Develop your Project Management skills and fully understand the entire project lifecycle and key activities that need to be done to deliver a successful project outcome. Course overview Duration: 2 days (13 hours) The ability to run a successful project professionally is a valuable transferrable life skill that can enhance your career and opportunities in any industry. Our Principles of Project Management course takes a pragmatic approach to managing a project successfully. It looks at the entire project lifecycle and key activities that must be done to give a successful project outcome. This course is suitable for anyone who is involved in or about to run a project – either as a full-time project leader/manager or as a part of their role. Objectives By the end of the course you will be able to: Identify 10 key principles for managing a project successfully Apply a common sense project lifecycle to a project regardless of its size or magnitude Develop robust project documentation throughout the lifecycle whilst keeping the documents to a minimum Identify the expectations of key stakeholders and develop a clear communication plan to engage with them Apply a range of planning and scheduling techniques to help manage the project timeline Produce realistic estimates to help monitor and control the project costs Manage key risks and issues associated throughout the project lifecycle Manage changes through a robust change control process Manage the Project team through the use of clearly defined Work Packages Identify and manage key areas of conflict throughout the lifecycle Content Introduction Key characteristics of projects v Business as Usual Definition of Programmes and Portfolios Project Lifecycles – A structured approach using phases Reasons why projects fail 10 principles of successful project management The Concept (Feasibility) Phase Analysing the project context / environment Stakeholder needs and requirements Content of a Business Case Differences between Benefits, Success Criteria, Success Factors and Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) Purpose of the Project Brief The Definition (Planning) Phase Defining the Scope of a project Assigning Project roles and responsibilities Product Breakdown structures and Work Breakdown Structures Approaches to estimating Detailed planning using Gantt charts Critical path analysis Using project management software – an overview Constructing a realistic project budgets Resource allocation and optimisation Producing a Communication Plan The Implementing (Execution) Phase Delegating using a Work Package Project tracking and reporting Managing contractors Controlling changes to the project Risk and Issues management Managing conflict between stakeholders The Handover / Closure Phase Measuring project success Capturing Lessons Post project review and evaluation Benefits Realisation Transferring the deliverable into Business as Usual
The IMI Roadside Safety programme is a blended learning course consisting of an online learning package followed by a face to face training and assessment session. The course is aimed at Truck and Light Vehicle Tyre Technicians involved with working on the roadside and whilst not essential, we advise that candidates should have completed a recognised course in Heavy or Light Vehicle Tyre Fitting and possess good communication skills. Successful candidates will receive the IMI Quality Approved Award in Roadside Safety as well as the NTDA REACT Licence to Work on the Roadside. Course Details: Online training program to be worked through at the candidates own pace. Up to one day training and assessment session. Course Content Theoretical Identification of essential service vehicle equipment Personal Protective Equipment to be used at the roadside The main requirements of PAS43 and the REACT licence Pre-breakdown planning and dynamic risk assessment Attending a breakdown and making the area safe Clearing up and leaving the scene safely Practical Service vehicle inspection and equipment condition reporting Simulated attendance a motorway breakdown for the purposes of making the scene safe (please note, there is no wheel removal or tyre fitting activities included in this course or test. (Please view the High Performance Car Tyre or Truck Tyre Fitting courses for this) IMI assessment and test A multi-choice theory question paper Two practical assessments, observed by an IMI approved assessor covering a service vehicle and equipment inspection and attending a simulated motorway breakdown. It is required that each candidate supply their own fully equipped service vehicle for this assessment What’s included Fully qualified and experienced trainers Online training program Examinations, Certification and REACT licence fees To find out more, please use the live chat function, visit our contact page or call us on 024 76325880
This course will move a manager’s focus away from simply reviewing last year’s financial performance, toward the development of an interactive approach, designed to really understand financial performance and the consequence of inaction. PARTICIPANTS WILL LEARN HOW TO: • The confidence to use budgeting tools and techniques • An understanding of the demands of financial management • The ability to analyse and challenge financial and accounting • Information • An understanding of fixed and variable costs and how these affect the sales price and profitability • Understanding the challenges of overhead allocation • Understanding the P&L • Developing awareness of fundamental investment appraisal techniques COURSE TOPICS INCLUDE: • Budget Definitions & Planning • Designing and developing a budget • Performance reporting systems & cost control • Zero-based budgeting systems • Understanding business costs (FC & VC) • Understanding variance analysis • Profit and Loss & Balance Sheet
