Developing
Skills for Project Management
Opportunities
abound for growth and improvement in project management through
education and training. Whatever your present level of project
expertise, development can be advanced through increased knowledge
and practice (Bouley, 2007; Fong, 2006). According to Webster’s
Third New International Dictionary, to develop is “to bring out the
capabilities or possibilities of; bring to a more advanced or
effective state” and skills are “abilities or competencies that
can be advanced (developed) by training and exercise”. The two
terms taken together spell taking capabilities to a higher level,
enhancing effectiveness. Demand is increasing for many and varied
project management skills, and to match this need are a variety of
education and training means and methods from which to choose (Zerby,
Price, Cable and Deguire, 2006; Estabrook, 2005; Hildebrand, 2006).
Learning
Learning
activity is linked to individual and organizational performance and
project success (Fretty, 2006; Roecker, 2007). Lifelong learners
achieve compound growth through knowledge/experience seeking habits,
and thus tend to gain competitive advantage over others with similar
aptitudes who do not proactively seek out development opportunities
(Kotter, 1996). Knowledge obsolescence, exacerbated by ever changing
technology and business challenges, calls for constant learning on
the part of all stakeholders. The increased need for learning
capability within an organization in an era of ultra rapid change
calls for life-long learning of current and relevant information
(Gadeken, 1997). Adult learners prefer to learn experientially,
gaining knowledge through the transformation of experience
(Caffarella and Barrett, 2004; Peters and Homer, 1996).
Eagerness
and motivation to learn is tied in to needs; a demand for knowledge
that can be used and applied (McManus, McManus and Williamson, 1994).
Adult Education Specialists (androgogues) stress the necessity of
incorporating “real life” lessons into training and development
programs, the importance of collaborative learning and of
incorporating the adult learner’s needs (Kezsbom, 1992). Flexible
training practices are employed by training facilitators who
appreciate the distinction of teaching self-directing adults who are
seeking knowledge they can put to use (Knowles, 1988; Lambert, 1984).
Development
Methods
Project
managers tend to develop skills through experiential learning,
through observation and mentoring for the most part, learning many
necessary skills on the job (Carbone and Gholston, 2004; Happ and
Müller-Wenzke, 2005; Thamhain, 1991). A study by Hans Thamhain
depicts the following distribution of skill acquisition methods among
project managers (Thamhain, 1991):
In
addition, a PMI poll featured in the December 2007 issue of PM
Network® reports that 24% of project management training
provided by firms is "on-the-job", followed by mentoring
(18%), in-house meetings and lectures (16%), seminars, conferences
and self-study (15%) and professional courses or school (12%)
(Training Day, 2007).
Although
experiential learning heads the lists above, a combination of
methods, selected with the learner’s needs and environment in mind,
is likeliest to bring about optimal results (Kezsbom and Donnelly,
1992; Meloni, 2005; Shaw, 2004; Ward, 1999). The plethora of learning
opportunities include formal education provided by educational
institutions, degree programs, self directed learning, training
companies providing workshops, in-house training or self-paced study
products, professional conferences and seminars, mentoring, and
gaming and simulation (Carbone, 2006; Estabrook, 2005; Ferraro,
2005).
Last
year it was found that more than 160 of the world's educational
institutions offer advanced degrees in project management, with many
others offering classes in project management topics (Whitemyer,
2007). A variety of learning mediums are available as well and may be
‘blended’, that is to say a mixture of mediums such as virtual
(e-trainer), e-learning, teleconferencing, DVD, CD, Web, live
classroom, chat classroom, or correspondence courses to name a few.
Factors that will determine which mediums or modalities to utilize
include an analysis of knowledge and skill needs within a given
project or institutional framework, selection of available
development tools and methods, while personal choices will tend to be
made by way of learning preferences such as face to face learning,
time factors, geographical and access issues (Martin, 2000; Price,
2004).
Formal
education and training courses provided by training professionals
offer guided curriculums, accreditation, degrees and certifications,
(Logue, 2005; Turner and Huemann, 2000).
Gaming/simulation
and role playing abstract lessons from real work-a-day issues,
situations and scenarios so that participants can make choices and
learn from mistakes free from costs of actual mistakes to team or
company (Gadeken, 1997; Lush and Blanksma, 1995; Peters and Homer,
1996; Tsuchiya and Yashiro, 2001).
Mentoring
allows for peer to peer transfer of experience, coaching and
personal, directed feedback (Gumaer, 1999; Ludwig, 2007; Somani,
2005; Tamarikin, 2008; Whitten, 2008).
Self-paced
courses and training products, in addition to professional and trade
literature are available in a variety of mediums, and allow for
learning at one’s own pace (Gale, 2003).
Workshops,
Conferences, Seminars as intensive learning programs cover much
material in a concentrated space of time, delivering pertinent
professional material (Lambert, 1984).
Value,
Benefits of Training
The
benefits of training can be observed qualitatively and quantitatively
(Gekoski, 1999;
Kerzner,
2000; McManus, McManus and Williamson, 1994; Wagenstein, 2006;
Warshauer, 2004). Demand and growth for training is increasing
(Pappas, 2005; Zerby, Price, Cable and Deguire, 2006) Gaining
executive support can be achieved by illustrating that training and
education is an investment as opposed to an expense (Young, 2006).
When education and training are aligned to business goals and
organizational strategic objectives, “learning becomes an ecosystem
that touches all other aspects of business” (Wagenstein, 2006).
Practice
Makes Perfect
Practicing
skills, knowledge and methods gained from training and education on a
regular basis will help in transferring the skills developed to the
work environment (Diniz, 1997, Dye 2007). Management can facilitate
the transfer of learned skills to the workplace by providing
appropriate support mechanisms (Diniz, 1997, Dye 2007; Martin, 2008).
Sustained transfer of learning requires habitual performance of newly
learned skills, putting freshly acquired knowledge to work so that
training is retained (Borgianini, 1998; Lambert, 1984).
Keep
up the good work!
Web-site links
ITToolbox - A Comparison of Multimedia
Courseware and Classroom-Based Instruction By
Craig Borysowich (2005)
http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/enterprise-solutions/a-comparison-of-multimedia-courseware-and-classroombasedinstruction-
6381 (accessed
12/30/08)
Vienna University of Economics and Business
Administration - CURRENT AND FUTURE TRENDS IN THE
EDUCATION IN PROJECT MANAGER By J. Rodney
Turner and Mag Martina Huemann
http://www.wu-wien.ac.at/pmg_eng/publications/trends.pdf
(accessed 12/29/08)
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