49178 Courses near Leicestershire delivered On Demand

Strategic Thinking and Decision Making: On-Demand 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 At the end of this program, you will be able 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 Foundation Concepts Strategic thinking versus strategic planning, decision making and management Strategic thinking attributes Strategic Thinking Critical Success Factors Strategic thinking competency and tools at an organization level Strategic Thinking Tools and Techniques at an Individual Level Interpersonal and Team Emotional Intelligence Team Leadership and Trust Constructive Conflict and Collaboration Applying the Critical Skill of Strategic Thinking Team versus client Trusted Advisor

The goal of this course is for you to effectively lead and manage people through times of change. Research shows that 70% of change initiatives fail in large organizations. The largest factor contributing to this failure rate is leadership - the inability to plan and lead people through change. In many change situations, tremendous focus is put on strategy, processes, and systems, while the issue of changing people's behavior is assumed it will 'just happen'. In this interactive course, you will learn why the people's side of change is crucial. We will begin by understanding why and how people resist change, and how important it is to become strong and effective change champions. Next, we will focus on critical change management practices - creating our vision of the future state, planning for acceptance in our change audience and stakeholders, mitigating threats, and capitalizing on opportunities. We will use metrics to plan, show progress, and confirm success. Lastly, we will focus on the need to reinforce and sustain change, and to prevent relapse to old ways and methods.

Assuring Quality Through Acceptance Testing - Making Sure that the Business Problem is Solved: On-Demand It is the business analyst's job to define the business problem to be solved by IT. It is also the business analyst's responsibility to confirm that the resulting solution developed by IT does, in fact, solve the defined problem. This is done first through testing, especially acceptance testing, and then through monitoring of the installed solution in the user community. The business analyst is not only concerned with the testing itself, but also with the management and monitoring of the users doing the acceptance testing, and recording, analyzing, and evaluating the results. What You Will Learn Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to: Create a set of acceptance test cases Manage and monitor an acceptance test stage where users perform the testing Work with the development team in the systems testing stage Assess the solution once it is in the business environment Foundation Concepts The role of the business analyst An introduction to the BABOK® Guide BA roles and relationships through the project life cycle Introduction to assuring software quality through acceptance testing The Scope of IT Testing Overview of testing stages The testing process Testing documentation Pre-Acceptance Testing The BA's role in testing Early development testing stages (unit and integration) Late development testing stage (system) The Acceptance Test Stage - Part I (Planning, Design, and Development) Overview of user acceptance testing Acceptance test planning Designing user acceptance tests Developing individual user acceptance test cases Building effective user acceptance test scenarios The Acceptance Test Stage - Part II (Execution and Reporting) Operating guidelines Execution Reporting Post-Acceptance Testing Overview Project implementation Project transition (project closure) Production through retirement Testing Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) Software Overview Selecting the software Implementing the software Summary What did we learn and how can we implement this in our work environments?

Virtual Agile Teams: On-Demand Agile teams are a must in this world of intense competition, marketing demands, and changing expectations. Global virtual teaming has become a necessity as organizations become increasingly distributed, with suppliers and clients actively engaged in joint projects. Agile Teams now work across geographical, organizational, and cultural boundaries to deliver solutions and services to global users. Distance and differences may amplify the effect of issues and factors that are relatively straightforward for co-located Agile teams. This workshop delivers practical concepts and techniques that participants will start using immediately with their virtual Agile teams. The goal of the course is to enable you to successfully execute your preferred Agile or Scrum methods in a virtual project team environment. What you will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Explain the characteristics of a virtual team and how they differ from a co-located team Build an effective virtual Agile team using a Team Charter approach Develop Release Plans, including prioritizing user stories, with a virtual Agile Team Construct a Sprint plan, including effective user story estimates, virtually Execute a Sprint, including essential Agile or Scrum ceremonies, virtually Conduct effective virtual meetings in an environment supportive of Agile and Scrum methods Foundation Concepts Agile Mindset and Values Agile Benefits and Methods Scrum Overview Co-located vs. Virtual Teams Forming Virtual Agile Teams Exploring Virtual Leadership Focusing on Virtual Agile Leaders Developing a Virtual Agile Team Charter Meeting Team Challenges in a Virtual Environment Planning Releases with a Virtual Agile Team Planning releases overview Estimating user stories Prioritizing user stories Setting release parameters Getting consensus on the release plan Planning a Sprint for a Virtual Project Sprint Planning Overview Confirming Sprint Scope with Virtual Agile Teams Developing a Sprint Delivery Plan for Virtual Agile Teams Running a Sprint in a Virtual Environment Self-organizing a Sprint for a Virtual Agile Team Using Scrum tools in a Virtual Environment Conducting End of Sprint Meetings in a Virtual Environment Iterating as a Virtual Agile Team Creating an Environment for Success Piloting a virtual Agile team Creating an Agile-friendly virtual environment

