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OVERVIEW
The Indiana State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers approved 18 of my short courses for your use in earning PDHs applicable to Indiana PE licenses. These 60 and 90 minute courses are arranged in five categories: Communication, Ethics and Law, Marketing Professional Services, Personal Development, and Project Management.
One or more courses can be provided on-site or presented live via webinars to a large number of locations.
The short courses can be mixed and matched to form a “curriculum” to meet your organization’s needs. For example, you could select a project management series that includes these coordinated courses:
- Characteristics of Successful Project Managers
- Project Planning—Thinking Through Before Doing
- Improved Communication Within and Outside of the Project Team
- Quality—What Is It and How to Achieve It
- Scope Creep—Minimizing and Managing It
- Critical Path Method—An Introduction
- Earned Value Method for Monitoring Deliverables, Budget, and Schedule
- Enhancing the Creativity and Innovation of Project Managers
These courses reflect what I have learned as a result of being employed in the business, government, and academic sectors; working as an independent consultant; and conducting research.
Each individual completing the course will be provided with a certificate of course completion that can be used in Indiana, and possibly in other licensing jurisdictions, to earn CEUs or PDHs.
If you are interested in discussing the possibility of my offering one or more courses with the goal of furthering the personal and professional development of your staff and to help them earn CEUs/PDHs, please contact me at stuwalesh@comcast.net or 219-464-1704.
To learn more about Indiana’s requirements, click here: www.in.gov/pla/2747.htm. Then scroll down to Continuing Education Requirements.
A list of my courses, as approved by the Indiana State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers, and posted on their website, follows along with detailed course descriptions.
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LIST OF PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE COURSES
COMMUNICATION: MEETINGS --
PLANNING AND CONDUCTING PRODUCTIVE MEETINGS
BACKGROUND: Too many meetings, whether face-to-face, or via conference call, are unnecessarily costly in terms of time wasted and stress endured. Meetings do not have to be that way—and that’s the point of this course. Meetings can be both enjoyable and productive if thoughtfully planned, conducted and followed up. If you are an executive or manager of a private, public, academic, or other organization, this course will increase your organization’s effectiveness by reducing meeting time while increasing output. And you, as an individual professional, can apply this course’s tips and by orchestrating productive meetings! Careful organization and thoughtful consideration of the agenda and focused preparation by participants are absolutely required. Participants receive a detailed handout on which the course will draw. The handout includes references to articles, books, e-newsletters, websites and other self-study materials.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
- Appreciate the 3 parts of an effective meeting
- Understand the 2 reasons to meet
- Learn 3 reasons not to meet
- Consider 12 meeting planning tips
- Review 11 ideas for conducting a meeting
- Gain 3 tips for meeting follow-up
- Learn how to plan, conduct, and follow up on meetings
- Become a high-expectations meeting participant
- Recognize when a meeting is needed and when other options are preferable
- Influence positively the meeting culture in your organization
- Deal with difficult behavior during meetings
- Earn a reputation as the person who facilitates group efforts
- Reduce meeting costs and increase meeting benefits
NUMBER OF HOURS: 1.5
DELIVERY FORMAT: Face-to-face in classroom/seminar style or via webinar delivered to one or more locations. This course could be presented alone or as part of a set of courses tailored to meet specific needs.
CERTIFICATE OF COURSE COMPLETION: Each individual completing the course will be provided with a certificate of course completion that can be used in Indiana, and possibly in other licensing jurisdictions, to earn CEUs or PDHs.
COURSE CONTENT:
- Causes of costly meetings
- Reasons to meet
- When not to meet
- Preparing for the meeting
- Conducting the meeting
- Following up on the meeting
- Dealing with difficult behavior during meetings
- Resources for additional study
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COMMUNICATION: SPEAKING --
PREPARING AND DELIVERING A CONVINCING PRESENTATION
BACKGROUND: The engineering community places a premium on the ability to deliver effective presentations and, as a result, to make good things happen. Individuals who develop speaking skills are well-rewarded in terms of span of influence, promotion, compensation, perquisites, added opportunities, and perhaps most important of all, personal satisfaction for a
difficult task well done. We can learn effective speaking, like any other skill, by studying fundamentals and then proactively practicing. The convincing “speech” is carefully prepared, thoughtfully presented, and carefully followed up. This course describes concrete suggestions for improving speaking ability. Participants receive a detailed handout on which the course draws. The handout includes references to articles, books, e-newsletters, websites, and other self-study
materials.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
- Appreciate the 4 entities that benefit from a convincing presentation
- Identify 12 tips for preparing an effective presentation
- Learn 11 aspects of presenting
- Know 4 ways to proactively follow up on a presentation
- Build confidence
- Get ideas, opinions, and findings “out there”: Inform and influence others
- Enhance your organization’s image/reputation
- Improve your professional opportunities
- Expand your network
NUMBER OF HOURS: 1.5
DELIVERY FORMAT: Face-to-face in classroom/seminar style or via webinar delivered to one or more locations. This course could be presented alone or as part of a set of courses tailored to meet specific needs.
