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Tag: Training

Project Intelligence (PQ) – Components of skills development for effective project management

How much is enough? How much is too much?

Project management is, among other things, a quest for efficiency. That quest should extend to the amount of project management knowledge, skill, and ability for the job and task at hand.
Projects come in all shapes, sizes, and levels of complexity. That’s part of why project management certification and training is available in different levels. While knowledge is a great thing, seeking out the highest level isn’t always the ideal direction to pursue. PM skills should be a means to an ends, not the ends themselves. Not every project needs to have a leader with PMP or Master Black Belt credentials. Acquiring skills that a person doesn’t have the opportunity to use and practice them is most likely going to result in those skills to become rusty and forgotten, to the point of being useless. Selecting the right tools for the job starts with knowing and understanding what level of expertise is needed for the type of project work one plans to do.

The term “intelligence” is often thrown around and added to various topics in order to create a deeper understanding of underlying components; emotional intelligence and cultural intelligence are two examples. The same convention fits here when discussing the components of skills development necessary for identifying the right levels for effective project management. Welcome to the concept of Project Intelligence.

Project Intelligence (PQ) in this context is a framework for identifying and acquiring the right abilities for project management as part of an overall, complimentary skill set in your professional tool box. It can be thought of as a four-step process for acquiring the amount of project management skill for a particular position. It starts with examining the situation and concludes with putting a right-sized repertoire of abilities into action.

Developing PQ involves the examination and consideration of the following components:

  1. Drive
  2. Depth
  3. Development
  4. Deployment

Drive

PQ drive involves asking and answering the question of why someone wants or needs to develop project management skills. Presumably, it’s because they plan to work on projects. But what is the motivation, or ‘drive’ to it? Is this person going to occasionally work on projects as a member of a cross-functional team? Will they need to act as project managers regularly as a part of their job? It can also be the case that someone needs to be able to show project management knowledge in order to be eligible for their next promotion. What drives a person to acquire PM skills can be as diverse as the various types of projects we can think of. That drive will also directly influence the types of skills necessary to achieve their project management goals.


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Depth

A little, or a lot? How much project management knowledge is the right amount to satisfy the needs corresponding to the motivation? This is the question of depth. Determining the depth of knowledge required for project management can be compared to selecting the right set of tools for the job.
In this step, an individuals need to determine the type of knowledge that they need and how much of it is necessary. This way, they can focus their efforts on learning what they need to know. For example, the person occasionally working as a team member of cross-functional project teams will need to know the basics of the methodology they will be working in. Key concepts like deliverables, success criteria, sprints, and documentation procedures are what will help this individual the most. The regular project manager will need more extensive knowledge of the methodology, as well as details for team coordination and procedure implementation. The person interested in acquiring PM skills for their next promotion might want to consider CAPM or Yellow-Belt certification to document and demonstrate their knowledge.

Development

PQ development means learning. Once a person knows what project management skills they need, the next step is to go out and get them. With the necessary skill set identified, an individual can find the training to acquire those skills. This is the development step in the process, where an individual goes out and develops the project management competencies they identify for the depth of skill they require.
Once of the great things about the field of project management is the vast availability of resources for education and training. Of course higher qualifications and official certifications have specific and strict requirements, but for most types of education and training, there are options available for various needs, budgets, and schedules. Where there’s a will, there are usually a number of different ways.

Deployment

With the new project management skills learned and developed, it’s time to put them into practice. Theoretical knowledge that can’t be used is nothing more than useless information. In the deployment stage, individuals can take their newly acquired knowledge back to their professional settings and put them to use. This means managing project, working on project teams, overseeing project portfolios, or any other activities where the new project management skills will be useful and beneficial.
Also important in the deployment stage is to look out for repetitive opportunities. These are chances for people to use their project management skills again, and again, and again – pausing in between each time to look for chances to improve. Every new endeavour is an opportunity to learn and progress, but only if we take the time to use it.

Developing the right level of project intelligence is a dynamic process. As work environments are constantly changing with new challenges and situations, it’s important to regularly revisit and reassess the types of skills you need. By focusing on the immediate and near-future requirements, a person has the chance to learn not only the skills they need for the moment, but the skills they will actually have the opportunity to use, practice, and master. So when the time comes to move further up the ladder once again, they will have a strong foundation to start from before taking the next step.

