Webinar Review: Leadership and Communication Skills for Project Managers

Webinar Date: 8/6/2011 (11:00 PM – 12:00 AM GMT+8)
Provider: Corporate Education Group (Website: http://www.butrain.com/)
Speaker: Star Dargin from Star Leadership LLC
(Website: http://www.starleadershipllc.com)
Cost: Complimentary
PDU Count: 1 unit

SUMMARY

• Leadership: involves changes and new directions.
• Leaders: influence people.
• Projects require change; therefore, projects need leadership.
• New areas require leadership.
• Thus, project managers need to have leadership skills.
• There are certain characteristics that differentiate a leader from a manager.

• Leadership attributes change as project progresses.

• A leader must be; amongst others: hones, forward-looking, competent and inspiring.
• A leader must be able to identify cultural characteristics and identify to it so that response can be tailored accordingly.
• To be informed on organisation’s style, check what books, for example, that the CEO reads. Find out who are their role models.
• Different types of leadership:
  • Character – respond to their conscience
  • Analysis – respond to ideas
  • Accomplishment – respond to problem
  • Interaction – respond to people
• Know your strength, know your blindside, know what the project needs
• Emotional intelligence plays an important role to a leader:
  • Self awareness
  • Self regulation
  • Motivation
  • Empathy
  • Social Skills

PMBOK Guide 4th Edition on leadership (pg: 240):

“Successful projects require strong leadership skills. Leadership is important through all phases of the project life cycle. It is especially important to communicate the vision and inspire the project team to achieve high performance.”

 

COMMENT:

The webinar explained a lot of leadership qualities and ways to achieve it. However, it lacked the in depth explanation when it comes to communication skills; referring to the webinar main topic. All in all, it was a great experience and new knowledge gathering session for me.

Contact Hours and PDUs

Contact Hours – These are the hours required as pre-requisite to sit for PMP exam. PMI requires 35 contact hours of Project Management education. These hours can be obtained from attending PMP prep classes; either physically or online. But you have to check that the course you are taking is approved by PMI. Remember, Contact Hours are gained before you sit for your PMP exam. You need to report these hours in your exam application to PMI.

PDUs – Professional Development Units. For every PMP, we are required to report 60 PDUs for every 3-year cycle of our credential. We are required to report this as part of Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) Program. Failure to do so, will cause our credential to be suspended. At the end of suspension period, if we still fail to report the required amount, our credential will be expired. Once expired, we need to sit for PMP exam again. PDUs are reported after you have acquired your PMP status.

Where To Start?

WHAT IS PMP CERTIFICATION?

PMP® stands for Project Management Professional®. It is awarded by the Project Management Institute (PMI). This credential is the most industry-recognized certification for project managers all around the world. Having this credential means that the person has the knowledge and competency to successfully lead and direct a project. Read more on PMP certification.

 

WHO IS PMI?

PMI, Project Management Institute, is a not-for-profit organisation that strife for standardization and best practices of project management. We can say, PMI (and their members) are advocates for the project management field. There are several certification offered by PMI, and PMP is one of them. Read more on PMI.

 

THE COST?

I will suggest you to become a PMI member if you’re really serious in being certified. Reason?

• The exam fee will be cheaper
• You get free electronic copy of the PMBOK Guide (just for you!)
• Books are cheaper (if you purchase through PMI Marketplace)
• Lots of useful resources in PMI website for members
• Opportunity to explore the project management world better

Of course, you can find out more on benefits for becoming a member here: Benefits of PMI Membership

PMP Exam Fee – for member: USD $405
PMP Exam Fee – for non-member: USD $550

PMI Membership: USD $129 to join and USD $119 for renewal. (Membership is annual) – This fee is for Individual membership.

 

PMP Credential Validity

The credential is for lifetime, as long as you maintain your certification by reporting 60 PDUs for every three-year cycle.

PDUs are Professional Development Units, where you report to PMI your project management related involvement for the three-year cycle. Failure to do so will cause your credential to be suspended for a year, where during that time, you are allowed to fulfill the PDU requirement. Thereafter, if you still fail to do so, your credential will be revoked and you have to sit for the exam to get certified again.

Read the PMP Handbook.

 

My Personal Take on PMP

Let me just answer one question straight about the certification exam. For me, it is a tough exam. It is my first certification exam so far, but I personally feel that it is tough. Majority of people that have taken the exam will vouch on this. It is tough for me because it is not straight forward in asking the question. Most of the questions are scenario based and you will not find “what is this” or “what is that” or “define this” questions a lot.

The way to go is to understand the concept behind the what. Try as much as you can to visualise the whys to the whats. It takes you longer to study, but if I can do it, so can you! Besides, being PMP certified is not about how much you remember of what you read, it is about how much you understand why things are the way they are. And another useful tip that any PMP prep trainer will tell you is to answer the questions while putting yourself in PMI’s shoes.

Remember that the PMBOK guide is about best practices and I believe standards defined by PMI. Therefore, when answering the questions, wear the PMI hat. All about doing the right thing at the right time. Basically, live in an ideal world.

In many cases in the REAL world, the steps and procedures specified in the PMBOK guide will be mashed up. Many times you have to adapt to the situation and environment you are in. You will not be able to manage projects by the book, especially not with a certain rigid standard in mind. Being a good project manager is all about being flexible and versatile. If there is anyone out there that comes out with another set of standards or procedures to manage a project and say they are better than PMI’s PMBOK Guide, they still cannot be 100% correct. Because again, situational differences.

But to answer questions in PMP exam, which is by PMI, live in an ideal world, more specifically, the PMI world; where PMBOK Guide is the ultimate guide for managing projects. This not in any means trying to be sarcastic, but just the plain truth on how you can begin to answer the questions in the exam. Correctly, hopefully.

I suggest you take a little time to understand the PMP Handbook before you move forward from here. This handbook will be your friend as long as you have anything to do with PMP.