CERTIFICATE OF COURSE COMPLETION: Each individual completing the course will be provided with a certificate of course completion that can be used in Indiana, and possibly in other licensing jurisdictions, to earn CEUs or PDHs.
COURSE CONTENT:
- Speaking leads to win-win-win-win
- 3 speaking obstacles
- Speaking vs. writing: More channels and two-way
- Getting on the program
- Profiling the audience
- Defining the message
- Brain storming, incubating, clustering, and outlining
- Using the past to influence the future
- 3 preferred ways of understanding
- Visuals and props
- Research-proven ways to use and not use PowerPoint
- Practice: 3 benefits
- Logistics verification
- Confronting fear
- Ending definitively
- Stimulating the Q&A
- Following-up
- Case study of observed, easy-to-fix speaker liabilities
- Resources for additional study
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COMMUNICATION: WRITING --
ENGAGING AND CONVINCING THE READER
BACKGROUND: Of the five forms of communication (listening, speaking, writing, visuals, and mathematics), writing is the one that is most likely to have both short term and long term impacts. Writing can have a short term impact in the sense that what we write today may influence co-workers, clients, and stakeholders tomorrow. In the long term, what we write today, especially professional articles, papers, and books, may influence others months, years, or decades from now. Therefore, if we are dissatisfied with our writing skill, improving it can have a significant personal and professional payoff. This course offers many specific and pragmatic tips to immediately help you improve your writing ability. Most tips are applicable to the full range of writing including major reports, professional papers, memoranda, letters, and email.
Participants receive a detailed handout on which the course draws. The handout includes references to articles, books, e-newsletters, websites, and other self-study materials.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
- Increase awareness of 5 forms of communication
- Appreciate the one-way, single channel challenge of writing
- Learn 32 writing tips
- Consider a 3-part structure for a major report
- Be aware of 5 gender-neutral writing structures
- Become more aware of what you really think and know
- Engage your subconscious to help you write more effectively
- Increase your writing efficiency and effectiveness
- Produce documents that are more reader-friendly
- Expand your influence within and outside of your organization
NUMBER OF HOURS: 1.5
DELIVERY FORMAT: Face-to-face in classroom/seminar style or via webinar delivered to one or more locations. This course could be presented alone or as part of a set of courses tailored to meet specific needs.
CERTIFICATE OF COURSE COMPLETION: Each individual completing the course will be provided with a certificate of course completion that can be used in Indiana, and possibly in other licensing jurisdictions, to earn CEUs or PDHs.
COURSE CONTENT:
- The complete communicator
- Speaking versus writing
- Types of written products
- Profiling the audience
- Defining the message
- Style guides
- Writing starts on Day 1
- Brainstorming, listing, clustering, outlining, and incubating
- Brain mapping
- Retaining the outline
- Writing the “easy parts” first
- Selecting the “person”,
- Gender neutral, active – not passive
- Less is more
- Rhetorical techniques
- Tin ear
- Trimming hedges
- Flexible format
- Lists for a change of pace
- Standard maps/diagrams
- Format writing
- Writing milestones
- Appearance
- Citing sources
- One more time
- Resources for additional study
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ETHICS AND LAW:
AVOIDING INTERPERSONAL AND LEGAL PROBLEMS
BACKGROUND: The theme of this course is: What can we learn from the mistakes made by individuals in business, government, academic, and other organizations so that we don’t repeat them? More specifically, this course addresses what seem to be a few actions, or more specifically inactions, that cause a disproportionately large fraction of interpersonal and legal problems within and among organizations. Roughly, 20 percent of the causes result in 80 percent of the problems so let’s go after those causes first. Besides identifying the principal causes of problems, this course suggests preventive and remedial actions. In this course, an engineer offers advice based on his varied managing and leading experiences, his studies, and input from colleagues -- as opposed to a lawyer discussing legal theories and technicalities. Participants receive a detailed handout on which the course draws. The handout includes lists of articles, books, e-newsletters, websites, and other self-study and group-study materials.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
- Appreciate the 20/80 principle
- Understand 4 focus areas
- Know the connection between being nice and the likelihood of legal action
- Learn the 3 criteria for negligence
- Recognize 3 categories of problematic words
- Reduce individual stress and organizational chaos
- Build stronger internal and external relationships
- Retain more existing clients/stakeholders and gain more new clients/stakeholders
- Reduce monetary and labor costs associated with conflicts and legal actions
- Increase profitability in the private sector
- Make better use of resources in the public sector
NUMBER OF HOURS: 1.5
DELIVERY FORMAT: Face-to-face in classroom/seminar style or via webinar delivered to one or more locations. This course could be presented alone or as part of a set of courses tailored to meet specific needs.
