Business Acumen for Projects

A Talent Triangle® Series: Modules that support the business skills connected to project management tools.

3 ½ days

Up to 20 people

 Module 1: Building the Business Case for Change

Change should come from business need.  Understanding the business need and how it applies to their team assists leaders in helping others navigate change and stay focused on the business need.  If leaders understand the “why” behind change and how it will benefit the organization, they have the information needed to move beyond resistance and sustain the efforts beyond launch. In addition, understanding the business case will position your leaders to measure results, request the necessary resources, and assist with problem-solving as initiatives move forward.

Participants will:

  1. Identify common sources of change
  2. Explain the linkage between an organization’s strategy and change, and the role of the business case
  3. Complete the non-financial sections of a business case and support the preparation of the financial analysis
  4. Convert the intangible benefits of a change initiative into tangible, quantitative benefits and use them in the business case
  5. Recognize the application of the principals of good data presentation
  6. Identify crucial success factors and risk for a change initiative

Module 2: From Business Case to Project Charter

The two most common ways to receive a project are through a written hand-off of a business case or a verbal “make this happen.” Having the ability to understand the business case need behind the project aids project managers in writing an effective project charter to increase the likelihood that the project will succeed. This course will teach project managers to take a business case and frame it in a project charter. It will also address the most critical parts of a project charter to help define the business need if it was not included in the project hand-off.

Participants will:

  1. Understand how the elements of a business case transfer to a project charter
  2. Recognize the audience for a project charter
  3. Appreciate the elements of an effective project charter
  4. Learn to critique charters with a best practice checklist
  5. Write a project charter based on business case

Module 3: Risk

During this 1-day, hands-on, interactive workshop, participants will gain a well-rounded proficiency in identifying, analyzing, responding to and controlling project risk with their team and stakeholders.

A simulated project will be introduced and used as the context for participants to apply the project risk management concepts, tools and techniques. The simulation moves the participants through time and helps them discover information, documents and people who supply inputs to the risk activities the participants must perform/practice. The practice involves participants creating artifacts (such as a risk register) and then making adjustments as the simulated project goes through very real twists and turns!

In this workshop module, participants will:

  1. Apply Risk Management to a project
  2. Gain the confidence necessary to practice project risk management
  3. Universally recognized Risk Management terms and definitions
  4. Practice working with team members and stakeholders to identify risks
  5. Record risks (in a risk register) in a manner that enables the rest of the risk management process
  6. Lead the project team and stakeholders through a qualitative risk analysis and how to communicate results using a risk matrix
  7. Determine when a quantitative risk analysis is required about several effective techniques (Monte Carlo, Sensitivity Analysis, Decision Tree)
  8. Determine appropriate ways for the project to respond to each prioritized risk
  9. Learn to continually review identified project risks and to enlist your team and stakeholders in staying alert to new risks

Module 4: Knowing the Customer Equals Knowing the Business

The work leaders do serves a purpose.  That purpose identifies who the customers are.  Those customers have expectations of leader’s team or department – which makes their input is valuable.

Participants in this module will:

  1. Identify customers (both internal and external to the organization)
  2. Understand the dynamics of customer satisfaction
  3. Define the five customer expectations
  4. Ensure an understanding of customer needs and communicate them to business partners

To bring this series to your organization, or to customize this series for your organization, call us today at (612) 659-7230.