New Short Courses Debut ... A Covid-Era Success Story

For some time, our PM College business development maven, Johanna Mickel, had been suggesting that we create a new series of brief, introductory courses. Some prospective clients, she explained, needed a way to dip a toe into the project management learning waters before committing to a longer course. And some existing clients would like a way to offer refresher courses after an interval had passed, or to onboard new team members. We always thought this was a great idea ... but it kept being put on the back burner as other programs were prioritized: customizing course content for clients, developing new Agile training (stay tuned for a blog on that, next week!), and so on.

Enter coronavirus.

With consultants and trainers on the bench, and in-person training engagements on hold, the time seemed ripe to work on this new project. After applying for, and receiving, a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan from the SBA, the PM College staff got right to work. "We are super proud of the result," says Mickel. "The series consists of nine stand-alone, three-hour modules on project leadership and technical skills. You select the specific topics that are of most interest to your organization. Each session is led by one of our experienced senior instructors and is focused and engaging. These sessions are in addition to our robust standard course offerings (including virtual and classroom courses)."

Here's a snapshot:

The Developing the Adaptive Leader Series includes courses on:

• Relationship Assessment
• Conflict Management
• Communication within a Team Environment
• Effective Stakeholder Management.

Mix and match these three-hour VILT experiences to create a training option that fits the sof-skills needs of your organization. On the more technical side, the Mastering Methodologies: Enhanced Competencies for the Project Manager Series  includes the following course options:

• Adaptive Project Management
• Defining the Project Scope
• Developing the Project Schedule in the Predictive (Waterfall) Environment
• Estimating the Schedule in Adaptive and Hybrid Environments
• Risk Management.

More comprehensive descriptions can be found here: https://www.pmcollege.com/courses/detail/virtual-learning-series