CERTIFICATE OF COURSE COMPLETION: Each individual completing the course will be provided with a certificate of course completion that can be used in Indiana, and possibly in other licensing jurisdictions, to earn CEUs or PDHs.
COURSE CONTENT:
- The 20 – 80 principle
- Watch your language
- Legal terminology
- Documentation – who, what, when, and how?
- Wrapping tires in brown paper?
- High expectations-high support
- Removing dead wood gently
- Resources for additional study
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ETHICS AND LAW: ETHICAL BEHAVIOR --
THE KEY TO EARNING TRUST
BACKGROUND: As we work, we may be tempted to plagiarize; cheat on a PE exam; embellish our resume; shift blame for our errors to others; fail to fulfill agreed-upon responsibilities; share sensitive information about a client with a third party outside of our employer; claim expertise we do not possess; fail to express concern, as a member of a project team, about a team decision we believe would have an adverse impact on the environment; log more time to a project than we actually worked; provide negative information about a competing firm, manufacturing company, university, or other organization; hide, during construction or manufacturing, life-threatening errors discovered in plans and specifications; accept a gift offered by a vendor even though doing so conflicts with our employer’s policy; and ignoring unfair treatment of another employee. And many of these could happen in any given week! The preceding suggests the varied ethical situations frequently faced by often harried engineers and other technical professionals. Regardless of our technical and non-technical expertise, unethical behavior, intentional or unintentional, can destroy hard-earned trust and sink our career. This course offers practical ideas and information to help you navigate those often choppy and sometimes turbulent ethical waters. Participants receive a detailed handout on which the course will draw. The handout includes references to articles, books, e-newsletters, websites, and other self-study materials.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
- Understand the 4 legal-ethical quadrants
- Learn 5 techniques for resolving ethical issues
- Appreciate common elements among professional society ethics codes
- Obtain ethics tools for individual and group use
- Increase awareness of ethical issues in your organization
- Protect your and your employer’s reputation
- Reduce stress
- Earn trust
- Advance your career
- Obtain ethics case studies for post-course use
NUMBER OF HOURS: 1.5
DELIVERY FORMAT: Face-to-face in classroom/seminar style or via webinar delivered to one or more locations. This course could be presented alone or as part of a set of courses tailored to meet specific needs.
CERTIFICATE OF COURSE COMPLETION: Each individual completing the course will be provided with a certificate of course completion that can be used in Indiana, and possibly in other licensing jurisdictions, to earn CEUs or PDHs.
COURSE CONTENT:
- A practical, process-oriented definition of ethics
- The personal values challenge
- Who are we cheating?
- The practical benefit of ethical behavior
- Starts at the top: Low cost and high impact
- Ethical and legal domain
- Codes: Employer and professional society
- Using codes
- Advice of experienced personnel
- 9-step procedure
- Elimination process
- Using moral imagination
- Case studies
- Resources for additional study
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MARKETING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES: FUNDAMENTALS --
IT’S EVERYONE’S BUSINESS
BACKGROUND: The word “marketing” often engenders negative reactions or connotations.
The project engineer or project manager sees images of brash, high-pressure car salespeople. He or she may be repulsed by the thought of “wasting” his or her professional education and experience doing “sales” work. In contrast, this course presents a positive, win-win-win marketing model. Marketing is a major expense for an E/A/C organization—it consumes valuable non-billable hours and dollars. Other types of organizations, such as government entities and universities should apply marketing principles. Therefore, the marketing effort must be carefully planned and executed; disciplined management and enlightened leadership are required. Organizations should undertake a continuous, proactive, positive marketing process; not a series of sporadic reactions “when they need work.” The need for everyone to be helpful to the marketing effort is heightened during difficult economic times. Is everyone carrying their fair share? Maybe they want to but do not know how. This course shows how. Participants receive a handout summarizing the course and it includes including references to articles, books, e-newsletters, websites and other self-study materials.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
- Appreciate the difference between marketing and sales
- Learn a 3-part marketing model
- Identify 12 marketing tips
- Know 30 questions to ask those you want to serve
- Review 25 pairs of what works and what doesn’t work
- Increase awareness of marketing responsibilities and opportunities
- View marketing in a positive manner
- Prepare more doer-sellers
- Develop a personal marketing plan
- Build relationships instead of just winning projects
- Increase marketing return on investment
NUMBER OF HOURS: 1.5
DELIVERY FORMAT: Face-to-face in classroom/seminar style or via webinar delivered to one or more locations. This course could be presented alone or as part of a set of courses tailored to meet specific needs.
CERTIFICATE OF COURSE COMPLETION: Each individual completing the course will be provided with a certificate of course completion that can be used in Indiana, and possibly in other licensing jurisdictions, to earn CEUs or PDHs.
COURSE CONTENT:
- Your attitude toward marketing
- Financial necessity: How much do you spend?
