How to Design, Implement and Evaluate a Program
Training programs are a key part of any business. All your staff will need some form of training and Project Managers are no exception. They need to know how to get the job done on time and on budget and to a high quality level. This can be challenging for anyone, but it’s especially difficult for Project Managers if they have not had any formal training.
Project Management Training programs can be designed in many ways. And it’s important that the program is tailored to your company’s needs, the skills of your employees, and the specific type of project management you need your staff to be able to provide.
And don’t forget about evaluating! Evaluating a training program is essential for knowing what has been successful and what can be improved upon. Read on to learn more about designing, implementing and evaluating an effective training program for the project managers in your organisation.
Why Training Is Important for Project Managers
Project management is a difficult job that requires a lot of skills. For example, project managers need to identify the goals of the project and then make sure that everyone on the team understands those goals. They also need to meet deadlines and be able to identify and manage risks. All these tasks are difficult unless you have the appropriate training.
Formalised project management implementation training programs show people how to do their job correctly, how to deploy the right tools at the right time, all of which saves time and money for your company.
Research shows that organisations that implement training programs have higher profits, more satisfied employees, and less turnover than those who don’t train their employees in any way. Organisations can either invest in an internal training program or contract out for one externally – it just depends what works best for your company.
Project management training is one of the areas that can really benefit from the use of simulations. Similar to the ‘virtual war games’ that you may have heard about, these being used to train leaders in the armed forces on how best to deploy and use the forces at their command. Business simulations do the same, but deal with situations focussed on for example how to run a project.
A project management simulation allows the students (your employees) to see how they would cope with scope changes, risk occurrences, tasks running late, indeed any number of the problems they could face on a ‘real world’ project.
The experience gained in the safe environment of a business simulation can prove to be vital when running that important project, as your leaders and teams gain knowledge. Not only about how they could successfully deal with an issue, but also, and as importantly, how their colleagues think and work.
Designing a Training Program for Project Managers
The first step in designing a training program is identifying what skills will be needed for each type of project and how to tailor these programs for your individual company’s needs. A good place to start when designing these programs is by looking at current employees who are good at project management — what types of skills do they possess that other employees may not? If there are any gaps in abilities among your team members, then this would be an appropriate time to address those through training.
After ensuring that your company has the right staff with the right initial skillsets, you need to consider how long it will take for new hires to be fully trained before transferring them into full-time positions. This will help you determine how many weeks or months you need for a specific type of position (such as programmer) versus something more general like Project Management Specialist.
Training Improves Staff Retention
Employees are more likely to stay with a business that offers training, which is especially helpful for businesses looking for people in a competitive field like project management. By providing regular training sessions, employees will continue to develop their skillsets and keep up with any changes in business or industry standards. And lastly, by providing proper training, businesses can rely on their employees to do their job correctly.
Evaluating a Training Program for Project Managers
Evaluating a training program is an important part of any company. It’s not always easy to know what has been successful and what needs improvement. But here are some places to start:
– Were employees able to apply what they learned in the training program? This can be tricky, but remember that you should be assessing their skills level before the training took place. That way, you know what to expect.
– Did the training company present a variety of information about project management? You want your employees to have a complete understanding of all aspects of project management, not just one specific area or section.
– Was the trainer knowledgeable and competent? Project managers need to feel confident in their trainer and trust that he or she knows what they are talking about. If employees don’t feel confident after attending the training, then something isn’t working properly.
Conclusion
Training is a great way to help project managers continually improve their skills, stay current on industry trends, and keep up with the latest project management best practices.
In the end, it all comes down to evaluating the effectiveness of your program. Was the training successful? Do you have the right mix of training topics? Were there any missed opportunities?
At Prendo, the portfolio of Project Management simulations ‘tick all the right boxes’. Attendees will be better equipped to cope with the many ‘real life’ problems and problems that they are bound to encounter in the ever more complex business world.
