You wouldn't want your
 project 
to FAIL, 

would you? 

The author’s research over a 10-year period found technical factors were listed rarely out of hundreds of reasons. All other times, people and behavioral factors were the principal cause.

The seminar, Managing Projects Well, has in-depth coverage of the following items which we include here for your convenience as we're sure you already know of these issues paramount to avoiding project failure.  

Finally...
answers to the real questions  
of project management: 

Ever wonder if you have the right project management "axe" and feel like maybe your organization is chopping down the wrong tree, maybe even in the wrong forest?

Why do I keep getting handed ultimatums from my PMs? I want alternatives, not objections and ultimatums.

Ever wonder why projects go way off scope and budget when led by talented technical project managers?

Why don't they teach you how projects really work in Project Management School?

I have multiple projects, managing some, a team member of others. All my training assumes I am a project manager only, doing no detail tasks, for just 1 project. How do I cope?

I am a senior manager, and I am tired of my project managers, functional managers, and team members at war with each other in my matrix organization. What do I do?

How do I significantly influence other senior people who do not work for me? I need buy-in and resources and budget - right now!

I need to know the behavioral science of projects. Not soft communications skills, but hard science and proven methods. Where do I turn?

I've built the perfect project, and yet sometimes a defective product or the perfect product for the wrong customer. How can I prevent this?

How do I more than double my personal productivity? 

I am going nuts - How do I not only manage my time, but also my life? I need to be de-stressed.

Can you help me with a rapid way of deflecting unwarranted criticism, and a proven method for resolving conflict?

How do I turn yesterday's deadbeats into tomorrow's key producers?

I hate micromanagers, and yet I see I am drawn to that tendency. How do I avoid that trap?

All exceptional managers like to be well managed by their people. How do I manage my boss? 

If you're curious...

...you may wish to consider

The Managing Projects Well seminar

...which includes the following detailed objectives: 

Definition of projects and roles of team members and project managers.
  My team is acting like a team I'm demonstrating the appropriate response to exception reporting  The right people are doing the estimating My people have walked in my shoes. We've all walked in our customers' shoes.  Also: What is a project, what is not a project, examples, delegation.

Doing the thing right: Project Quality I've analyzed how quality gets squeezed. I've calculated the cost of poor quality. Also: Technical TQM overview, its relationship to projects, moments of magic and misery, why projects fail, why quality is squeezed, quality technical definitions, cost of (poor) quality.  Includes exercises, detailed case study.  

Technical and behavioral project pressures I've worked the schedule forward, having gotten it backwards from my boss and my bosses' boss.  Also: Limited role of tools, technical overview, steps we often skip, what makes the difference.  

Technical project management review My best people are on the critical path. My trainees are off the critical path. What a relief, I only have to worry about 3 or 4 things at the most... Also: planning, estimating, and control.  Work breakdown structures.  Scheduling.  Terms.  Critical path diagramming, purpose in a human system.  Manual computation exercise, group team planning exercise.  

Getting your own house in order My people don't waste my time. I structure my day to what's most beneficial to me. Also: personal strengths and needs, a new way to log and plan time, time wasters, changing bad habits right away, urgent vs. important, how to restructure your day, doubling your productivity.  General planning model for small projects.  Multiple drill and practice, and exercises.  A specific daily technique.  

Handling change, dealing with the unexpected, and making the best first impression I'm aware that the message sent is not always the message received and I take steps to make sure communications remain clear. I recognize the best time to measure change.  Also: key allies, critical mass of support, dealing with reaction, making improvements.  

Stress management My people take the initiative to get what needs to be done, gets done.  I get the "monkey" off my back. Also: two ways of preventing it in the first place, two ways of correcting it if it is too late. Changing micromanagement.  Thorough progressive relaxation response, alternative quick anti-stress method, drill, and practice.  

Getting other's houses in order: Working with others - one on one I can present things in a way that others can best take in the information because I know how to analyze their "input" factors and I match my output to their input. I've got a method to convince my boss I know what I'm talking about. Also:  building rapport, the secret message, walking in other's shoes comprehensively, how to manage your boss, relationship strategies, matching communication styles, substantial exercises, and practice.  

Written communication quality Biggest offenders and antidotes. 

Working with others - groups - meetings and presentation effectiveness My people know how to run meetings effectively. We don't waste our time in worthless meetings. I understand the importance of defining the problem and voicing assumptions that way everyone understands what we're doing. Also: the power of metaphors, team dynamics and dysfunctions and remedies.  

Handling conflict, dealing with criticism I use the language of influence to get heard. I have a procedure that helps me convince even the most skeptical. I'm immune to criticism. There is no failure, only feedback. Also: alternatives; conflict management method, and self-assessment.  

Doing the right thing: creativity techniques and requirements gathering I know how to detect, test, and remove ambiguities in project requirements so we don't waste time in unwanted activity. I avoid the hazards of closed-ended questions and interviews. I use strategy to elicit requirements correctly. Also: role of creativity even in technical areas. 

Effective staffing and work, and motivation I understand that I can't motivate anyone.   I assign my staff correctly because I understand that the work motivates others, not me, and I know how to make that work for me, rather than against me. Also: who motivates who. 

What makes this seminar unique?

This seminar is different in the following ways: 

addresses practice, not theory
emphasizes why projects fail (the human connection) and related solutions
Includes extensive behavioral exercises
Contains techniques to rapidly change your own methods and behaviors 
Involves team members as well as project managers
Covers multiple projects, non-project time, and juggling
Limits technical content to 10-15% of time (network diagrams, estimating, etc.)
Includes content on project quality, requirements, and internal coaching and deployment

seminar Objectives 

At the end of this seminar and activities, you will be able to: 

Know how projects work in the real world, performing new roles for leadership and team members
Do the Thing Right using Quality, prevention-based techniques, and cutting out poor Cost of Quality 
Manage your time and time of others, increase productivity, and correct bad habits quickly 
Handle change, help others with change, and inspire change in others who don't report to you
Handle and prevent stress, handle criticism and resolve conflict
Be a model for others via exceptional team dynamics and motivation 
Develop preferred staffing, tasks, estimates, and network diagrams even with dictated schedules and budgets 
Juggle multiple projects and non-project time, leave a "back door" and turn on a dime when things go wrong 
Do the Right Thing using creativity and improve the accuracy of project scope requirements
Develop a specific work plan and continued self-coaching to put all this into the workplace