Microsoft Excel® in Depth: In-House Training The goal of this course is to provide a deeper understanding of Excel and its intricacies and a new ability to use it efficiently producing the best solutions for your projects. This practical course provides a solid background of the features of Excel and a deeper understanding of its features, benefits and uses. This is not a beginner's course in Excel. You will learn some advanced features such as Pivot Tables, Charting, Tables, Sorting, Filtering and Functions. The goal of this course is to provide a deeper understanding of Excel and its intricacies and a new ability to use it efficiently producing the best solutions for your projects. What you Will Learn You'll learn how to: Use functions like IF, AVERAGE, SUMIF, SUMIFS, SUMPRODUCT, INDEX, MATCH, CHOOSE, DATE, and many more Create meaningful charts Use pivot tables Use Conditional Formatting, Data Validation Take advantage of using Named ranges, do sorting, filtering, tables Getting Started The building blocks of Excel, built-in functions, will be examined The basics of formatting your data will be examined Shortcuts and data manipulation will be explored Built-in features like those mentioned in the 'What you will learn' section above will be explored in detail Excel Functions - VLOOKUP, IF, INDEX, MATCH, CHOOSE, SUMIF, SUMIFS, SUMPRODUCT, DATE, so many more Using Named ranges, Data Validation, Sorting, and Filtering Learn the Name manager; Learn the difference between local and global names; Ensure correct access to linked workbooks; Ensure data accuracy; Learn how to use cascading data validation (for example, once a user chooses 'cars', another cell allows only Ford, Toyota, etc.); Sorting by more than 3 fields; Filtering by font, pattern, or value; See your data based on things like dates in the 3rd quarter, or fields where quantity x price is greater than some fixed value Conditional formatting and data formatting Make relevant data stand out Isolate highs and lows Make error cells invisible Learn about Data bars, Icon sets, and Color scales Highlight differences between worksheets Learn all the codes in the Format/Number list Using cell Styles Learn all about alignment, protection, borders, colors and more Pivot Tables Learn how to summarize large amounts of data with a few clicks Learn various ways of presenting the data Learn the various pivot table tools Learn how to customize and format a pivot table to suit your needs Learn how to group data Learn how to use the various options to present your data Charts Learn how to create a chart with one keystroke! Learn the 11 types of built-in charts Learn how to create a chart with one keystroke! Learn how to customize the charts to make the information tell the right story Learn how to use the design, layout, and formatting available to charts in Excel 2007 Learn embedded charts versus chart sheets Learn how to use modify all the pieces of a chart Array formulas Learn how to use the most powerful formulas in Excel Learn how to combine many formulas into one compact array-formula Learn the real power of these formulas and why regular formulas can't do the job Learn how to use built-in array formulas, like TREND or TRANSPOSE
Project Communication Skills: In-House Training Communication is the single most critical project success factor. When effective, projects get executed on time, within budget, and with objectives being met. But that isn't all. Strong communication also nurtures healthy team relationships. And in today's highly diverse world, where projects are often fast-paced, complex, and virtual, that is more important than ever. Strong communication skills foster cultural awareness, trust, and empathy. Together, they contribute greatly to project success-and ultimately, to future project success. In this course, participants will actively explore best communication practices from a variety of perspectives: in-person, virtual, electronic, and via formal project documentation. In order to be transformative, however, those perspectives will be filtered further through the lens of their formal, personalized assessment. It is a powerful tool which identifies individuals' internal needs and priorities. It translates those into descriptive profiles and reports, gifting users with valuable information about themselves and others. Paired with the course's real-world activities, it will provide uniquely strategic opportunities for communicating effectively and meaningfully-and with less conflict, both personally and professionally. What You Will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Identify basic elements of communication and explain how they affect teams Explore how your assessment style impacts you and how you communicate with people of other styles Infer how your style impacts the way(s) you send and interpret emails and instant messages Analyze real world email and instant messaging practices to determine how they affect communication and relationships Explore best practices for formal project communications and presentations Analyze how your assessment style and global diversity can contribute to both strong team communication and conflict Identify solutions for virtual team work communication challenges Getting Started Foundation Concepts Communication as a foundation skill Elements of communication Communicating across media Targeting your audience How communication impacts team performance The Assessment Framework Overview of the assessment's approach Exploring assessment report Increasing your effectiveness with other assessment styles Email and Instant Messages Preferred communications and assessment styles The email brands we create Assessment styles and email Emotion and email Email guidelines and best practices Anatomy of an email The seven deadly email sins Instant messages and other interfaces Project Communications and Presentations Communicating across the project lifecycle Project templates Structuring a presentation Delivering a presentation Interpersonal and Team Communication Skills Communication styles and techniques Managing conflict in a project environment Styles and conflict Communication and global team leadership Virtual Communication Leading global virtual teams Virtual processes and technology Virtual team leadership