5 Team-Building Activities to Enhance Employee Performance

In searching for effective measures to boost employee and team performance, team-building activities have proven to be divisive.

 

Some see the inherent value in such exercises, but others see them as expensive folly, resulting in a jolly social outing but little more. Like anything else, value lies in the team-building activity being suitable and well-organized. With that in mind, here are five team-building themes that should really help to advance staff output.

Get out and get active

The value of getting active far exceeds the limits of improved work productivity. No matter what your line of work, getting up and getting out will take your employees out of their familiar everyday surroundings, and also take many out of their regular work comfort zones. Popular activities here include nature walks, orienteering sessions, or a regular sporting event such as softball or bowling. Whatever the activity, make any objective inclusive and team-oriented instead of competitive, which can have detrimental results. If you see that the activity is proving a particular struggle for one or more of your staff, then mix it up or build in elements which enhance the group dynamic.

“The key here is to really identify the challenges your employees face on a daily basis, and select an activity that mirrors those challenges and seeks effective means to overcome them. The more the employees can connect the exercise to their daily task, the more value will be added,” states Bianca Larsen, a team leader at Last Minute Writing and Writinity.

Cultural appreciation

First, a warning. Anything that actively involves breaking down social and cultural barriers contains an element of inherent danger, so think carefully before you proceed. Yet on the other hand, the rewards here are tangible. The idea is to create situations which actively encourage staff to highlight their differences, be that culturally, or even regarding their likes and dislikes. An example here would be a food party where all employees bring a typical dish from their family, or a dress down day where employees are encouraged to wear something traditional from their culture.

“The secret here is to unlock the invisible barriers that exist in all situations where there are groups of people from different backgrounds. Build trust and understanding, actively promote cultural appreciation, and the group dynamic will instantly respond, sending performance into a different stratosphere in most cases,” adds Harry Hughes, a business writer at Draft Beyond and Researchpapersuk.


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Get talking

Communication is a key element to any successful team, be that on the sports field or in the office. A team that has failed to unlock its potential is a team that doesn’t communicate effectively. So, what can be done to rectify this wrong? Get your staff talking, but not as they normally would. Take them out of their normal environment and out of their comfort zones by debating a number of diverse and eclectic subjects. Ideas here could include a debate-team scenario, or even a discussion where individuals must support standpoints they normally wouldn’t. It would perhaps be mindful to avoid the normal conflict areas of religion and politics, but even these subjects are not off limits if you trust your staff to be constructive in voicing their opinions. Just ensure everyone gets their say, and that opinions are always sought, not just delivered.

Have some fun

A vitally important element to team-building activities is having some fun. If the activity proves to be otherwise, you will quickly lose the buy-in from the key stakeholders – in this case your employees. There are countless fun activities that can be initiated for the purpose, from fancy dress parties to ‘escape’ scenarios where the team must work together to escape a locked room, for example. Activities which involve constructing something or creating something tangible are always worthwhile and enjoyable, while cooking something together which can then be shared is always a winner. The reality is that if your staff are not enjoying the experience, they won’t want to be there, and if they don’t want to be there, they won’t engage. Engagement in what they are doing is crucial to any activity: something that should always be applied in the office as well as out.

Get quizzing

This is a firm favorite going back many years. People, on average, just love pointless trivia, so setting up a regular staff quiz night in a relaxed environment can be a sure winner when looking to enhance staff morale and productivity. Just be sure to mix up the questions and the teams, and in general steer clear of talking shop, although a cheeky work-based round can have its merits too. Be careful not to overly stoke the competition, but keep the eye firmly on the aspect of fun, and this can be an enjoyable and rewarding exercise.

About the Author

Content Editor Harry Conley is a man of many talents. As well as his work for LuckyAssignments and GumEssays, he is involved in the development of training and workflow activities to enhance the ability of writers, always seeking to unlock potential along the way. Another string to his bow is his interest in the provision of supplementary materials and instructional support for contributors.

