Project Management for PAs & Executive Assistants

A highly practical course specifically formulated for PAs and Executive Assistants, which will equip you with a comprehensive grounding in the language, skills and techniques needed to understand, plan and run any project effectively. 

Course Overview

Booking Information

Dates	Prices	Book This Course	Discount
06 - 07 Dec 2010	£ 995		-

 

This course will be held on the above listed dates in central London. For more information about venue please click here.

Programme Details

UNDERSTANDING THE KEYS TO SUCCESS IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT

• What constitutes a "Project"?
• Establishing objectives and specifications
• The importance of obtaining buy-in from your team
• Understanding and setting the important parameters

Exercise: Case Study: Defining project criteria

IMPLEMENTING PROJECTS WHILST JUGGLING AN EXISTING WORKLOAD

• Identifying and eliminating your major time stealers
• Defining urgencies, priorities and deadlines more effectively
• Deciding what gets delegated, to whom and why?
• How to cope with multiple reporting lines
• The keys to successful prioritisation

Exercise: Analysis of current working practices to determine how best to integrate a new project into your existing schedule

DETERMINING CLEAR OBJECTIVES TO MEET THE BUSINESS NEEDS AND OUTCOMES

• The importance of understanding the key business needs and drivers
• Defining your aims, goals and objectives - and aligning them to the desired outcomes
• Understanding the 'desirables' in addition to the 'must haves'
• Negotiating the deliverables
• Obtaining support from all relevant stakeholders

Exercise: Utilising effective questioning techniques to enable you to understand the project brief

UNDERSTANDING THE PROJECT DYNAMICS

• Defining the project manager role
• Allocating the different project roles
• Deciding and allocating responsibilities
• Resolving conflicting priorities - a practical approach
• Moving forward after difficulties and challenges

GETTING TO GRIPS WITH PROJECT RELATIONSHIPS

• The difference between Leading v Managing the project
• Recognising signs of conflict early on
• Implementing and communicating change successfully
• Maintaining team motivation throughout the life of the project

Exercise: How to handle difficult personalities

THE DYNAMICS OF NEGOTIATING AND INFLUENCING

• Getting to grips with the mechanics of negotiation - a step by step framework
• Negotiating outside your normal sphere of influence
• Optimal timing of the negotiation
• The important dos and don'ts of good negotiation
• Building effective rapport with your project team
• Using non-verbal communication to understand and influence others

Exercise: Body language observation

DESIGNING AND BUILDING THE PROJECT PLAN

• Why failing to plan is effectively planning to fail!
• The importance of having a robust project plan
• Planning ahead to assess requirements and constraints
• Examining the various project management techniques
  • Gant charts
  • Identifying milestones
  • Resource usage
  • Gap Analysis
• The stages of the project lifecycle

Dynamic group exercise: In small groups you will select a project and formulate a detailed plan with the aid of the above techniques. The aim of the exercise is to take you through the complete project management process, from initial planning through to completion - with interactive support and coaching from your course leader throughout.

ACTIVE PROBLEM SOLVING IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT

• Changing the way you approach a problem or challenge
• Identifying the barriers to creative thinking
• Using lateral thinking techniques
• Testing ideas for relevance

Exercise: Thinking about your thinking

RUNNING EFFECTIVE MEETINGS

• Learn how to maintain focus in meetings
• Reducing the impact of the 'non believers'
• Maximising your credibility and appearing confident (even when under pressure)
• Drawing up an Action Agenda

Exercise: How to make the 'Action Agenda' work for you

DELIVERING AND PRESENTING YOUR PROJECT

• Planning your presentation
• Communicating and publicising your results
• Successful strategies for team presentations
• Handling the difficult questions

Exercise: Presentation of ideas and feedback session

Course Leader

For the last 12 years Jenny Boreham has provided dynamic training for both private and public sectors. Prior to this she was a manager for Guinness Brewing before becoming a regional manager for the RSA Examinations. Jenny was also a founder member of the secretarial development network, together with representatives of Arthur Anderson, The Industrial Society and Unilever. Jenny is a regular speaker at key international conferences on a wide range of issues and topics relating to the changing skills and roles of the modern PA. She is also a qualified NLP Business Practitioner.