Preface

In the competitive “need it now” business environment, organizations are looking for an edge that can help them deliver products and services faster and cheaper while maintaining high quality and brand integrity. In the past 20 years as a consultant, trainer, speaker, author, and strategic adviser to global organizations, I’ve determined that a prime ingredient to scalability, predictability, and consistency in any organization or industry is having a proven method or process to deliver products and services on time, within budget, and within scope—that is, project management.

When leaders make job functions easier and help employees understand how their work relates to business results and to the work of others in the organization, they increase morale, engagement, and productivity for everyone in the organization. Employees become committed to a success larger than just their specific jobs. Project management training can help organizations establish standard processes, documentation, and language throughout the organization to ensure that projects deliver results and the organization thrives.

Not all templates, methods, or processes will work for every organization, but understanding the fundamentals of project management is an important start for employees and teams. The workshops in this book are not meant to be used as test preparation. They are designed from the perspective of “healthy” project management—using just the right amount of project management to achieve the desired results. This book is chock-full of easy-to-use templates and tools that learners can put to work right away. The activities provide opportunities to practice the concepts in small and large groups reminiscent of learners’ work teams.

Despite increased competitive pressure, fluctuating economies, and the chaotic pace of change, healthy project management has proven to be one constant in business success. I have designed these workshops to help project managers and their teams improve performance, which will help their organizations maintain a competitive edge. These methods and tools have worked for my clients and customers, and they will work for your employees—project managers and project team members alike.

Wes Balakian
CEO, True Solutions Inc.
Fairview, Texas
December 2016