Business Analysis Fundamentals - Solving the Business Problem: On-Demand This course teaches participants the overall process of business analysis and where it fits in the bigger picture of the project life cycle and the business context. The course is interactive and combines discussion, active workshops, and demonstrations of techniques. The goal is bottom-line results that cut through the real-world problems facing people seeking to improve the way they operate to develop new and improved systems and products or otherwise deliver results through project performance. What You Will Learn Upon completion, participants will be able to: Define the solution scope Work with the development team in the systems testing stage Ensure the solution is usable in the business environment Foundation Concepts Defining the Business Analyst Function Role of the Business Analyst as Change Agent An Introduction to the BABOK® Guide Business Analyst Roles and Relationships through the Project Life Cycle Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring - Defining the Process Overview of Business Analysis Planning & Monitoring (BAP&M) BAP&M - Process and Tools BAP&M - Roles and Responsibilities BAP&M - Governance, Information Management & Performance Improvement Elicitation and Collaboration - Gathering and Confirming Information Overview of Elicitation and Collaboration Elicitation and Collaboration Techniques Requirements Life Cycle Management - Maintaining Requirements and Design Information Overview of Requirements Life Cycle Management Requirements Life Cycle Management Tasks - Details Strategy Analysis - Providing Context to Requirements Analysis and Design Definition Overview of Strategy Analysis Analyze Current State Define Future State Assess Risks Define Change Strategy Requirements Analysis and Design Definition - Defining Solution Options Overview of Requirements Analysis and Design Definition (RA&DD) The Anatomy of Requirements RA&DD Task Descriptions RA&DD Techniques Solution Evaluation - Assessing Solution Performance Overview of Solution Evaluation Solution Evaluation Tasks Solution Evaluation in Development Stages Underlying Competencies Overview of Underlying Competencies (UCs) Underlying Competencies - Details

Leading People Through Change (Free L&I Conference Course): On-Demand The goal of this course is for you to effectively lead and manage people through times of change. Research shows that 70% of change initiatives fail in large organizations. The largest factor contributing to this failure rate is leadership - the inability to plan and lead people through change. In many change situations, tremendous focus is put on strategy, processes, and systems, while the issue of changing people's behavior is assumed it will 'just happen'. In this interactive course, you will learn why the people's side of change is crucial. We will begin by understanding why and how people resist change, and how important it is to become strong and effective change champions. Next, we will focus on critical change management practices - creating our vision of the future state, planning for acceptance in our change audience and stakeholders, mitigating threats, and capitalizing on opportunities. We will use metrics to plan, show progress, and confirm success. Lastly, we will focus on the need to reinforce and sustain change, and to prevent relapse to old ways and methods. What You Will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Realize the nature of change and describe how resistance manifests in people Compare prevalent change models and categorize their similarities Identify and rate the skills, traits, and behaviors of effective change champions Envision the future state and assess stakeholders Plan for change communication, training, and risks Evaluate change effectiveness using feedback and metrics Develop reinforcement practices for benefits and communication Foundation Concepts What is Change? Resistance to Change Common Change Management Theories Becoming a Change Champion Plan Envisioning the future state Planning for people Change management plan Do Change communication Training Piloting Risks Study Feedback Metrics Variance analysis Act Benefits realization Change sustainment Reinforcement messaging and communications

