The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Project Managers

Level: Introductory Length: 4 hours Format: In-Person Lecture Intended Audience: Scientists, engineers, or managers—both new and experienced—who wish to learn simple but powerful techniques that highly effective PMs use to drive their projects to success. Description: Why do some engineering projects succeed, while others fail? There are many different factors that can influence the outcome of any given project, but one of the most important is the combined skills and qualifications of the project manager (PM) at its helm. But what exactly makes a project manager “skilled and qualified?” Asked another way, are there common best practices, philosophies, and/or techniques that the most successful PMs share, and if so, what are they? The short answer is yes, the majority of successful engineering project managers have many skills and character traits in common. The longer answer is there are at least seven of these key traits, or “habits" that many successful PMs implement within their respective projects. This course explains what those habits are. More importantly, this course teaches a student how to implement these best practices into their own projects, large or small. From scope, quality, budget, and schedule management, to risk mitigation strategies, building a strong project team, engaged stakeholder management, and general leadership skills, this course will give both new and experienced project managers new tools and techniques to help them not only succeed, but excel within their projects. Learning Outcomes: This course will enable you to: - manage scope, quality, budgets, and schedule in the most efficient and effective ways - identify what’s important in procurements and contract management—and recognize what’s not - identify the vital importance of proactive risk management, including how to turn realized problems into beneficial opportunities - build and maintain the most powerful asset you have as the PM—your project team - engage and leverage the power of your key external stakeholders - explain communication techniques that ensure your team is working and collaborating in the most efficient and effective ways possible - identify the most important leadership techniques and traits that your project needs for its success Instructor(s): Mark Warner PE, PMP is the Project Manager of the $350M Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) design-build construction project. He is a degreed and licensed professional engineer (PE), and has a project management professional (PMP) certification. His career spans 35 years as both engineer and engineering project manager. His expertise includes aerospace engineering, management of large-scale construction projects, design and fabrication of scientific instrumentation and precision machinery, and the oversight and management of complex large-scale science and engineering projects. Mark has lived and worked throughout North America, Europe, and Hawaii, and currently resides in Boulder, Colorado. His project management blog can be found at www.TheProjectManagementBlueprint.com Event: SPIE Photonics West 2019 Course Held: 04 February 2019