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Managing Project Communication and Team DynamicsCommunication and working effectively with teams is a critical, but often overlooked, component of effective project management. In this interactive class, students will develop essential communication skills for project management success. Students will create a project communication plan and learn to use communication tools, techniques, and best practices for managing a project team.

Who should take this course?This course is targeted to individuals with some project management experience and individuals with knowledge of the basic principles of Project Management. Individuals that are working as Program Managers, Project Managers, or Managers of Project Managers should take this course. Customers and management staff that are interested in learning techniques to communicate with the project team more effectively will also benefit from taking this course. It is a required course in the Project Management Certificate Program.

Course Objectives•Create a Project Communication Plan to help establish project communication policies

and practices. •Create communication tools to promote communication within the project team.•Use communication tools and techniques to lead local and virtual teams.•Use best practices and techniques to communicate effectively with stakeholders. •Describe the five stages to Consensus Building and the key steps to promote buy-in within

a team.•Use best practices and techniques to foster trust and openness within a team. •Use Conflict Management skills and techniques with customers and project teams.

Course Details•Length: 15 hours•Classroom Type: Lecture•Prerequisites: Principles of Project Management or equivalent. Read Chapter 1 of the

required text before the first class session. The above prerequisites are considered to be the basic skills and knowledge needed prior to taking

this class. Instructors will assume your readiness for the class materials and will NOT use class time to discuss prerequisite materials.

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Course Contents

Create a Project Communication Plan to help establish project communication policies and practices.

•Define the purpose of a Communication Plan.•Describe the major components of a Communication Plan.•Explain the value of creating a Communication Plan.•Describe best practices for using a Communication Plan on projects.

Create communication tools to promote communication within the project team.

•Explain the critical communication tools applicable to every Communication Plan.•Describe the critical questions to ask during the creation of a Communication Plan.•Create communication tools for a project’s Communication plan.

Use communication tools and techniques to lead local and virtual teams.

•Explain the top challenges and strategies of leading virtual teams.•Describe key project communication tools to best communicate with and lead virtual teams.•Describe the main techniques to conduct virtual project communications.

Use best practices and techniques to communicate effectively with stakeholders.

•Describe the major phases of managing stakeholders and learn to work with your stakeholders in each phase.

•Explain the Stakeholder Register and the value it brings to projects from a communication perspective.

•Name the top challenges with managing stakeholders and strategies to handle these challenges.

Describe the five stages to Consensus Building and the key steps to promote buy-in within a team.

•Define the stages for building consensus.•Explain how to use the Consensus Building stages within a team.•Define the characteristics of managers that empower teams and generate team buy-in.

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Course Contents, continued

Use best practices and techniques to foster trust and openness within a team.

•Explain the top behaviors that foster trust within a team.•Define the primary principals that create team openness.

Use Conflict Management skills and techniques with customers and project teams.

•Describe the top Conflict Management techniques.•Explain how to apply Conflict Management techniques to manage customer and

team conflicts.