Although buzz words like SCRUM / Agile are everywhere, the essential value within a training are the people and the realisation of methods in the daily work. Therefore the training is personalised for your company by preparing and transforming real customer projects into a suitable case study, so all relevant topics are trained authentically.
Often more important than the specific training topics is a change of behaviour, e. g. acceptance of responsibility and identification with the role of Project Manager.
Added to that, no frontal lessons or presentations but instead group work carried out in learning workshops, which are designed to achieve the permanent active involvement of all participants. No set times, but flexibility to also extend topics on the fly and space for questions.
It is aimed at participants with all levels of experience, from the beginner fresh from university to the old hands. Preferably a mix across departments, sites and countries.
As trainees acquire the specific know-how in learning workshops for themselves, there are basically no frontal lessons or presentations. After that, every group passes-on their knowledge to the other team members by way of a presentation.
By this method the lessons are taken in at a deep level. During this process the trainer works mainly as a coach, giving support and correcting, if and where necessary.
Block I focuses on the project start, from the kick-off and a proper handover from sales. Experience shows, that the foundation for success or failure of a project is laid at the beginning.
Topics are e. g. Project Start, Kick-off Meeting, Requirements Engineering, Contract Management, Opportunities and Risk Management, ...
Block II focuses on a proper project planning and the handling of the project throughout the time line, i. e. measure progress, realise deviations in time, etc.
Therefore providing the answer to the classic question for every Project Manager: “Where do I stand in my project?”: Topics are e. g. Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) / Work Packages, Scheduling, Project Controlling, Change- and Claim Management, ...
In block III the participants learn how to set up a project in MS Project, structure it and use it as a controlling tool throughout the project.
In nearly all MS Project Seminars you are taught the software functions from A to Z. However, coming back, the Project Manager is confronted with how to actually use MS Project in his daily work.
Block III is designed differently, in that the focus is on the question: What does a Project Manager do during the project and how can he best use the software so it helps him?
And in a way that he gets out of it, significantly more than the work he puts in. That means a training from the Project Manager's point of view and not the software's view.
Your Trainer - Thomas Kärcher
From the practice for the practice. Thomas has previously been a Project Manager himself for 15 years and his company, TK-PRO, is in operation since 2004. It concentrates on real, usable methods and tools, no buzzwords.
Only with these long years of experience is it possible to convert a real customer project into a suitable training case study, so that the participants can put the seminar topics into practice. Some “old school” methods, e. g. pin boards to support the creative process, are used on purpose.
Over the last 17+ years, he has worked with a whole range of companies, from the 25-staff engineering company to the big trusts and a majority of middle-sized companies in between. Irrespective of the field you specialise in, whether it’s airport, logistics, transport, etc., the basic challenges of project management remain the same.