Negotiation is an everyday challenge for some whether it be in the office, field or at home. Have you ever walked away from a situation thinking "if I'd only put my thoughts, side, opinion or words across better"? This 2-day course is perfect for managers, supervisors and sales people. It will focus on negotiation skills and the techniques that go with it. In this energy-charged provision you'll learn and practice negotiation, assertiveness and influencing techniques. Course Syllabus The syllabus of the Effective Communication and Influencing course is comprised of seven modules, covering the following: Module One An Introduction to Negotiation Assessment of your current sales and negotiation strengths and improvement areas What is negotiation? Identifying objectives and all factors affecting negotiation The negotiation model - the four stages Module Two The Preparation Stage The significance of preparation and why we need to prepare What do you need to prepare? Preparing a set of objectives: yours and theirs Understanding constants and variables Researching the other party Creating a "win-win" situation Preparing yourself for possible set-backs and objections Module Three The Discussion Stage The importance of rapport building Opening the negotiation The power of effective questioning techniques Improving your listening skills Controlling emotions Spotting the signs - non-verbal communication and voice clues Module Four The Proposing Stage Stating your opening position Responding to offers How to deal effectively with adjournments Module Five The Bargaining and Closing Stage Making concessions - the techniques Adopting key bargaining skills Dealing with objections and underhand tactics Closing techniques Confirming the agreement Creating long term, lasting commitment Scheduled Courses Unfortunately this course is not one that is currently scheduled as an open course, and is only available on an in-house basis. Please contact us for more information.
We invite all jazz lovers, from all levels and abilities, to benefit from the highest jazz instruction in London. Learn how to swing under the guidance of excellent singing jazz instructors who have a broad experience and unparalleled expertise in adult singing education.
Gain practical skills in influencing and decision-making, perfect for anyone working in team-based or project-focused environments, with interactive, hands-on learning. Course overview Duration: 1 day (6.5 hours) This is a highly interactive and practical course which will help you to use influencing and decision making techniques. This workshop has been specifically designed to give you an opportunity to learn and test a range of influencing and decision making models and techniques. The course is aimed at anyone who interacts with others on a regular basis, especially those in project management disciplines, multi disciplinary, matrix type organisations where healthy debate and challenge are key to achieving optimum resolutions. Objectives By the end of the course you will be able to: Utilise a variety of new techniques to enhance your influencing skills Recognise the impact of non-verbal communication and use it to enhance influencing behaviours Use language skills necessary to get your message across in an influential way Apply different techniques for dealing with aggression Understand VUCA – Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity & Ambiguous Use Perception, Bias, Decision Making and Judgement Understand personal preferences and approaches to Decision Making Speed read others approach to decision making Apply Mindsets, Skillsets and Toolsets for decision making Content What is influencing? Sources of power Influencing skills Choosing the right approach Developing Skills Communication skills – the language of influence Different influencing techniques and when to use them Having the confidence to challenge Dealing with confrontation and challenges in a confident manner The Decision Lifecycle – Personal Preferences Understand the human facts that influence decision making Understanding personal preferences and approaches to Decision Making Understand the impact of Perception, Bias and judgement in decision making Speed reading others approach to decision making Frameworks to provide context for decision making Understand the business factors that influence decision making - VUCA The Cynefin Framework – decision making in complex situations Understanding which business context, you operate in – simple, complicated, complex or chaotic Understanding how to decide in complexity Practical Practical exercises Case studies Personal action planning
Fans of Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga or Michael Jackson will be pleased to attend our fantastic pop singing courses offered in a relaxed and non-judgmental environment. Sing your favourite songs while improving your vocal abilities immensely. Open to adults from beginners to advanced.
