What Needs to be Done Before You Start Your Project
What you'll learn
- Find the root cause of a problem
- Learn techniques to define the current situation
- Better gauge whether your organization is capable of managing the change of your project
- Who a stakeholder is, how you manage them, and why they are so important for your project
- Where you find your project requirements and why you need them to define your solution
- Learn how to find out how many solutions can be generated
- Master the processes needed to determine the best solution
Requirements
- Some basic Project Management knowledge would be useful, but is not imperative
Description
In the beginning of my career, I was assigned to projects where the solution had already been selected, and I considered that to be very normal. That's the way things are done, I thought, and I never thought to question that approach. Sometimes, our projects would be successful, sometimes not. Sure, I would look for the reasons for success or failure, but usually I was always looking at the wrong place. Maybe the team makes the difference? Perhaps it was my knowledge of the subject matter that defined victory?
It took me some time, but I came up with my answer. Some activities need to be completed before the project commences, at least on a basic level. Otherwise, project success is just pure luck.
This course is all about those things you need to do before your project is formed to ensure that you create the benefits your project is intended to generate!
The course is made up of 6 sections:
What problem are you solving or opportunity you want to generate? If you can't answer this, how do you know that you reached it?
Where are you starting from, and what should you have at the end? This is the transformation you are working towards; the basis of all projects
Who will be affected by your project, either positively or negatively? All parts are key, but this is the element I see neglected the most.
What needs have to be fulfilled? At least on a high level, you have to have a basic idea of what people are looking for.
How many solutions are there to create the opportunity or solve the problem? There are always at least two. Find out why I say this.
What is the best solution? Here, we are talking about the solution that brings the most value.
I know what you are thinking. You don't have the time to go through all these steps. The fact is that you don't have the time NOT to perform these activities. This course will show you how you conduct these exercises quickly and efficiently.
So, if you are looking to find out how you can run your projects better, this course is exactly right for you.
Don't wait. Let's get started!
Last updated September 16th, 2019
Who this course is for:
- Existing or aspiring Project Managers who are looking to better ensure project success
Instructor
![Michael Boyle](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 64 64"%3E%3C/svg%3E){kind=avatar}
- 3.9 Instructor Rating
- 470 Reviews
- 8,253 Students
- 9 Courses
My journey started in Los Angeles but moved on to different venues after becoming an adult. My first trip to Europe was at 19, and it changed the direction my life would take.
After finishing university, I moved to Berlin but in an unconventional way. I bought a one-way ticket to Hong Kong, not knowing how I would get to Berlin. China had just opened up the borders to individual tourists, so I ended up taking the Trans Siberian Railway through the Soviet Union, Poland, and then eventually West Berlin.
The goal was to stay only for 6 months. 2 years later, I moved from West Berlin to Vienna, where I eventually married a Viennese. We are in year 34 and counting.
We moved back to the US, where I started a career in customer service. Those learnings about customer satisfaction are still very much ingrained in me today.
We came back to Vienna right before the Berlin Wall fell, and it's been my home since. My career moved onto Project Management, Product Management, and Business Analysis, and I worked for different multi-national companies.
I felt that something was still missing, so I set up my own company 8 years ago and have ventured onto activities that I couldn't have imagined beforehand. There is one common thread in all I have done. I love helping people and enjoy making a difference in any way I can. This, simply, has been my driver.
In addition, I have been involved in the world of academia for over a year in teaching this course as well as a number of others. There is nothing more satisfying than helping people reach their potential.