Is Certification Worth It?

There has been a constant debate in the professional world that is certification worth it or not?

Let me add my two cents on this very interesting topic, which might help you to decide to go for your dream certification or not.

Birth Of Professional Certifications

The professional market realized that the skill set which they required for their specific jobs were not being met by the educational institutions (colleges and universities) all across the globe because of different course structures and learning objectives. A standard body of knowledge that was applicable to many different industries did not exist.

Organizations were looking for a standard in that two people from different parts of the world will be aware of same concepts, terminology, tools, and techniques. When hiring for the role of project manager, organizations wanted individuals with the same core skill sets and wanted assurance those core skill sets were verified or tested.

This led to the birth of different professional certifications and professional bodies which offer these certifications. Organizations began using these certifications as criteria for hiring.

Certification: A Money Making Model Or Continued Education?

I hear this lot of time that why do we have to renew our certifications in every few years by paying the professional body. Is it just a money making model? I do understand the resistance to paying for renewing a certification you did long back every 5 years.

The Body of Knowledge for the profession, with techniques, and required skills are enhanced year over year through project management research and the ever-changing environments in which companies operate. A good example fo this is the “Cloud.” This concept of storing data and applications outside of the company wasn’t something that existed 10 years ago. Utilization of “Cloud” computing takes a different set of skills and techniques to deliver a project successfully. Enhancements to existing areas of knowledge are also expected as the career of Project Management change and evolve.

The reason is most of these professional bodies which offer these certifications are nonprofits. They need to have a revenue model to provide you with free webinars, free journals, and free e- journals access throughout. Certification Bodies focus on keeping it as a continued education model where you are always updated with the most recent topics of that particular certification. The sad part is most of the people access their website only when they have to renew.

Certifications Cannot Beat Experience But Can Add Value

Experience is certainly very important, and there is no replacement for experience. You will need some experience prior to obtaining Certification. Another viewpoint is that in this constantly changing environment techniques, tools, and methodologies get obsolete quickly. Recent research has indicated that techniques used just 3 years ago are no longer used because they are no longer considered effective in the organization.

Experience helps but keeping yourself updated with the professional certifications is very helpful in maintaining your “street cred.” Greater value is achieved by combining your experience with newer and more innovative techniques. Certification shows you understand the core skills required for the role and continuing education allows you to keep your core skill sets current and sharp.

Certifications Are Marketing Gimmicks

In this competitive era where recruiter spends less than 45 seconds on screening a resume, there needs to be something that catches their attention and force them to make a cold call to you for the dream opportunity you have been waiting for a very long time. Certifications solve this purpose and make you stand out from your contemporaries. Apart from this, it shows the recruiter/employer that you are passionate about this particular field and you are trying your best to stay updated and conquer that field.

Gaining certification shows a strong commitment to your career. You are showing you are dedicated to your career by going through the certification process and being successful. Your knowledge and experience are verified as part of the certification process. Organizations value the certification because if demonstrates not only your commitment but your experience to the Project Management career.

Certifications For New Hire Screening

Most jobs have prerequisites for certifications. For example PMP for Project Managers, CBAP for BA lead and CSM for Scrum Masters and CSPO for Product Owners. A lot of contractual positions also need their consultants to be certified by renowned professional bodies. All these encourage the job seekers to polish their skills with the in-demand certifications. The organization by requesting a certification is demonstrating its desire to acquire top rated and high successful individuals in their career areas.

With that said, certification is the not the final word in obtaining the right candidate. Even with certification, the individual might not be good a good fit due to personality. Additionally being certified isn’t a guarantee the individual will be successful in their role. Hiring managers still need to review references and past projects to ensure the the candidate is a good fit for the organization.

Certifications are great assets to have in the current era. It separates you from the crowd and helps you get more opportunities which lead to the realization of your dreams and goals. It helps to show your determination and commitment towards a specific area of study. It keeps you updated with the latest trends in that specific area of study, and you are aware of the best practices which make you a good pick for an opportunity than others. Certifications act as important milestones in your professional journey.

Go ahead and pursue the certification you are passionate about because it will help you to chase your dreams and dreams do come true.