Understand how to effectively manage conflict and learn that conflict can be healthy and need not damage relationships. Course overview Duration: 1 day (6.5 hours) Conflict and differences of opinion are inevitable in the today’s fast moving, complex business world, some would argue they are even necessary. This highly interactive and practical course addresses the many aspects of effectively managing conflict and will help you ensure that conflict can be healthy and need not damage the relationship. This workshop has been specifically designed to give you an opportunity to learn and test a range of influencing and conflict handling models and techniques. The course is aimed at anyone who interacts with others on a regular basis. Objectives By the end of the course you will be able to: Utilise influencing skills to pre-empt and defuse conflict Resolve conflict by choosing the right approach Recognise the impact of non-verbal communication in managing conflict Use language skills necessary to get you message across in the ‘right’ way Present your case in a reasonable and responsible manner Identify behaviours that can help or hinder interactions with others Apply different techniques for managing conflict positively and for dealing with aggression Content Developing Influence Networking Sources of influence Influencing techniques Effective Behaviour Choosing the right approach Techniques to pre-empt or defuse conflict Behavioural styles and their impact on working relationships Triggers to aggressive behaviour Managing conflict flash points Dealing with different behaviour types Developing Skills Communication skills in conflict situations Using the right language Verbal and non verbal communications Managing our body language Your conflict management style analysis Thomas Killman Conflict Handling Instrument Working in groups Practical exercises and case studies The language of mediation Transactional Analysis Practical Practical exercises Case studies Personal action planning
Look at some of the more advanced planning features available in Project. Course overview Duration: 1 day (6.5 hours) Our Project – Advanced Planning and Control course looks at advanced planning and resourcing techniques in Microsoft Project and how to customise your schedule to give better visibility and flexibility. The course is designed for experienced users of Project who have attended our Project Planning and Control introduction course or have equivalent knowledge. You must be confident using Project to build and resource schedules and create task dependencies. Objectives By the end of the course you will be able to: Work with different types of task Amend resource load on a task Work with multiple resource rates Create custom tables Add custom fields Create calculated fields Add drop down lists in fields Filter and extract information Create new views Export information Content Advanced planning techniques Splitting tasks Task types Spreading work across activities Advanced resourcing techniques Resource types Assignment views Effective dates Work contours Overtime work Using multiple resource rates Creating custom tables Customising tables Adding fields Creating custom fields Adding text, number, date and time fields Using flag fields Defining pick lists Renaming custom fields Creating calculated fields Creating formulas Using graphical indicators Uploading and tracking progress Completing work Completing work per resource Updating tasks Updating the project Working with the status date Rescheduling work Viewing baseline against schedule Project overview statistics Working with filters Building standard filters Building interactive filters Task and resource filters Using highlight filters Creating custom views Creating customised views Customising text styles Using grouping techniques Exporting information Exporting to Excel
Our Team Building Programmes are 'simply excellent' (quote from Unilever). They always deliver much greater energy' motivation and efficiently accelerates to a galvanised, integrated team for their Manager/Team Leader. They're great fun and very commercially orientated - the best of both key elements to a successful and long-lasting high performance team. A successful company is always made up of successful teams. Teams that can work autonomously with a clearly defined set of goals, roles, vision, responsibility and culture will always reach for and achieve far greater success than a team that works just as a group of individuals. Our team building solutions are individually built and geared towards teams at any level within an organisation, providing an independent and objective perspective to promote a common purpose such as the creation of a 'high performance team'. Out With The Old Traditionally, team building events have been restricted to certain levels of management where they head off site for a bit of archery, quad biking and paintballing or something along those lines. Then over some coffee and cocktails, business plans and more efficient ways to work are casually discussed. Whilst being out having fun instead of being at work may improve an individual person's mood, the effect will only be short-term, and will not go far in creating permanent and cohesive teams who are able to overcome challenges together and drive the business forward when back in the workplace. In With The New Today's business thinking is more strategic and certainly has to look for returns on the investment. That is why Dickson Training Ltd's team building programmes are bespoke and built to your requirements through research, understanding your business and, most importantly, what results and achievements you are looking to get out of the programme. Once "what success looks like" has been established, we create tasks and activities that will test your leadership, problem solving, communication and team work skills. When the tasks have been completed, the learning - both practical and theory - is debriefed to the group as well as how it will translate back in your business. Not only are our events great fun, but they provide participants with learning points they can act upon to improve or enhance the working practices/environment. Team Building That Gets Results We have a highly innovative team who design team builds to suit all budgets and time or space restrictions. Large or small, we will develop the perfect event to meet your commercial objectives, keeping in line with your values and company culture. More recently we have combined