- Catching and fishing is like selling and marketing
- Marketing is not a department
- 3-part marketing model
- You cannot not market
- Results of marketing studies
- Elevator speeches
- 12 marketing tips
- Farmer versus hunter marketing
- Making cold calls warm
- Benefits over features
- What works and what doesn’t
- Resources for additional study
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MARKETING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES: THE FIVE HABITS
OF HIGHLY-EFFECTIVE MARKETERS
BACKGROUND: Engineering firms value “seller-doers,” that is, engineers and other
professionals who are effective both in marketing and in managing projects. Assuming you are familiar with marketing fundamentals, this course will take you up to the next level. You, as a project or other manager, can use this course to enhance your group’s marketing effectiveness. You, as an individual professional can, after learning about the five habits, adopt some or all and then contribute more to your organization while also building career security. This course advocates developing habits that enhance the people-intensive marketing process. These habits enable engineers, architects, and other technical professionals to almost automatically say and do the right things so that you, your E/A/C firm or other employer, and the client-owner-stakeholder
benefit. For most individuals some of these positive habits will replace negative counterproductive habits. The handout accompanying the course contains all graphics
used in the course. It also includes references to self-study resources such as articles, papers, books, e-newsletters, websites, and professional/business organizations.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
- Know 5 habits of the most effective marketers
- Understand the 3-part knowledge pyramid
- Learn the 5 whys method of asking questions
- Appreciate the 5 levels of listening
- Connect the 3-part marketing model to the 5 habits
- Identify 30 marketing questions
- Understand the power of good and bad habits
- Reduce marketing-related stress
- Make better use of your time
- Refine your question-asking knowledge and skills
- Improve marketing effectiveness
- Engage more personnel in the marketing effort
- Enhance seller-doer roles
NUMBER OF HOURS: 1.5
DELIVERY FORMAT: Face-to-face in classroom/seminar style or via webinar delivered to one or more locations. This course could be presented alone or as part of a set of courses tailored to meet specific needs.
CERTIFICATE OF COURSE COMPLETION: Each individual completing the course will be provided with a certificate of course completion that can be used in Indiana, and possibly in other licensing jurisdictions, to earn CEUs or PDHs.
COURSE CONTENT:
- Carrying baggage?
- Marketing versus selling
- The seller-doer challenge
- A 3-part marketing model
- 5 powerful habits
- Learning good habits
- The knowledge pyramid
- Habits connected to the marketing model
- Suggested questions
- Resources for additional study
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PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT: DELEGATION --
WHY PUT OFF UNTIL TOMORROW
WHAT SOMEONE ELSE CAN DO TODAY?
BACKGROUND: Delegation means legitimately assigning part of your tasks to someone else. When done well, everyone wins. When done poorly, we experience “bossing,” “dumping,” or wasted effort. In spite of compelling arguments in support of delegation, professionals often don’t do it or do it poorly. Engineers are especially adept at rationalizing why they cannot delegate or delegate more. Some organizational cultures unintentionally discourage delegation. This webinar addresses these obstacles to delegation and, more importantly, explains how to delegate effectively to produce win-win results. Participants in this course receive a handout summarizing the course and it includes references to articles, books, e-newsletters, websites, and other self-study materials.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
- Appreciate 5 reasons to delegate
- Understand 8 delegation obstacles
- Learn 10 delegation tips
- Understand
- Understand retaining responsibility while giving up authority
- Provide opportunity for you to take on new responsibilities
- Help others learn, grow, and contribute
- Reduce stress
- Increase profitability and stay within budgets
- Strengthen your organization
NUMBER OF HOURS: 1.5
DELIVERY FORMAT: Face-to-face in classroom/seminar style or via webinar delivered to one or more locations. This course could be presented alone or as part of a set of courses tailored to meet specific needs.
CERTIFICATE OF COURSE COMPLETION: Each individual completing the course will be provided with a certificate of course completion that can be used in Indiana, and possibly in other licensing jurisdictions, to earn CEUs or PDHs.
COURSE CONTENT:
- Giving up authority while retaining responsibility
- Avoiding “dumping” and “bossing”
- Reasons to delegate
- Delegation obstacles
- Delegation tips
- Positive and negative outcomes of delegation and how to respond
- Consequences of not delegating: Personal and organizational
- Personal action plan
- Bottom-line argument for delegation
- Resources for additional study
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PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT: TEN TIPS
FOR ACHIEVING SUCCESS AND SIGNIFICANCE
BACKGROUND: Look around. Why do some engineers and similar professionals achieve a high level of success and significance while others do not? The high achievers, and the not so high achievers, have similar intelligence, education, work ethic, and years of experience; all of which seem to be important factors. Yet, results as measured in terms of promotions, influence, compensation, perquisites, and recognition are markedly different. Some of us practice excellent stewardship with our gifts while others miss something. Where are you in the mix? Are you satisfied? But many of us suffer in quiet desperation. We want much more and are frustrated by our slow or no progress. This course recognizes that most of us “bring so much to the table” and would benefit from ideas on how to leverage it. Participants receive a detailed handout on which the course draws. The handout includes references to articles, books, e-newsletters, websites and other self-study materials.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
- Learn more about yourself
- Recognize the difference between success and significance and achieve the desired balance
- Strengthen your organization
- Contribute more to your profession and community
- Earn career security
- Finance your retirement
- Offer more to your family
NUMBER OF HOURS: 1.0
DELIVERY FORMAT: Face-to-face in classroom/seminar style or via webinar delivered to one or more locations. This course could be presented alone or as part of a set of courses tailored to meet specific needs.
