Too much to do?

The skill of knowing how to manage projects is increasingly useful for businesses and definitely make someone more employable – our project management courses have never been so much in demand, particularly PRINCE2. But project management techniques are not just for work. You can use the practices in your personal life, to become more efficient and to reach your goals.

1. Identify projects

In business, the first step towards project management is to identify past, present and future developments that have as yet not been seen as projects. Once projects are identified, formal goals can be set and project management techniques can be applied.

You can use this in every day life, especially if you realise you keep hoping for a change that never comes. Making a decision to make the desired change happen immediately makes it become more achievable. Things that could be dealt with as projects include writing a book (see below) and planning an event such as a holiday or wedding; but also every day things like huge to-do lists that you keep putting off.

While you are identifying the project, identify the goal. You may sometimes find it's different to what you expect. For example, you may say your goal is to write a novel, but this is not actually the end point for most people - once you start thinking of it as a project you realise your goal is really to get the novel published.

2. Work backwards from a goal

Once you identify a goal, working backwards step-by-step to the point where you are now is a very efficient and controlled way of achieving it.

Using the example of getting your novel published, you identify your goal and approach it as a project:

Too much to do?

The skill of knowing how to manage projects is increasingly useful for businesses and definitely make someone more employable – our project management courses have never been so much in demand, particularly PRINCE2. But project management techniques are not just for work. You can use the practices in your personal life, to become more efficient and to reach your goals.

1. Identify projects

In business, the first step towards project management is to identify past, present and future developments that have as yet not been seen as projects. Once projects are identified, formal goals can be set and project management techniques can be applied.

You can use this in every day life, especially if you realise you keep hoping for a change that never comes. Making a decision to make the desired change happen immediately makes it become more achievable. Things that could be dealt with as projects include writing a book (see below) and planning an event such as a holiday or wedding; but also every day things like huge to-do lists that you keep putting off.

While you are identifying the project, identify the goal. You may sometimes find it's different to what you expect. For example, you may say your goal is to write a novel, but this is not actually the end point for most people - once you start thinking of it as a project you realise your goal is really to get the novel published.

2. Work backwards from a goal

Once you identify a goal, working backwards step-by-step to the point where you are now is a very efficient and controlled way of achieving it.

Using the example of getting your novel published, you identify your goal and approach it as a project:

The word “theme” is used in PRINCE2® to refer to the various crucial aspects of a project, why they should be a priority, and how they should be controlled. They are known as themes because they are referred back to throughout the whole PRINCE2 process.

The PRINCE2 themes are Business Case, Organisation, Plans, Progress, Risk, Quality and Change. A few weeks ago, I talked about the Plans theme of PRINCE2, and now it’s time to outline the Quality theme. Of course, we go through all the PRINCE2 themes and processes in our PRINCE2 training courses, to equip you to pass the exams and to give you real-world knowledge that you can apply as soon as you return to work.

Quality of the output is a priority within PRINCE2 projects - and of course for all business owners, CEOs and project managers. Once the customer’s expectations of quality have been identified, standards will be documented and processes put in place to check throughout the project lifecycle that these quality standards are going to be met. Part of the quality theme is ensuring that these processes are being used correctly.

By popular demand, we present our downloadable MSP® Practitioner Exam Tips PDF. We created this to help prepare those coming on our MSP Practitioner course for the exam, and have since been overwhelmed by how valuable it has proven to be!

The MSP Practitioner Exam is taken on the final day of our MSP Practitioner training course. We are very proud of our pass rates - so proud in fact that we offer a MSP exam pass guarantee!

We feel that one of the reasons our training has such good results - both in terms of exam pass rates and feedback from delegates after returning to work - is that we provide extensive support before the course

begins and once it's under way. This download is just one way we put together workbooks and resources above and beyond the MSP manual.

Of course, knowledge of MSP theory is needed to pass the practitioner exam, and the course covers this in depth. Our trainers also provide real life case studies to help put the theory into context and to make your training easy to apply once you return to work. Finally, we provide focused exam tips to help you understand what will be expected of you during the exam.

Some people say otherwise, but a wedding *is* a project. It has a set purpose and the project has an end date. It has a project team, project manager and most certainly has a budget. Certain milestones must be achieved at certain times in order for the goal to be reached. Later goals depend on achieving earlier ones.

So, you could be a PM professional with a wedding to plan; or you might have found us because you are a bride-to-be looking for structure to tackle this massive task. You could take our 1-day Project Management course, or even our PRINCE2 qualifications to really know how to manage your wedding! Following on from our popular Project Manage Your Life, here’s our simple guide to project managing a wedding:

Benefits Criteria

The first thing to do is identify the benefits criteria that will define project success. These can be such things as:

• Everyone being where they should be at the right times
• Happy guests
• No family conflict (yes, it’s a factor)
• (For the bride), feeling beautiful
• Having a stress-less wedding planning experience
• Choosing wedding suppliers you can trust to deliver

Some people say otherwise, but a wedding *is* a project. It has a set purpose and the project has an end date. It has a project team, project manager and most certainly has a budget. Certain milestones must be achieved at certain times in order for the goal to be reached. Later goals depend on achieving earlier ones.

So, you could be a PM professional with a wedding to plan; or you might have found us because you are a bride-to-be looking for structure to tackle this massive task. You could take our 1-day Project Management course, or even our PRINCE2 qualifications to really know how to manage your wedding! Following on from our popular Project Manage Your Life, here’s our simple guide to project managing a wedding:

Benefits Criteria

The first thing to do is identify the benefits criteria that will define project success. These can be such things as:

• Everyone being where they should be at the right times
• Happy guests
• No family conflict (yes, it’s a factor)
• (For the bride), feeling beautiful
• Having a stress-less wedding planning experience
• Choosing wedding suppliers you can trust to deliver

A blueprint is a model of the organisation, its working practices and processes, the information it requires and the technology that supports its operations. The blueprint provides a useable basis for modelling benefits and designing the Projects Dossier. The Blueprint is used throughout the programme to maintain the focus on delivery of the new capability.

It is created in Defining a Programme with the Benefits Map, Project Dossier, Programme Plan, Benefits Realisation Plan and Business Case. The Blueprint will then be reviewed at the end of each tranche.

Silicon Beach Training offer great MSP® Training, you can try MSP Foundation Training and MSP Practitioner Training.
 

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A blueprint is a model of the organisation, its working practices and processes, the information it requires and the technology that supports its operations. The blueprint provides a useable basis for modelling benefits and designing the Projects Dossier. The Blueprint is used throughout the programme to maintain the focus on delivery of the new capability.

It is created in Defining a Programme with the Benefits Map, Project Dossier, Programme Plan, Benefits Realisation Plan and Business Case. The Blueprint will then be reviewed at the end of each tranche.

Silicon Beach Training offer great MSP® Training, you can try MSP Foundation Training and MSP Practitioner Training.
 

Copyright Statements