team galvanising events with ways to engage the participants with and support their local communities. This solution has proved extremely popular with our clients and we are continuing to develop more and more programmes doing exactly this. " Phil did everything in a very professional and focused manner, without losing sight of the overall aims or having 'fun'. When I moved to Airbus UK and subsequently European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADS), I had no hesitation in recommending Phil and the team to deliver the required training and team events. Without doubt Phil and his team are excellent providers of training, to suit even bespoke requirements, and I would not hesitate in recommending the team to any business in the future. " Glenn Brown, Systems & Expertise Manager, Airbus Personnel Service Augmented Skills – an Essay by Phil Dickson All of you, who are reading this, and all the people you meet and work with will have – ‘Augmented Skills’. So – if you are an IT Engineer or a Pharmacist; perhaps you are, or know, a Departmental Leader and you work with a Logistics Project Manager; these roles will demand core skills, whether they be technical know-how or qualifications in the discipline. But to be that bit better; more reliable; more effective & productive and therefore more valuable and, frankly, marketable – capitalizing on ‘Augment Skills’ comes into play. The I T Engineer who was a Chess Champion at Uni, which would indicate that they possess some key ‘Augmented skills’ including how they plan 3 steps ahead and are always prepared for the unexpected. The Pharmacist, who is a keen sportsperson in their private life, will likely be tenacious, team-orientated and disciplined – again these are superb qualities to have in this – or any – role. Your colleagues, as well as yourself, will have ‘Augmented Skills’ that will be an asset if only they are explored and applied to their role and indeed, career. Everyone has their own 'Super-power' If they love gardening, they are probably strategic, patient and inclined to research; if they cook or bake, they are usually well organized and comfortable with multi-tasking. A big reader will tend to be considered and possess good critical thinking faculties, and an amateur mechanic or keen DIY person will often be practical, resourceful and very determined. I have observed that many new Parents discover they have ‘Augmented Skills’ they didn’t know they had... such as getting order out of chaos and displaying industrial amounts of patience and good grace when they really do not feel like it. They very often become far more compassionate and empathetic. Most people have their very own ‘Superpower’. Invite your team members to offer their ‘Augmented Skills’ to your work-place – and just watch as it elevates the motivation levels and improves results. It’ll be very rewarding for all concerned – and for meeting the Team’s objectives, to encourage the person who is a talented artist to be a sounding board on some of the marketing imagery and layouts; for the team member who is great at Maths or resolving crosswords to be asked for their input to solving a problem that is causing logistical or operational headaches. Never exploit a Team member’s unique special skills at their expense I would like to stress, however, that it must never be an area where a team member gets exploited by harvesting their unique special skills to coerce them into taking on greater responsibilities and tasks without providing them with the commensurate salary and status. To do so would be immoral and, ultimately, counter-productive as it would lead to resentment and disenfranchisement. This is about encouraging people’s capability and inviting their input to boost confidence and enhance the team’s capability. Often, we need to be more than what our Job Description says It is also important to highlight that whatever a person’s role or function is – they will definitely need to have additional capabilities to be effective. The best example of this is when we designed and delivered a range of ‘Advanced Customer Care skills’ training sessions for the Met Office a few years ago…we met so many remarkably super-bright Meteorologists, many of whom were having to make significant adjustments to answering questions from Customers that seemed to be illogical and often, obtuse. It wasn’t enough for these Meteorologists to be highly skilled at interpreting data and identifying patterns – they needed ‘Augmented skills’ to make that information accessible to members of the public (and Council workers and Air Traffic controllers and Shipping agents) and many other people, as to what that particular weather system was going to be like in their area and at what time. They have to know how to ‘de-jargonise’ the material and provide succinct, clear, and yet temperate, descriptions without ever appearing exasperated, impatient or judgmental in response to sometimes quite silly questions. For a highly trained scientist – that can be counter-intuitive. Being Philosophical... and a wee bit pretentious At the risk of being a little Philosophical (and probably a wee bit pretentious) – in my own role of Trainer – my core skills have to include – being a very good communicator, an active listener and have innovative and engaging ways to convert an idea, or a model, into practical application that my Delegates and Clients gain tangible benefits from. This is how it applies to me... I really enjoy composing short, light classical-style piano pieces. Now, to do this well, you need to be able to find a transition from one chord or melody to a different theme or key. It has to be worked out very carefully to have incremental transitions and pleasant-sounding developments as the piece unfolds. I think I have become better at this as I have honed my skills as a composer. But I have realized that these very same skills have ‘Augmented’ my ability to help a Manager, or a Team, move from a state of conflict; tension; disfunction; disenfranchisement; lack of confidence to a place that is more harmonious with far greater productivity. The very same process of careful listening, considering options, taking well-considered steps, having a creative, sometimes brave, move towards a resolution are at play in both Training and Piano Compositions! Scheduled Courses Unfortunately this course is not one that is currently scheduled as an open course, and is only available on an in-house basis. Please contact us for more information.