours of project management education which are recognized by the Project Management Institute (PMI). A total of 35 contact hours in project management education are a requirement to those looking to achieve the Project Management Professional (PMP®)certification. Learners will finish this course with increased knowledge of the better practice tips to engage stakeholders and be more than ready to continue their project management and PMP® journey, which we hope completes your certificate with us.

This course is part of the Project Management Professional (PMP) Exam Prep Training- Crystalizing Methods, Terminology and Techniques. Professional Certificate.

What you'll learn

At the end of the course learners will:

- Review the key interpersonal skills necessary to effectively manage projects

- Define who are the stakeholders and how we interact with them in predictive environment vs. adaptive environment

- Apply techniques used to effectively handle conflicts

- Analyze the factors of resource planning and team management

- Discover the key elements that make for a strong communications plan

Syllabus

Week 1: The first week starts with the hard fact about soft skills: they are needed to be an effective project manager. This lesson will delve into the renaming of soft skills as power skills within the PMI Talent Triangle® and will also make the connection to the People domain of the PMP® exam. Additionally, this lesson will provide a foundational overview of the important interpersonal skills to be successful in managing projects.

Week 2: The second week will dive into explaining the concept of stakeholders–who they are, sharing the vision with them and understanding the PM’s sphere of influence.

Week 3: The third week puts focus on resource management: the people, supplies, equipment, materials to get the job done. Participants will learn about the role of the PM, the necessary power skills (same as in stakeholder management), and key concepts related to resource management such as leading vs. managing, determining the motivations of stakeholders, resolving conflict, managing virtual teams and recognizing and rewarding team members for a job well done.

Week 4: The fourth and final week details the importance of communications: getting the right information, to the right people, at the right time, and in the right format. Participants will learn about the difference of effective communications vs. efficient communications and the PM’s role in all of this.