The Opsimath

A Busy Time Coming Up

We have a busy time coming up in pearcemayfield with a number of new courses coming through very soon.

We've recently launched the new edition PRINCE2 courses, which are proving very popular. We've also now developed a 1-day introduction to project management called Understanding Project Management, and already one of our clients has shown a lot of interest in delivering this in quite a creative way (more on that at a later time).

A now we have three major initiatives coming along:

1. Management of Risk (MOR) - we are shortly to be launching an all- new, 'all-pearcemayfield' version of this accredited course
2. Principles of Change Management - a course that we have successfully been running for a while now is soon to see the introduction of a new higher-level accredited qualification. Watch for our new courses
3. P3O (Portfolio, Programme and Project Offices) is also going to see a new, higher-level qualification. Again, we will be responding to this with our own style of courses.

So, can't stop, things to do...

Beyond PRINCE2 - the perfect project manager

This week I have been working with public sector client delivering a course called 'Beyond PRINCE2'. Our course description says this:

PRINCE2 is the project management method that is now recognised and used across the world. But passing your PRINCE2 exams does not automatically mean that you are fully equipped to succeed in a real world project. It’s a start, but what else do you need?

Our Beyond PRINCE2 workshop is designed to help you to exploit all the things that you learned on your PRINCE2 course, as well as to explore other skills, ideas and techniques that you might need.

So, a course for people already qualified in the method, experienced in using it and yet aware that there is more...

Amongst other things, we looked at the bigger picture (linking with programmes, benefit realisation); we explored stakeholder engagement and communication; and we addressed the concept of the 'Perfect Project Manager' (applicants please apply).

It was this last point that generated some interesting discussion about what was essential - and almost without exception it was the 'softer' aspects of project management that were coming out top of the list - political awareness, flexibility, creativity, leadership, team working were mentioned.

Furthermore, it was intriguing to relate the groups' ideas to previous work that we have done in pearcemayfield and see the similarities.

Looking beyond the methods like this is, we believe, going to be a key area of focus in the months to come. So Perfect Project Managers, watch this space...

Have you got the right skills?

In a recent job survey, 20% of employers reported that they have faced difficulty in hiring the right candidate for a job. When asked why, the general consensus was said to be that there is a lack of high quality IT candidates in the market; and professionals just don't seem to posses all the relevant skills required to fulfil the role.

Which skills are suffering the most?

• IT Managers (19%)
• Project Manager (28%)
• Database Administrator (21%)
• Software Developer (26%)
• IT Support (21%)

were the skills cited by hiring managers as amongst the most difficult positions to recruit for.

In an era where skills shortages are becoming increasingly apparent, it is paramount for the organisation to take the responsibility to train and develop their staff from the outset. To face these supply and demand issues head on, employers need to refine their expectations of potential candidates.

Likewise, candidates looking for jobs in today's markets need to ensure their skill set is the sharpest that it has ever been.

Those who teach...

Do high-performing practitioners make the best teachers?

After all, they are at the 'top of their game', fully able to perform at a high level - who better to learn from, to model successful behaviour?

But the best performers do not, in fact, make the best teachers - often far from it. One the one hand they have forgotten the learning stages and they are actually unaware of how they carry out their tasks, how they perform their area of expertise..

Also, they can be struggling with the 'curse of knowledge' - actually unable to imagine the world as perceived by their 'trainees'.

A great teacher or trainer is able to perceive and relate to the experience of the trainee.

There is a derogatory phrase sometimes used to describe teaching - 'Those that can, do; those that can't, teach.' At its heart, this demonstrates a lack of understanding of the role of teaching. It is not an escape from the real world, it is its own 'real world'.

In our team of training consultants, the crucial skill is that of inspirational teaching. Yes, there is subject matter expertise, and yes there is practical experience, but great teaching is first and foremost delivered by great teachers.

Let those who teach, teach.

2.5 times more likely to fail!

