Transition Manager Academy continues

Transition Manager Academy, the comprehensive project management course, is under way. During the sessions students not only had a chance to practice project management tools and techniques, but also discuss and learn the strategic aspects of transition and transformation projects.

There are few approaches that one can take to approach running a project…

• “I don’t need a plan, just a goal. The rest will follow on its own.” ~Gerrard – Magic The Gathering
• “Plans are nothing; planning is everything.” ~General Dwight D. Eisenhower
• “Setting a goal is not the main thing. It is deciding how you will go about achieving it and staying with that plan.” ~Tom Landry

While all of them and probably many more may have their appliances, a few modules of the Transition Manager Academy were dedicated to planning and learning on how to run a successful transition project, based on PMI’s Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) and topping it with a pinch of agility.

Project Management by PMBOK® - Processes, Techniques and Tools was a 3.5 day journey through the life-cycle of the project. The module provided participants with overview of the main project phases and understanding of the processes and gave opportunity to review and test tools and techniques as well as best practices used in managing projects. The module covered all main areas and processes, but focused mainly on the initiation, scope and schedule planning and chosen elements of all other phases of the project lifecycle. Session was very interactive – with students saving the astronauts of Apollo mission, building amazing constructions that could compete with Burj Khalifa – the tallest building in the world, working tirelessly in the Balloon Factory as well as making best of its kind pizzas.

Although agile values are basis for the whole Academy, there was a separate Agile Management session, where students had focused on understanding that agile is a mindset rather than methodology and had opportunity to practice agility by solving the problems in the Airplanes Factory.

Those sessions were delivered by two experienced trainers, Przemysław Kotecki and Michał Rączka. Przemysław is a Global Program Manager in Emerging Businesses department of Global Growth Organization at Thomson Reuters in Dubai, project and program management consultant, business transitions and transformations leader, Effective Consulting founder and lecturer. Michał is a Head of IT Strategy and Project Management at mBank, The Agile Mentor, top influencer in the Project Management Industry, conference speaker, strategic advisor and lecturer. Both are active volunteers.

The final two modules of technical project management part of the PMI Talent Triangle® were Project Cost and Risk Management delivered by Małgorzata Kusyk. Both sessions were based on the Lego Group business case, where except learning general project management knowledge and skills students also focused on strategic aspects of the transformation project. They answered the question why Lego got into difficulties and its rationales for considering outsourcing or offshoring as a solution. Pros and cons of outsourcing versus in-house production and hidden costs and difficulties of outsourcing or offshoring were discussed. The risks behind the outsourcing project were identified and assessed and the appropriate risk response strategies and actions were proposed.

Some comments after the sessions: “Lectures were extremely interesting, engaging and Przemek was very well prepared; Very interactive session delivered in very structured way; Great group works/projects – lets me understand the theory more in action”

Note about the Transition Manager Academy

The Transition Manager Academy is the first comprehensive project management course available in Poland that is based on The PMI Talent Triangle®, which represents the skill set that organisations have defined as crucial for project managers. The programme has been designed by AgilePMO experts and organised by Kozminski University under patronage of the Pro Progressio Foundation, the Association of Business Service Leaders, and the Project Management Institute Poland Chapter.