Management of Portfolios (MoP®) Foundations: On-Demand The purpose of the Foundation certification is to confirm that you have sufficient knowledge and understanding to work as an informed member of a Portfolio Office or in a range of portfolio management roles. In this MoP Foundation course, participants will acquire the sufficient knowledge and understanding of the principles, cycles, practices, techniques, roles, responsibilities, documents, and organizational context within which portfolio management operates. MoP helps organizations ensure if the investments are done in the right change initiatives and implementing them correctly. This is achieved by: Prioritizing the programs and projects in terms of their contribution to the organization's strategic objectives and overall level of risk Managing the programs and projects consistently to ensure efficient and effective delivery Maximizing the benefit by providing the greatest return from the investment made What You Will Learn Individuals certified at the MoP Foundation level will be able to: Define the scope and objectives of portfolio management and how it differs from program and project management List the benefits of applying portfolio management Explain the context it operates in List the principles upon which successful portfolio management is based on List the different approaches to implement MoP List the factors required to maintain the progress and assess the success of portfolio management State the purpose and key content of the major portfolio documents Define the scope of key portfolio management roles Introduction: MoP Scenario Background of the MethodologyThe MoP Principles Senior Management Commitment Governance Alignment Strategy Alignment Portfolio Office Energized Change Culture The MoP Definition CycleRoles and ResponsibilitiesThe MoP Delivery Cycle Management control Benefits management Financial management Risk management Stakeholder engagement Organizational governance Resource management The MoP Framework

Conflict Resolution Skills (On-Demand) Many organizations have assumed that workplace conflict is always destructive. So, they have often believed that conflict is best dealt with by managers or even via policies and procedures. After all, conflict creates workplace stress and leads to many performance problems, generating very real organizational costs! However, savvy organizations have embraced the fact that when conflict is understood and harnessed, it can be leveraged to add value to teams and even enhance performance. With the right knowledge, skills, training, and practice, conflict can be productive and make organizations better! In this highly interactive course, learners will discover the connection between individual conflict response and team-empowering conflict resolution skills. Participants will explore conflict's visceral dynamics and the nuanced behaviors we individually engage in to communicate and respond to conflict. Learners will apply techniques for transforming unproductive conflict responses into productive ones. Additionally, learners will use a systematic method that prepares them to objectively dissect real-world conflict, while practicing many strategies for resolving it. They will also develop proactive conflict approach plans, which they can transfer back to their own workplaces. At the end of this program, you will be able to: Recognize the organizational costs of conflict Explain our physical and mental responses to conflict Communicate proactively and effectively with different types of people during conflict Replace unproductive conflict responses with productive ones Use the Conflict Resolution Diagram (CRD) process and conflict resolution approaches Relate team stages of development to shifts in conflict Develop a proactive conflict approach for your organization Create a conflict resolution plan for a real-world scenario Getting Started Introductions and social agreements Course goal and objectives Opening activities Conflict Facilitation Readiness Conflict responses and perceptions Conflict basics Conflict and organizations Dynamics of conflict Conflict Styles and Communication A look at the color energies model Conflict through the color energies and DiSC® lens Communication with opposite color energies Individual Response to Conflict The anatomy of conflict Recognizing unproductive conflict responses 4 steps to productive conflict Choosing productive conflict responses Team Performance and Conflict High-performing team relationships Conflict and project team performance Conflict Resolution Diagram (CRD) and process Conflict Facilitation - Preparation Recognizing context and stakeholder needs Using team conflict resolution approaches Preparing for Crucial Conversations® Conflict Facilitation - Clarity Exposing assumptions and biases Defining the conflict and using the CRD Conflict Facilitation - Action Proactive conflict management Conflict facilitation practice Summary and Next Steps Review Personal action plans