There was a news item this week about an initiative to provide a national scheme to improve the training and skills of retail staff in the UK - this has got to be applauded.

However, the comment that caught my attention was that it has been shown that, in this sector, if you fail to train your staff then your business is 2.5 times more likely to fail.

What if that is true in other sectors? What if it is anywhere near true in any sector? That sounds like a huge risk to take - doubling your chances of failure!

It seems that more than ever we need to wisely invest in the training and development of staff if we want to survive, succeed and thrive.

Is training one of the major keys to the way of rebuilding and re-energising  the economy? I think it might well be, and statistics like this reinforce that belief.

It has to be good, well planned and targeted training. Training that delivers thought-through outcomes and business benefits. Training that is delivered with passion and purpose.

Training like that creates value in people and organisations - no wonder the chances of success are increased as a result.

Accelerated Learning delivers results

Everyone at our training organisation - pearcemayfield - is a great believer in accelerated learning. That is, we aim to provide a training experience that will help adult learners in the most creative, positive and rewarding way.

We are strong advocates of the use of different learning styles to appeal to all types of learner, so our material is rich and varied. It is our desire that everyone has an encounter with our course material that will be fun as well as educational.

We also, of course, want all of our delegates to have their objectives met too. For many people that means that they want to pass their exams, be it PRINCE2, MSP, Change Management or P3O.

Good news this week then, when we have received exam pass rate statistics from the APM group, and heard that:

• Of the top 20 Accredited Training Organisations (ATOs) in PRINCE2, not one of them has a higher pass rate at PRINCE2 Foundation level or at Practitioner level.
• Of the top 10 ATOs in MSP not one of them has a better pass rate at Foundation level, and of the top 5 MSP ATOs no-one has fewer failures at Practitioner level

Accelerated learning is not just fun, it also delivers the results that you want.

"Slash Training at your peril"

Strong words from the UK Commission for Employment and skills in an open letter recently published nationally:

http://www.ukces.org.uk/Default.aspx?page=4659

To quote "Now is precisely the time to keep investing in the skills and talents of our people.  It is the people we employ who will get us through.  When markets are shrinking and order books falling, it is their commitment, productivity and ability to add value that will keep us competitive.  Investing now in building new skills will put us in the strongest position as the economy recovers."

and

"Research shows that companies who don't invest in training are 2½ times more likely to fail than those that do."

There are so many negative messages being pumped out each day by the media about our current situation - they seem to revel in the misery. But we do not have to follow suit.

Investing in training is a positive move and it makes tremendous business sense, whereas slashing training is the slippery slope...

No further comment required

"When times are tough, you should spend more on training, especially in sales and service. The best way to get out of recession is to sell more".

- Mike Southon, Financial Times

I need to see your face ... and you need to see mine

Distance Learning has a great number of benefits - for example it enables learning to take place at the pace of the learner, whenever and wherever the learner wishes it to happen. But there is something that it can never do, something that good, old-fashioned 'classroom' training can do, and do well.

Face to face contact. One human being in the same room as another human being and helping them with their learning experience. It's a benefit of classic 'classroom' training that is difficult, if not impossible, to replicate.

I was reminded of this recently while running a workshop. I had explained an important aspect of the workshop to the group and had covered all the necessary points. Job done - except that it wasn't.

It was clear from the looks on the faces of the group members that all was not well; the important point had not been assimilated, in fact they were more confused than they had been before. No one had spoken, but it was evident from the facial expressions and the body language that I needed to re-visit that training intervention and try again. Which I did, this time successfully.

But it was only by seeing the faces that I knew that it had happened. And it was only through them seeing my face that they knew that I knew it hadn't worked and that I was going to correct it.

Face-to-face contact - you can't beat it!

The ‘Credit Crunch’ – time to develop your staff

To read a brief article about ' Investing in training when the economy is looking shaky' follow this link:

http://www.pearcemayfield.com/resources/article_full.html?id=29&referer=%2Fresources%2Farticles.html