Project management training should be a high priority for every project management consulting professional. But occasionally you may attend training that isn’t quite what you hoped for. Fortunately, there are some tricks you can use to improve the experience. If you’re willing to speak your mind and go after the information you want, chances are good that you can overcome a less-than-ideal project management training session.
The presenter isn’t great. Many factors can dampen an otherwise great class—a flaky sound system; a presenter who talks too fast; slides with a tiny or unreadable font. The key is to say something to the organizer as soon as you discover there’s a problem. The instructor likely doesn’t realize you can’t hear them, or that they need to zoom in on key graphics.
The material isn’t what you were looking for. Maybe it’s geared toward a different industry or there aren’t enough real-world examples to develop a thorough understanding of the principles. If that’s the case, start by asking open-ended questions that will lead the conversation toward the information you hope to learn. When the workgroup sessions begin, pick the brains of those on your team to see if they can add useful knowledge to what the presenter has already offered.
The content is too remedial. You’ve paid for the class and taken time to attend, so get the most out of it. Pay attention to what sort of questions the other participants—who may be digesting exactly the kind of information they need—are asking. These are the likely the same things the more junior members of your own Project Team are keen to learn. Gather as much insight as you can into the skills and scenarios the other attendees are interested in and carry that knowledge back so you can boost the competencies of your own team.
PMAlliance has a national open enrollment training schedule
For more information on the event locations and schedules click HERE