CERTIFICATE OF COURSE COMPLETION: Each individual completing the course will be provided with a certificate of course completion that can be used in Indiana, and possibly in other licensing jurisdictions, to earn CEUs or PDHs.
COURSE CONTENT:
- The changing world of work: No more gold watches
- Success vs. significance
- Two futures: Your choice
- Ten tips
- Career security: Much better than job security
- Tools and techniques for using the tips
- Resources for additional study
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PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT: TIME MANAGEMENT--
A ROLES AND GOALS APPROACH TO A BALANCED LIFE
BACKGROUND: Professionals often claim we “don’t have the time,” as though they have less time than others. In fact, each of us has 24 hours a day and 365 days per year. Time is a resource or, perhaps more profoundly, a gift. Our time—our use of this gift—should be carefully managed. Some professionals achieve major significance and success in their personal,
family, financial, community, and professional lives. Others, in spite of ample talent and good intentions, fill their lives with mediocrity. Personal time management, when carried out in support of selected roles and ambitious goals, is often the deciding factor. This course will help you and others “find” time and reduce stress. It begins by helping participants define roles and goals and then offers a time management toolbox to help fulfill the roles and achieve the goals. Participants receive a detailed handout on which the course draws. The handout includes references to articles, books, e-newsletters, websites, and other self-study materials.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
- Understand how time management follows roles and goals
- Learn 26 time management tips
- Know five steps to setting goals
- Work effectively, not just efficiently
- Integrate all aspects of your life, not just work
- “Find” at least one hour per day
- Reduce stress
- Achieve more success and significance
NUMBER OF HOURS: 1.5
DELIVERY FORMAT: Face-to-face in classroom/seminar style or via webinar delivered to one or more locations. This course could be presented alone or as part of a set of courses tailored to meet specific needs.
CERTIFICATE OF COURSE COMPLETION: Each individual completing the course will be provided with a certificate of course completion that can be used in Indiana, and possibly in other licensing jurisdictions, to earn CEUs or PDHs.
COURSE CONTENT:
- Work harder – or smarter?
- Roles and goals first
- Time as a resource
- Time management: The great equalizer
- Effectiveness first, then efficiency
- Time management ABC’s: 26 practical tips
- Won’t do list
- Eliminating organizational time wasters
- Time management system
- Personal action plan
- Resources for additional study
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PROJECT MANAGEMENT: CHARACTERISTICS OF
SUCCESSFUL PROJECT MANAGERS
BACKGROUND: Inevitably, younger A/E/C and government personnel begin to think about becoming project managers (PMs). “Moving up” seems logical. Does success as a project engineer, project architect, or project planner guarantee success as a PM? No, to successfully make the move, the typical project team member must learn how to think and act very differently. This pragmatic one-hour course guides the prospective PM through the process of deciding if he or she wants to become a PM and, if so, how to do it. Recently-appointed PMs will obtain advice on how to be more effective. This course is intended for both private and public sector personnel. Participants receive a detailed handout on which the course draws. The handout includes references to articles, books, e-newsletters, websites and other self-study materials.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
- Make an intelligent “go-no go” decision regarding a move from project team member to PM
- Learn how to make the transition by adjusting attitude and by acquiring new knowledge and skills
- Improve current less than desired PM performance
- Visualize options and applications beyond basic PM
NUMBER OF HOURS: 1.0
DELIVERY FORMAT: Face-to-face in classroom/seminar style or via webinar delivered to one or more locations. This course could be presented alone or as part of a set of courses tailored to meet specific needs.
CERTIFICATE OF COURSE COMPLETION: Each individual completing the course will be provided with a certificate of course completion that can be used in Indiana, and possibly in other licensing jurisdictions, to earn CEUs or PDHs.