Project Leadership Skills: In-House Training To be effective within an organization, project managers need to have a wide variety of skills and abilities. Included among these are: creating and executing on a vision; motivating others; influencing without authority; networking; communicating up, down and laterally; negotiating; managing stakeholders; and managing conflict. This highly interactive workshop focuses on building the soft skills that are critical to leading a team and creating sustainable business change. Participants will gain insight into the social science as well as the brain science behind motivating and empowering others. They will learn and experiment with a variety of influencing strategies and tactics. Working in pairs as well as small groups, they will collaborate with others to brainstorm, share experiences, and apply concepts to everyday challenges. Participants will also discover their personal communication preferences, strengths, and blind spots and will gain insight into how best to communicate with others they find 'difficult.' They will gain insight into managing the people side of change, learning strategies for dealing with each step in the process. Hands-on negotiation and conflict management activities enhance the theoretical learning, grounding it in real life and making it actionable. Interweaving role play with experiential learning and group activities, this course will help participants refine a skill set that is invaluable to their organization, and one that transfers easily across their professional and personal lives. What You Will Learn At the end of this course, you will be able to: Explain the importance of vision in driving motivation and engagement Apply science-based research to better motivate those around you Strategically leverage both personal and positional power to achieve positive project results Determine influencing and networking strategies needed for personal growth Identify ways to problem solve communication challenges when others have different personality styles Connect stakeholder expectations to project success criteria Assess key stakeholders across various dimensions of complexity Apply the four rules of principled negotiation to a real-life conflict situation Recognize key aspects of a physiological response to conflict Utilize selected tools and techniques to 'defuse' an emotional situation Leverage various strategies and tactics to successfully deal with ambiguity at work Getting Started / Foundation Concepts Introductions Course structure, goals, and objectives Beginning a personal action plan Managing Vision and Purpose / Motivating Others Communicating and aligning around vision Tying the present to the future The importance of purpose The art and science of motivation Networking and Influencing Positive politics and project success Types of power within organizations Power and influence Networking best practices Communication The medium and the message Personality and communication styles Communication challenges Stakeholder Management and Negotiation Identifying stakeholders Analyzing stakeholders Negotiation basics Principled negotiation Conflict Management Dynamics of conflict The anatomy of conflict Conflict management approaches and tools Dealing with ambiguity Summary and Next Steps Key concepts review Creating your personal action plan
Project Stakeholder Relationship Skills: In-House Training This course is designed to provide project managers with the ability to: Analyze the complexities of major stakeholder relationship categories Apply the most appropriate interpersonal relationship skills to the different categories of relationships Align the dynamic needs of the stakeholders with a project's objective throughout the project life cycle What you Will Learn Examine traditional and non-traditional ways to identify and assess stakeholders Explain how competence, character, and trust lead to project success and strong relationships with stakeholders Utilize 'Embodied Leadership' skills to build stakeholder relationships Apply stakeholder engagement best practices to case study and real-life scenarios Getting Started Stakeholders and project success Stakeholder management research Managing stakeholder relationships Identifying Stakeholders Stakeholder categories Stakeholder relationships across the project life cycle Tools and techniques for identifying stakeholders Assessing Stakeholders Assessing stakeholder relationships Recognizing stakeholder attitudes toward the project Analyzing stakeholders Using other types of stakeholder assessments Building Stakeholder Relationships The importance of psychological safety Building trust and getting results The anatomy of trust Navigating Challenging Situations Dynamics of conflict Responding to conflict Managing difficult conversations
