Project Management The Palma Way

Introduction to Project Management ©

A lighter version of Project Manager Extraordinaire©, provides a high level yet relevant awareness of leadership, key soft skills (such as communication, attitude, and problem-solving), and project management practices. Three exciting and fun interactive group learning activities accompany this instructor-based criteria.

Activities (Descriptions are below)

Project Management Tools & Concepts ©

Guides participants through a detailed introduction to the basics of project management. Students will also learn critical soft skills, tools and techniques to grow in self-confidence and successfully manage projects at school, at home, and in future careers.

This training delivers a basic understanding of project management concepts such as effectively creating a plan, organizing activities, and preparing to complete simple to very complex projects.

Activities (Descriptions are below)

Project Manager Extraordinaire ©

Allows participants to broaden their awareness of leadership development, soft skills and the project management discipline through classroom lecture combined with discussion and learning activities. The course promotes the application of proven practices while actively allowing participants to learn through actual application/execution of a project in real-time. Participants are encouraged to use current real-world challenges for class discussion. The discussions and learning activities enable the participant to apply immediate solutions to real-time challenges.

Activities (Descriptions are below)

Deliverables: Charter/Requirements/WBS/Org Chart 

Training Activities

Ice Breakers: Each workshop and training include a number of fun and energy-building ice breaker activities to help promote comfort and remove those emotions and thoughts that typically limit or inhibit interactions of a group.

Builder Secret Service: Knowledge Area(s): Teamwork Collaboration/ Leadership/ Conflict/ Communication/ Critical Thinking  

Groups will put on their thinking caps and work together to build a structure out of Lego blocks. Don’t tell, but each team member has a secret “assignment” which makes the collaborative and building process more challenging.

Birthday Cupcakes:  Knowledge Area(s): Scheduling/ Time Management

Can making cupcakes teach participants to focus on relevant information while planning out their time needed for a sweet-treat project? Participants are taught the basics of network diagrams and how they drive logical precedence and NOT scheduling of activities. In short, weed out the unnecessary to focus on the critical path – and try not to leave the kitchen in a mess at the same time.

Builder Business: Knowledge Area(s): Scope Management/ Planning & Time Management/ Stakeholder Management/ Finance Management/ Design/ Collaboration  

A hands-on team exercise that puts participants in the shoes of a team driving a project for profit from initiation through close out. Participants will learn if they were able to make a profit and discuss in detail those impacting factors.

Project Manager Extraordinaire School Dance: Knowledge Area(s): Scope Management/ Planning & Time Management/ Stakeholder Management/ Finance Management/ Critical Thinking 

We’re planning the school dance in this detailed hands-on project-based exercise. Participants will be given the opportunity to work in a wide range of knowledge areas as they face challenges and variables that can only be solved for by utilizing critical soft skills and project management defined processes and techniques.

Marshmallow Tower: Knowledge Area(s): Planning & Time Management/ Team Work/ Collaboration/ Design

This fun, delicate and sticky exercise gets the mind racing as it challenges participants to explore the design process: thinking, doing, prototyping, and iteration as a TEAM collaborating on a common goal. Try not to eat the marshmallow!