COURSE CONTENT:
- Centrality of project management: 9 benefits
- 5 reasons to become a PM
- Success characteristics
- 7 attitude adjustment suggestions
- 5 ways to acquire PM knowledge and skills
- Suggestions for getting your chance
- Resources for additional study
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PROJECT MANAGEMENT: CRITICAL PATH METHOD --
AN INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND: Project managers typically face these four schedule questions: 1) How
long will the project take? 2) Are we on schedule? 3) How long will the project be delayed because of this setback? 4) How long did the project really take? The Critical Path Method (CPM) provides answers to these questions. It also facilitates, actually requires, a very systematic approach to project planning. This course introduces the CPM by explaining underlying concepts and illustrating them with simple examples. The course stresses the overall value of the CPM which is identifying and linking the project tasks before actually doing the project. Some software packages are noted and a free program is identified. Participants receive a detailed handout on which the course draws. The handout includes references to articles, books, e-newsletters, websites and other self-study materials.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
- Learn how to obtain answers to the 4 project manager questions
- Understand the 5-step CPM process
- Know 6 tips for identifying project tasks
- Obtain a means for identifying project tasks and their interrelationships
- Encourage better project scheduling
- Identify schedule problems early – when they can still be corrected
- Reduce project delays by knowing when and how to take corrective action
- Enhance client, owner, and stakeholder relations through improved project performance
NUMBER OF HOURS: 1.0
DELIVERY FORMAT: Face-to-face in classroom/seminar style or via webinar delivered to one or more locations. This course could be presented alone or as part of a set of courses tailored to meet specific needs.
CERTIFICATE OF COURSE COMPLETION: Each individual completing the course will be provided with a certificate of course completion that can be used in Indiana, and possibly in other licensing jurisdictions, to earn CEUs or PDHs.
COURSE CONTENT:
- The 4 schedule questions
- Network fundamentals
- The 5-step CPM approach
- Forward and backward pass
- Critical path
- Gantt Chart
- Examples
- Updating the schedule
- Task identification tips
- Software
- Resources for additional study
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PROJECT MANAGEMENT: EARNED-VALUE METHOD FOR
MONITORING DELIVERABLES, BUDGETS, AND SCHEDULES
BACKGROUND: Projects are typically pulled in three directions: 1) Stay within the
budget, 2) meet the schedule, and 3) provide all the deliverables. The likelihood of successfully accommodating all three “pulls” is greatly increased if the project begins with preparation of a project plan (PP) and, relative to this course, if project progress is periodically monitored with the Earned Value Method (EVM) with corrections applied as needed. Monitoring project progress means being able to periodically know and compare what we planned to spend, what we actually spent, and the value of what we’ve actually produced. With this triad of information, the project manager can identify and build on success or, in contrast, identify problems and correct them. The EVM leverages the value of accounting information. Furthermore, when project managers adopt the EVM, accounting departments, which often provide too much financial information too late to project managers, are likely to take a fresh look at the quantity and timing of what they provide. Participants receive a detailed handout on which the course draws. The handout includes references to articles, books, e-newsletters, websites and other self-study materials.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
- Learn the 4-step EVM process
- Understand the 7 benefits of the EVM
- Obtain 8 examples of reading project profiles
- See 5 ways to identify project tasks
- Appreciate 5 tips for estimating task percent complete
- Encourage and leverage PPs
- Identify deliverables/budget/schedule problems early; when they can still be corrected
- Hold task leaders accountable for their contributions to
- Budget, schedule, and deliverables
- Focus on value provided, not budget expended
- Improve applicability of accounting reports
- Reduce project overruns and increase project profitability
- Enhance client/owner/stakeholder relations through improved project performance
NUMBER OF HOURS: 1.0
DELIVERY FORMAT: Face-to-face in classroom/seminar style or via webinar delivered to one or more locations. This course could be presented alone or as part of a set of courses tailored to meet specific needs.
CERTIFICATE OF COURSE COMPLETION: Each individual completing the course will be provided with a certificate of course completion that can be used in Indiana, and possibly in other licensing jurisdictions, to earn CEUs or PDHs.
COURSE CONTENT:
- Project status: How are we really doing?
- The missing link: Why traditional financial information is not enough
- Task value as perceived by the client/owner/stakeholder
- A 4-step approach: Only one is new
- Tasks and budget: The S-curve
- Burning the budget: The cost curve
- Work completed: The value earned curve
- Putting it all together: Continue success and/or fix problems
- 3 numerical examples
- 5 conceptual examples
- Corrective actions
- Tips for defining tasks
- Tips for estimating percent completion
- Benefits of the EVM
- Resources for additional study
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PROJECT MANAGEMENT: ENHANCING THE CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION OF PROJECT MANAGERS
BACKGROUND: Project managers typically rely heavily on left-brain thinking which is verbal, analytic, symbolic, abstract, temporal, and linear. This course gives participants tools to engage in more right-brain thinking which is non-verbal, synthetic, actual, analogic, non-temporal, and holistic. Accordingly, project managers and members of their teams will be able to supplement valuable left-brain abilities with equally valuable right-brain abilities. Given a basic understanding of the mind – more specifically, the very different functions of the left and right hemispheres of the brain -- and the mind’s role in creativity and innovation and given the proper practical tools, a project manager and his/her team can more successfully solve a problem, pursue an opportunity, or address an issue. The results will almost always be better than that produced by the common hectic, hit or miss, reactive, suboptimal, left-brain-only-dominated approach. The course presenter has great confidence in the intelligence, knowledge, imagination, and goodwill of the kind of people – mostly technical and scientific professionals -- who typically work within E/A/C firms, government entities, manufacturing firms, and universities. When brought together, given a challenge, and provided with “whole brain” collaboration tools, good things will happen. “We know most of the creativity, the innovation, the stuff that drives productivity lies,” says Jack Welch, the former Chairman of GE, “in the minds of those closest to the work.” After offering a brief brain primer, the presentation presents various tools and techniques which recognize that, while creative and innovative ideas lie within most of us, we need mechanisms to release them within individuals and groups. Many methods are identified and some are illustrated. Participants receive a detailed handout on which the course will draw. The handout includes references to articles, books, e-newsletters, websites and other self-study materials.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
- Appreciate the difference between creativity and innovation
- Understand the function of the brain’s left and right hemispheres
- Consider 3 reasons some engineers resist creativity-innovation
- Weigh the pros and cons of the problem solver versus the opportunity pursuer
- Learn 10 whole-brain tools and techniques applicable to project management
- Obtain creativity- innovation knowledge and skills that will be immediately applicable to many project problems/opportunities/issues
NUMBER OF HOURS: 1.5
DELIVERY FORMAT: Face-to-face in classroom/seminar style or via webinar delivered to one or more locations. This course could be presented alone or as part of a set of courses tailored to meet specific needs.