Microsoft Excel® in Depth The goal of this course is to provide a deeper understanding of Excel and its intricacies and a new ability to use it efficiently producing the best solutions for your projects. This practical course provides a solid background of the features of Excel and a deeper understanding of its features, benefits and uses. This is not a beginner's course in Excel. You will learn some advanced features such as Pivot Tables, Charting, Tables, Sorting, Filtering and Functions. The goal of this course is to provide a deeper understanding of Excel and its intricacies and a new ability to use it efficiently producing the best solutions for your projects. What you Will Learn You'll learn how to: Use functions like IF, AVERAGE, SUMIF, SUMIFS, SUMPRODUCT, INDEX, MATCH, CHOOSE, DATE, and many more Create meaningful charts Use pivot tables Use Conditional Formatting, Data Validation Take advantage of using Named ranges, do sorting, filtering, tables Getting Started The building blocks of Excel, built-in functions, will be examined The basics of formatting your data will be examined Shortcuts and data manipulation will be explored Built-in features like those mentioned in the 'What you will learn' section above will be explored in detail Excel Functions - VLOOKUP, IF, INDEX, MATCH, CHOOSE, SUMIF, SUMIFS, SUMPRODUCT, DATE, so many more Using Named ranges, Data Validation, Sorting, and Filtering Learn the Name manager; Learn the difference between local and global names; Ensure correct access to linked workbooks; Ensure data accuracy; Learn how to use cascading data validation (for example, once a user chooses 'cars', another cell allows only Ford, Toyota, etc.); Sorting by more than 3 fields; Filtering by font, pattern, or value; See your data based on things like dates in the 3rd quarter, or fields where quantity x price is greater than some fixed value Conditional formatting and data formatting Make relevant data stand out Isolate highs and lows Make error cells invisible Learn about Data bars, Icon sets, and Color scales Highlight differences between worksheets Learn all the codes in the Format/Number list Using cell Styles Learn all about alignment, protection, borders, colors and more Pivot Tables Learn how to summarize large amounts of data with a few clicks Learn various ways of presenting the data Learn the various pivot table tools Learn how to customize and format a pivot table to suit your needs Learn how to group data Learn how to use the various options to present your data Charts Learn how to create a chart with one keystroke! Learn the 11 types of built-in charts Learn how to create a chart with one keystroke! Learn how to customize the charts to make the information tell the right story Learn how to use the design, layout, and formatting available to charts in Excel 2007 Learn embedded charts versus chart sheets Learn how to use modify all the pieces of a chart Array formulas Learn how to use the most powerful formulas in Excel Learn how to combine many formulas into one compact array-formula Learn the real power of these formulas and why regular formulas can't do the job Learn how to use built-in array formulas, like TREND or TRANSPOSE
Strategic Thinking (Virtual) The goal of this course is to provide you with the building blocks and the motivation to develop the critical skill of strategic thinking. The participants will consider a four-part model that distinguishes strategic thinking from strategic planning and managing. With that understanding, you will investigate the critical components of strategic thinking and how to apply it effectively. What You Will Learn You will learn how to: Define strategic thinking and distinguish it from strategic planning and management Explain a high-level approach to gaining strategic thinking skills Integrate other interpersonal skills, such as self-awareness, systems thinking, leadership, constructive conflict, and collaboration, into the fabric of strategic thinking skills Select appropriate techniques to apply strategic thinking in specific situations Recognize and emulate effective strategic thinking behaviors Getting Started Introductions Course structure Course goals and objectives Foundation Concepts Interactive event: Define Strategic Thinking (ST) Interactive event: Discuss relationship of ST with Strategic Planning, Management and Decision Making Strategic Level Framework - Tying it all together Strategic thinking attributes Strategic Thinking Critical Success Factors Strategic Thinking Critical Success Factors - 5-part model Strategic Thinking and the Organization Critical Success Factors Model applied to an organization Tools Introduction (5): Environmental, 5 Forces, SWOT, Value Proposition, Integral Theory of Worldview Video: Fog of War Strategic Thinking and the Individual Critical Success Factors Model applied to an individual Tools Introduction (5): Thinking Styles, Six Thinking Hats, Reverse Thinking, Systems Thinking, Integral Theory of Worldview Strategic Thinking at the Interpersonal and Team Levels Emotional Intelligence - Self Awareness and Working With Others Team Leadership and Trust Constructive Conflict as the Gateway to Collaboration Interactive event: Testing the Models - Challenge Perspective; What's Missing Applying the critical skill of Strategic Thinking Worldview: Team versus client Trusted Advisor Interactive event: Doing what is asked (Case study, wherein participants review the default case scenario prepared for this workshop and add specific details to make the scenario more relevant to their experiences / needs. Teams develop an action plan for applying ST concepts and techniques they have learned here to the situation, then compare and contrast results.)
