Imagine trying to control the unexpected and unpredictable through processes in such a way that you meet the cost, quality, and time expectations of all invested parties in order to accomplish a temporary endeavor. This is the mission of project management. Challenging? Yes. Impossible? No. All industries employ project managers to implement processes as a way to control business. In fact, the field of project management is rapidly expanding, as more companies become project-based organizations. However, not all organizations and industries manage projects well. Some continue to waste time, money, and resources even after establishing procedures and protocols. A 1995 Standish Group survey showed that only 16 percent of software development projects finished on time and under budget, 31 percent were canceled, and the remaining 53 percent overran by an average of 189 percent on cost and 222 percent on schedule. This predicament is a source of frustration for many organizations. It's not impossible to fulfill the mission of project management. Some companies are even good at it. With standards and best practices to follow and the know-how to incorporate these, organizations can offer "world class" project management. In this course, learners will be given an overview of the project management discipline. They'll be introduced to best practices outlined in the 2004 revised Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®) Guide published by the Project Management Institute (PMI®). Specifically, learners will be introduced to the characteristics of a project, learn to distinguish between projects and operations, and define progressive elaboration. They'll identify key project management concepts and terms, be introduced to the PMBOK® Knowledge Areas, and be given information about the variables that can influence project outcomes. This course provides a foundational knowledge base reflecting the most up-to-date project management information so learners can effectively put principles to work at their own organizations. This course will assist in preparing the learner for the PMBOK® certification exam. This course is aligned with "A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge" (PMBOK® Guide) - Third Edition, published by the Project Management Institute (PMI®), Inc., 2004. Copyright and all rights reserved. Material from this publication has been reproduced with the permission of PMI®.

Solving problems and making decisions are two of the most important aspects of any job. This course is designed to provide you with the foundations required for successful problem-solving. Two keys to successful problem-solving are your ability to assess your own level of decisiveness and building your problem-solving skills. This course gives you the tools you need to tackle work problems, providing both a conceptual and practical foundation for successful problem-solving.

You didn't volunteer for the job, but they have made you a team leader. Congratulations. Now what should you do? You might start by examining your leadership style. Then consider the times when you'll need to take control and the other times--the majority of the time--when you need to fade into the background and allow the competent members of your team to lead themselves. After all, you're not the manager, just the leader. Leadership involves a complicated set of skills. First, you'll need to have the people skills to encourage teamwork and build team spirit. You'll also need to be able to guide the team, that was formed to accomplish a particular task, to manage that task. Another part of your job may be to facilitate meetings. You need to know how to put your team members' time to its best use--how to keep meetings short and effective. Discover how to be an effective team leader in Improving your Leadership Skills.