At-a-Glance:
Course Length:
2 Days
Course Number & Level:
408.bbp2- Mastery
Professional Development Units (PDUs): 14
Continuing Education Units (CEUs): 1.4
PMBOK® Guide Knowledge Areas Covered:
- Project HR Management
- Project Communication Management
- Project Scope Management
- Project Risk Management
Building and Sustaining Project Relationships
Course Overview
To be an effective project manager, knowing tools and techniques for things like schedule, scope, cost, etc. is important but, not enough. Those skills comprise only one half of the skill set required to succeed on projects. Since projects are performed by people, another set of skills, often characterized as “soft skills” are required. Whether customers, team members, stakeholders, etc. people are a key part of any project and project managers need to be able to define, create, manage and sustain effective project relationships with these key resources. Experienced project managers often say that these are, in fact, the “key” skills of an effective project manager intent on achieving project success.
Key Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Demonstrate the principles of customer service when dealing with customers as stakeholders
- Define approaches for applying key principles of the project relationship life cycle with project stakeholders as customers, including:
- Defining approaches for establishing effective relationships
- Taking action to create those relationships
- Managing the relationship in and outside of the project work environment
- Sustaining relationships after the project
- Apply a flexible change management process to projects
- Communicate effectively with project stakeholders such as project sponsors and executive leadership
Course Outline
The Project Relationship Lifecycle
- Define customer services
- Describe the key stages of a relationship lifecycle
- Define a relationship management life cycle
Understanding Your Relationships
- Describe motivational patterns
- Discuss how responses to conflict differ
- Discuss how understanding different motivational styles impact positive relationships
Creating the Relationship
- Identify customer stakeholders as part of your stakeholder analysis
- Define factors that support establishing a strong relationship
- Discuss how using influence appropriately supports great customer service
Managing the Relationship
- Clarify roles as part of defining a stakeholder and customer relationship
- Set expectations with project stakeholders in order to manage customer service
- Discuss change management as a key to managing stakeholders
Sustaining the Relationship
- Involve project stakeholders in identifying and planning for project risks
- Apply negotiation principles to managing changes on your projects
- Discuss methods of working with project sponsors in difficult situations
Relationships Beyond the Project
- Identify methods to maintain a relationship beyond the project
- Describe the value of showing appreciation