Effecting Business Process Improvement: Virtual In-House Training Business analysts facilitate the solution of business problems. The solutions are put into practice as changes to the way people perform in their organizations and the tools they use. The business analyst is a change agent who must understand the basic principles of quality management. This course covers the key role that business analysts play in organizational change management. What you will Learn You will learn how to: Define and document a business process Work with various business modeling techniques Perform an enterprise analysis in preparation for determining requirements Analyze business processes to discern problems Foundation Concepts Overview of business analysis and process improvement Defining the business process Introducing the proactive business analyst Focusing on business process improvement for business analysts Launching a Successful Business Process Improvement Project Overview of the launch phase Understanding and creating organizational strategy Selecting the target process Aligning the business process improvement project's goals and objectives with organizational strategy Defining the Current Process Overview of current process phase Documenting the business process Business modeling options: work-flow models Business modeling options: Unified Modeling Language (UML) model adaptations for business processes Analyzing the Current Process Process analysis overview Evaluation: establishing the control group Opportunity techniques: multi-discipline problem-solving Opportunity techniques: matrices Building and Sustaining a Recommended Process Overview of the recommended process and beyond Impact analysis Recommended process Transition to the business case Return to proactive state
Strategic Thinking: Virtual In-House Training The goal of this course is to provide you with the building blocks and the motivation to develop the critical skill of strategic thinking. The participants will consider a four-part model that distinguishes strategic thinking from strategic planning and managing. With that understanding, you will investigate the critical components of strategic thinking and how to apply it effectively. What you Will Learn Define strategic thinking and distinguish it from strategic planning and management Explain a high-level approach to gaining strategic thinking skills Integrate other interpersonal skills, such as self-awareness, systems thinking, leadership, constructive conflict, and collaboration, into the fabric of strategic thinking skills Select appropriate techniques to apply strategic thinking in specific situations Recognize and emulate effective strategic thinking behaviors Getting Started Introductions Course structure Course goals and objectives Foundation Concepts Interactive event: Define Strategic Thinking (ST) Interactive event: Discuss relationship of ST with Strategic Planning, Management and Decision Making Strategic Level Framework - Tying it all together Strategic thinking attributes Strategic Thinking Critical Success Factors Strategic Thinking Critical Success Factors - 5-part model Strategic Thinking and the Organization Critical Success Factors Model applied to an organization Tools Introduction (5): Environmental, 5 Forces, SWOT, Value Proposition, Integral Theory of Worldview Video: Fog of War Strategic Thinking and the Individual Critical Success Factors Model applied to an individual Tools Introduction (5): Thinking Styles, Six Thinking Hats, Reverse Thinking, Systems Thinking, Integral Theory of Worldview Strategic Thinking at the Interpersonal and Team Levels Emotional Intelligence - Self Awareness and Working With Others Team Leadership and Trust Constructive Conflict as the Gateway to Collaboration Interactive event: Testing the Models - Challenge Perspective; What's Missing Applying the critical skill of Strategic Thinking Worldview: Team versus client Trusted Advisor Interactive event: Doing what is asked (Case study, wherein participants review the default case scenario prepared for this workshop and add specific details to make the scenario more relevant to their experiences / needs. Teams develop an action plan for applying ST concepts and techniques they have learned here to the situation, then compare and contrast results.)