Portfolio Management Skills: On-Demand Project Management Institute (PMI)® Charter Global Registered Education Provider (R.E.P.) International Institute for Learning (IIL) has been reviewed and approved as a provider of project management training by PMI®. Become a strong, effective change advocate for meaningful portfolio management. This course is designed to equip and enable you to effectively and efficiently support the Executive Leadership and Operational Management to plan, implement, manage, and evolve portfolio management in your organization. It focuses on helping you become a strong and effective change advocate for meaningful portfolio management that delivers objective measurements of benefit contribution towards the strategic objectives to lead, manage, and continuously improve portfolio management governance, processes, and frameworks with and through the direction of a portfolio practice, principles, and delivery boards. What you Will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Articulate the benefits of portfolio management Link the initiatives in an organization with its strategic objectives Participate in the introduction of portfolio management in an organization Create or improve the portfolio governance structure Lead the inventory of ongoing and new initiatives Assist the executives in the prioritization of initiatives through the use of Multi-criteria Analysis and other selection tools Support the executives in balancing the portfolio based on the optimal use of resources and priorities Create a portfolio delivery plan Define thresholds and variance reporting criteria Assist the executives and the financial team in the definition of Stage Gate Funding Lead the Stage Gate reviews Analyze the benefits that are being realized by the initiatives Foundation Concepts Definitions Benefits of Portfolio Management Objectives of Portfolio Management Portfolio Life Cycles Governing the Portfolio Portfolio Governance structure Roles and responsibilities Initial activities when starting portfolio management Prioritizing Initiatives Prioritize purpose Multi-Criteria Analysis Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) Strategic alignment Balancing the Portfolio Allocating resources and budgets Communicating decisions of initiatives status Planning the Portfolio Planning review cycles Using Stage Gate Funding Setting thresholds and variance reporting Tool examples Managing the Portfolio Delivery Project and Program Life Cycles Stage Gate Reviews Loop back to Prioritize, Balance and Plan Interaction with the Portfolio Delivery Board Project, Program and Functional Managers' roles and responsibilities

Managing and Leading Projects Across Organizational Boundaries - Achieving Project Success in Complex Environments Through Collaborative Skills: On-Demand Significant projects today are performed by teams of people from multiple organization units and, often, multiple companies. When project managers, team leaders or technical professionals seek collaborative relationships across organizational boundaries, they often encounter a daunting array of challenges. These challenges must be dealt with effectively across business, political, team, interpersonal and personal levels to successfully meet project objectives. The goal of this course is to provide participants with a framework for improving project performance by successfully navigating through the turbulence of organizational cultures. What You Will Learn You'll learn how to: Assess an organizational culture's challenges and adapt your interpersonal skills and political acumen to meet them Apply basic tools and techniques for building relationships and gaining influence across organizational boundaries Plan a tailored, systematic approach for gaining support, resources and collaboration from individuals in organizations where you have no formal influence Getting Started Introductions Course structure Course goals and objectives Foundation Concepts Overview of key course concepts Managing and leading: the balance and evolution Managing and leading projects versus ongoing work Organizations defined and a project manager's outlook across the structures The Path to Competency in Managing and Leading Projects Across Organizational Boundaries (MLPAOB) Organizational Cultures and Behaviors Overview of organizational culture and behaviors Organizations and change Organizational grassroots changes Political Acumen Overview of role and impact of political acumen Role of politics in organizations Political behaviors How to improve your political acumen skills Building Relationships Strategies for building relationships Balance emotion with reason "Try to understand" Inquire, consult and listen Reliability and building trust Gaining Influence Overview of gaining influence Step 1: Determine influence needs Step 2: Assess influence assets Step 3: Plan approach Step 4: Implement plan Step 5: Manage progress Planning and Implementing Your Approach Overview of Implementation Approach and Continuous Improvement (IA&CI) Enhancing Primary MLPAOB skills through: Identifying and sampling auxiliary MLPAO skills Practicing MLPAOB skills Self-reflection: developing a personal action plan (optional - time permitting) Summary What did we learn, and how can we implement this in our work environments?