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
Strategic Thinking: 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.)
Virtual Agile Teams: Virtual In-House Training 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
Assuring Quality Through Acceptance Testing: Virtual In-House Training 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. 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, 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?
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Project Management Office: Virtual In-House Training The goal of this course is to equip the participant with the necessary knowledge and skills to establish, improve, and support a project management office (PMO) that is the catalyst for portfolio and delivery management excellence. This course addresses the complexities of both understanding and choosing the correct PMO framework from among several alternatives. Additionally, the typical PMO supporting elements: domains of work, maturity level, and performance metrics, are elaborated. These elements position a PMO to realize and sustain the business value anticipated by the organization.
Project Requirements Management: Virtual In-House Training Poor requirements definition and lack of adequate change control procedures to requirements and scope are the primary contributors to project difficulty and failure. This workshop will provide you with the knowledge, tools, and techniques required to minimize or avoid these pitfalls.
Agile Release Plans: Virtual In-House Training While many Agile frameworks provide guidance on a focus on value and iterative development, many do not explain how that value is delivered to the customer. Release Plans have become an accepted and common practice to bridge the gap between the Product Vision and the Product Backlog (Agile requirements). In this course, you will be provided with an introduction to Agile and to Scrum, the most utilized Agile framework. You will also learn how the Vision, Roadmap, and Charter help to establish the Release Plan. The goal of this course is to equip you with the necessary knowledge, skills, and techniques to build Release Plans to ensure you deliver the most value to your customers. What you will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Recall the Scrum framework elements (roles, events, and artifacts) Examine the benefits of Agile Develop a Product Vision and Roadmap Create an Agile Project Charter Prepare a Release Plan Write user stories to support a Product Backlog Foundation Concepts Introduction to Scrum Scrum Overview Agile Benefits Product Definition Business Goals Product Vision Product Roadmap Agile Project Charter Product Scope Project Risks Release Deadlines Sprint Durations Team Norms Release Planning Release Plan Process Select Stories and a Release Date Product Backlog User stories Building the product backlog Product Backlog Refinement Transitioning to the Scrum Team
Change Happens! Reframing uncertainty in a changing world Change is inevitable — but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Whether it’s a corporate restructure, a company merger, or the long-lasting ripple effects of a global pandemic, workplace change can stir up uncertainty, anxiety, and resistance. Our Change Happens! workshop helps teams reframe how they view change — not as a threat, but as an opportunity for growth. This interactive, evidence-based session blends psychology with practical strategies, empowering participants to navigate uncertainty with confidence, resilience, and acceptance. Change happens — but how you respond is what defines the outcome. Let’s make it a positive one. Join us for a workshop that transforms uncertainty into opportunity, and equips your team with the tools to thrive in a changing world. Workshop outline: Spotting the Signs of Change Fatigue — Recognising emotional responses and their impact on wellbeing. The Power of Reframing and Acceptance — Practical strategies to shift your mindset from fear to flexibility, and embrace acceptance when change is unavoidable. Building Personal and Team Resilience — Coping techniques that support both individual and collective wellbeing. Creating Your Change Action Plan — Simple steps to manage uncertainty and stay proactive. 2-hour workshop packages At Mindmaps Wellbeing, we know that every business is unique, and no team is the same. That’s why we’ve developed our range of short, specialist wellbeing and mental health themed workshops—a fully flexible approach to workplace training. With our selection of engaging and impactful 2-hour workshops, you can build a programme that truly meets your organisation’s needs. Whether you’re looking to manage stress, challenge stigma, or avoid burnout, you choose the sessions that suit your team best. Our training courses and workshop collection Book multiple workshops on the same day to save Why Mindmaps Wellbeing? Mindmaps Wellbeing is the trusted training provider for businesses looking to enhance workplace mental health and employee wellbeing. Our training is designed and delivered by registered Mental Health Nurses, ensuring credibility, expertise, and real-world application. Focus on culture change – Our training goes beyond theory transfer, aiming to embed lasting behavioural shifts that foster a positive, mentally healthy workplace Flexible delivery options – We offer in-person, online, and hybrid training solutions to fit your organisation’s needs Proven impact and measurable results – Our training leads to improved employee engagement, productivity, and retention Engaging and actionable – All our courses include interactive activities, case studies, and real-world applications for immediate impact
Empty Spaces, Expressionless Faces. Supporting colleagues in a hybrid workplace In a world where hybrid working is becoming the norm for many people, staying connected with colleagues can feel challenging. The subtle signals we might notice in face-to-face interactions can easily be missed when working remotely. This interactive two-hour workshop explores how we can support one another, strengthen team connections, and spot the signs when someone may be struggling. Designed for anyone in a hybrid workplace, this session empowers participants to recognise the behaviours and communication patterns that might indicate a colleague is finding things difficult, and helps them to respond with empathy and support. Through thought-provoking discussions, engaging activities, and practical strategies, participants will discover new ways to foster genuine connection — both online and face-to-face — to build and sustain a supportive team culture. Workshop outline: Noticing subtle shifts in mood and behaviour within a hybrid team. Exploring practical strategies for checking in without feeling intrusive. Encouraging open conversations in both virtual and physical settings. Creating a team culture that prioritises compassion and connection. This is not a lecture — it’s an engaging, interactive experience designed to leave participants feeling more confident in their ability to spot when a colleague might need support and better equipped to take meaningful action. Join us for this impactful session and discover how small moments of connection can inspire a more supportive, resilient hybrid workplace. 2-hour workshop packages At Mindmaps Wellbeing, we know that every business is unique, and no team is the same. That’s why we’ve developed our range of short, specialist wellbeing and mental health themed workshops—a fully flexible approach to workplace training. With our selection of engaging and impactful 2-hour workshops, you can build a programme that truly meets your organisation’s needs. Whether you’re looking to manage stress, challenge stigma, or avoid burnout, you choose the sessions that suit your team best. Our training courses and workshop collection Book multiple workshops on the same day to save Why Mindmaps Wellbeing? Mindmaps Wellbeing is the trusted training provider for businesses looking to enhance workplace mental health and employee wellbeing. Our training is designed and delivered by registered Mental Health Nurses, ensuring credibility, expertise, and real-world application. Focus on culture change – Our training goes beyond theory transfer, aiming to embed lasting behavioural shifts that foster a positive, mentally healthy workplace Flexible delivery options – We offer in-person, online, and hybrid training solutions to fit your organisation’s needs Proven impact and measurable results – Our training leads to improved employee engagement, productivity, and retention Engaging and actionable – All our courses include interactive activities, case studies, and real-world applications for immediate impact