CERTIFICATE OF COURSE COMPLETION: Each individual completing the course will be provided with a certificate of course completion that can be used in Indiana, and possibly in other licensing jurisdictions, to earn CEUs or PDHs.
COURSE CONTENT:
- Your valuable personnel “assets”
- Some views of the future and its challenges
- Creative /innovative breakthroughs: Revealing case studies
- A brain primer
- Benefits of a whole-brain approach
- Collaboration tools and methods
- Resources for additional study
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PROJECT MANAGEMENT: IMPROVED COMMUNICATION
WITHIN AND OUTSIDE OF THE PROJECT TEAM
BACKGROUND: Project problems such as low or no profitability, budget overruns, client alienation, and litigation, flow much more from miscommunication than from technical deficiencies. This course’s underlying theme is that project communication must be planned, explicit, and ongoing. The course presents practical methods that the project manager in the public or private sector can use for encouraging communication within the project team and between the project team and the client, owner, and other stakeholders. This course also speaks directly to the individual team member by offering communication tools and techniques that he/ she can unilaterally apply. Participants receive a handout summarizing the course and a list of supporting articles, books, e-newsletters, and websites.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
- Identify 19 tips for enhancing communication
- Understand the 12-step project death cycle
- Appreciate the miscommunication is 4 times more likely to cause liability claims than technical deficiencies
- Recognize 3 styles of understanding
- Learn the 4 fatal assumptions when sending a message
- Increase project team effectiveness
- Reduce internal and external conflict and liability exposure
NUMBER OF HOURS: 1.5
DELIVERY FORMAT: Face-to-face in classroom/seminar style or via webinar delivered to one or more locations. This course could be presented alone or as part of a set of courses tailored to meet specific needs.
CERTIFICATE OF COURSE COMPLETION: Each individual completing the course will be provided with a certificate of course completion that can be used in Indiana, and possibly in other licensing jurisdictions, to earn CEUs or PDHs.
COURSE CONTENT:
- Client and project life or death cycle?
- Tips for effective project communication
- What you send versus what they get
- Results of communication studies
- First look inward
- Stakeholder identification
- Communication protocol
- Caution with “red flag” words
- Creating ownership
- Mixing “push” and “pull”
- Learning styles and how to use them
- Reality check: Using third parties
- Psychological types
- “Listening” with the eyes
- Trimming hedges
- Rearranging the office
- Resources for additional study
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PROJECT MANAGEMENT: PROJECT PLANNING -
THINKING THROUGH BEFORE DOING
BACKGROUND: WW II aviator Eddie Rickenbacker said, “I can give you a six-word
formula for success: Think things through – then follow through.” In the context of project management, the preceding “words of wisdom” point to the need for a project plan (PP). Preparation of a PP includes the process by which members of the project team, led by the project manager, collaboratively and carefully think through their project before they start their project. The client and other stakeholders may be involved. The project is created mentally before it is created physically. That makes all the difference in terms of meeting schedules, budget, and client requirements. This course describes and illustrates a practical approach for preparing and then using PP. Participants receive a detailed handout on which the course draws. The handout includes references to articles, books, e-newsletters, websites and other self-study materials.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
- Recognize 3 “reasons” for not preparing a PP
- Learn 20 possible elements of a PP
- Identify the three principal uses of the PP
- Know 7 ways to embed PPs
- Improve project performance, including staying within budgets and achieving profitability
- Minimize uncompensated scope creep
- Reduce risks
- Enhance client and stakeholder relations
- Groom project managers via positive example
NUMBER OF HOURS: 1.5
DELIVERY FORMAT: Face-to-face in classroom/seminar style or via webinar delivered to one or more locations. This course could be presented alone or as part of a set of courses tailored to meet specific needs.