Leading Cross-Cultural Virtual Teams (Virtual) High-performing teams are a must in this world of intense competition and higher expectations. Global virtual teaming has become a necessity as organizations become increasingly distributed and suppliers and clients actively engage in joint projects. Teams work across geographical and organizational boundaries to deliver solutions and services to global users where distance and differences, both geographic and cultural, amplify the effect of issues and factors that are relatively straightforward when managing a team of people in the same location. This course delivers practical concepts and techniques that participants will start using immediately on their global projects. What you will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Define relationships among foundational concepts (leadership and three dimensions of diversity) and explain their potential impacts on project performance Describe key components of successful project leadership and build selected Transformational Leadership skills Prepare to convert project challenges stemming from personal or cultural diversity into potential competitive advantage Implement selected best practices to meet key challenges facing virtual project teams Foster and grow an environment that supports continued success for CCVTs Getting Started Foundation Concepts Basic definitions Critical success factors for leading cross-cultural virtual teams (CCVTs) A roadmap to success for leading CCVTs Leadership Excellence in Any Project Environment Leading effectively in a global environment Transformational leadership The four components of Transformational Leadership Leveraging Personal Diversity Overview of personal diversity Mind styles The theory of multiple intelligences Connecting Transformational Leadership and personal diversity Embracing Cultural Diversity Introduction to cultural intelligence The impact of culture Cultural Dimensions Theory The Culture Map Managing Virtual Diversity Overview of virtual diversity Virtual time management Virtual processes and technology Virtual leadership Creating an Environment for Success Supporting a cross-cultural virtual-team (CCVT-) friendly environment Building a foundation of trust Developing a team charter Recap and review Summary and Next Steps Personal action plan
Global Project Management: Virtual In-House Training In this course, you will dig deeper-and differently-into project management processes, tools, and techniques, developing the ability to see them through the lens of global and cultural project impacts. In today's increasingly global environment, managing a project with customers and support organizations spread across multiple countries and continents is a major challenge. From identifying stakeholders and gathering requirements, to planning, controlling, and executing the project, the basic logistics of a global project present their own standard challenges. However, with additional cultural, language-based, and regional elements, global projects involve more complexities than teams often realize. There are unique communication needs, cultural awareness elements, varying customs and work expectations, and critical legal differences to consider. In this course, you will dig deeper-and differently-into project management processes, tools, and techniques, developing the ability to see them through the lens of global and cultural project impacts. This will leverage you to problem solve differently on global projects, prevent problems, and ensure success. The goal is for you to effectively navigate the challenges of leading projects with multi-regional footprints and globally diverse sets of stakeholders. What you Will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Determine when a project meets the criteria of being a true global one Articulate global project needs based on the project grid and framework Identify and analyze global project stakeholders Recognize cultural differences and articulate how they impact project work Determine global project estimating, scheduling, and staffing challenges Assess global project risks and develop problem-solving responses Analyze complex cultural situations and align optimal project communication and negotiation tools and techniques Apply best practices for conducting virtual team work and mitigating virtual challenges Evaluate ways to control for global project scope, cost, and procurement Align customer management best practices with global customer needs Implement key global project closing activities Foundation Concepts What is a global project? What makes a global project different? A global project management framework Initiating the Global Project Launching a global project Respecting cultural differences Identifying and analyzing stakeholders Developing the communications plan Defining the ideal global project manager Crafting a global project charter Planning the Global Project Gathering requirements for a global project Defining the scope, region by region Estimating and scheduling for global projects Staffing the global project Developing the global risk management plan Executing the Global Project Managing global stakeholder expectations Embracing cultural diversity Honing global negotiation techniques Procuring goods and services on a global basis Managing global legal and regulatory issues at the micro and macro level Monitoring and Controlling the Global Project Status reporting Virtual communication Cost control Schedule control Scope control Customer satisfaction Closing the Global Project Contract closure at the macro and micro levels Administrative closure with global reach Lessons learned