CERTIFICATE OF COURSE COMPLETION: Each individual completing the course will be provided with a certificate of course completion that can be used in Indiana, and possibly in other licensing jurisdictions, to earn CEUs or PDHs.
COURSE CONTENT:
- Do the project twice: The smart way not the dumb way
- Two assumptions
- “Reasons” for not preparing a PP
- The surprising lack of PPs
- Need for organizational policies
- Turning worrying into an asset
- Process: How to prepare a PP
- Create backward and use forward
- 10 essential and 10 optional PP elements
- Maintaining and using a PP
- Case studies
- Making PPs “stick”
- Thoughts for clients/owners
- Resources for additional study
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PROJECT MANAGEMENT: QUALITY --
WHAT IS IT AND HOW TO ACHIEVE IT?
BACKGROUND: Everyone -- A/E/Cs, clients, and government entities -- seem to be for quality! But what is quality, especially in the consulting business and the public sector? Is it opulence, perfection, standard-setting, or something else? Why do engineers, in particular, struggle with delivering quality? Quality is carefully and completely defined, in terms of three components, at the beginning of this course. Quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) are explained. QC and QA tips are offered. This course addresses both individual engineers and engineering organizations. Presented is practical advice for A/E/C’s and public entities so that they can meet the wants and needs of their clients, owners, and stakeholders. Participants receive a detailed handout on which the course draws. The handout includes references to articles, books, e-newsletters, websites and other self-study materials.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
- Appreciate the difference between QC and QA
- Understand the 3 legs of quality
- Know 7 team thinking/collaboration tools and techniques
- Learn 13 ideas for establishing an organizational quality program
- Adopt a realistic approach to exceeding expectations
- Strengthen relationships with clients, owners, and stakeholders
NUMBER OF HOURS: 1.5
DELIVERY FORMAT: Face-to-face in classroom/seminar style or via webinar delivered to one or more locations. This course could be presented alone or as part of a set of courses tailored to meet specific needs.
CERTIFICATE OF COURSE COMPLETION: Each individual completing the course will be provided with a certificate of course completion that can be used in Indiana, and possibly in other licensing jurisdictions, to earn CEUs or PDHs.
COURSE CONTENT:
- TQM and other quality movements
- Quality defined
- The 3 legs of quality
- The trap for engineers
- QC and QA
- Wants vs. needs
- Governing criteria
- Standard of care
- Thinking upstream, not downstream
- QC/QA and the project plan
- Best practices: Don’t reinvent the wheel
- Checking: Meet your responsibility
- Leveraging organizational knowledge
- Quality tools
- Creating a quality program
- Resources for additional study
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PROJECT MANAGEMENT: SCOPE CREEP --
MINIMIZING AND MANAGING IT
BACKGROUND: Scope creep (SC), that is, being asked to do more than agreed upon and not getting paid for it, seems to be a perpetual plague on projects. SC destroys budgets, eats profits, disrupts schedules, and conditions some clients and stakeholders to expect even more “free” services. The project manager in the business, government, academic sector, or volunteer sector can lead his or her team in resolving this situation first and foremost by applying practical methods for preventing SC and, second, by resolving residual SC as soon as it arises. The individual team member, informed by the ideas and tools presented in this course, can minimize
potentially damaging internally-drive SC and gradually become known as an effective project team member and potential project manager. Participants receive a handout summarizing the course and including a list of supporting articles, books, e-newsletters, and websites.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
- Appreciate the 2 scope creep drivers
- Learn 12 ways to prevent scope creep
- Recognize 5 ways to resolve scope creep
- Prevent most SC and resolve residual SC
- Build stronger project teams
- Reduce stress
- Adhere to budgets and/or increase project profitability
- Meet project schedules
- Enhance client/owner/stakeholder relationships
NUMBER OF HOURS: 1.5
DELIVERY FORMAT: Face-to-face in classroom/seminar style or via webinar delivered to one or more locations. This course could be presented alone or as part of a set of courses tailored to meet specific needs.
CERTIFICATE OF COURSE COMPLETION: Each individual completing the course will be provided with a certificate of course completion that can be used in Indiana, and possibly in other licensing jurisdictions, to earn CEUs or PDHs.
COURSE CONTENT:
- SC – the compensated and uncompensated types
- Why uncompensated SC is like a snail
- The project triangle and the resulting impact of SC
- Negative aspects of uncompensated SC
- SC drivers – internal and external
- Applying the platinum rule instead of the golden rule
- Trust – the best preventer
- Ask-ask-ask and then listen
- Wants and needs
- Simple, effective risk analysis method
- Watch your language
- The high cost of perfection
- Win-win solutions
- 12 ways to prevent SC
- 5 ways to resolve SC
- Thoughts for clients and owners
- Resources for additional study
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