Personal Skills for Professional Excellence

Frequently Asked Questions

What is this course about? This course is about how to be effective as in individual and in working with others to achieve the results you want. The course does not lay down a one-size-fits-all model of effectiveness. Rather, it provides opportunities to identify how you can make the best use of your talents and aptitudes and minimize the impact of the areas in which you are weaker. All managers face stress, often caused by difficult relationships. All managers have to process and present information. All managers have to manage their time effectively. This course gives you the skills you need to deal with the real practical problems that all managers face every day. Why are high personal performance skills important? When surveyed, subordinates repeatedly value "being well-organized" as an important quality in their managers. This course helps you develop your own methods for keeping on top of your job, which then gives you time for helping your people keep on top of their jobs, too. In today's flexibly managed organizations, people are being given more responsibility and are able to use their initiative more. That makes effective personal performance skills even more important. How practical is the course? The course is intensely practical. There is a little bit of theory; we need to explain such concepts as aptitudes and intelligence and how they influence relationships. Most of the course is very practical, with exercises, questionnaires and workshops to bring out the various points. You are able to apply what you learn right away-maybe even on the Saturday right after the course because the time management section covers how you manage yourself outside of work, too! What background do I need? There are no formal requirements for this course. A willingness to learn about yourself and work with others is an advantage. Who will benefit from this course? This course benefits those who want to learn about how they can be more personally effective in general, as well as those who are looking for specific skills, such as time management, presentation skills and decision-making. The course is designed for managers at all levels of organizations. New managers need a framework to understand what it is they are doing, and to handle the stress of the new challenge. The responsibility and isolation of their positions cause stress for experienced managers. Both new and experienced managers need to be able to plan and manage their time effectively, and work productively with others. The course gives them the opportunity to do it. How much time is spent on each topic? Content Hours Organizing and goal setting techniques 4.5 How to manage your relationships effectively 4.0 Developing a personal effectiveness model 3.0 Networking and political skills 3.0 Effective meeting skills 2.0 Communicating effectively and making a business case 3.5 Planning and writing effective e-mails and reports 3.0 Times, including the workshops, are estimates; exact times may vary according to the needs of each class. Which management skills are covered in the course? We cover a number of important skills that form a set of attributes that enhance the performance of any manager: Organization and goal setting techniques-One of the most important skills of a manager. The course shows you how to plan for the present and the future and how to re-plan when things change. Managing your relationships effectively-We all work with other people in some way. This course shows you how to improve your understanding of the people you work with so that everyone benefits from better working relationships. Developing a personal effectiveness model-Effectiveness is personal, so understanding your strengths is an important foundation for building your own unique model of how you can be most effective. Information handling skills-How to get the information you need to be successful. Knowledge is power and this course shows you how to get the information you need and who to give it to. Handling meetings-Meetings are expensive and they take time. The course helps you organize and run meetings that achieve the required results effectively. Preparing and presenting a business case-Making a case for change is very important. This course takes you through the steps needed to prepare and present your case, as a report and a presentation. Each participant makes a short presentation. But first you learn how to map out a successful presentation plan since preparation is the foundation of confidence. Is this course applicable to a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification? Yes. Although this course is not designed as preparation for the exam, it is beneficial to anyone working toward PMI's PMP certification. For those who are currently certified, completion of this course counts as 23 professional development units (60 units must be completed every three years to maintain certification). For more details, please see the Learning Tree PMI Registered Education Provider Q&A. If you are an experienced project manager intending to take the PMP exam, you should take Course 276, Preparing for the Project Management Professional (PMP®) Exam. In this course you learn essential PMBOK® Guide - Third Edition terminology, tools and techniques. You gain practical test-taking experience through PMI-style practice exams and create your own personal study plan for continued use after the course. How does this course relate to other Learning Tree courses? While the emphasis of this course is on managing your own working life, Learning Tree offers other courses in communication, management and planning. These include: 290, Management Skills provides new and experienced managers with the practical skills needed to lead effective teams of technical professionals 292, Communication Skills: Results Through Collaboration emphasizes specific tools and techniques for improving listening skills, delivering effective messages and bridging different communication styles 294, Influence Skills: Getting Results Without Direct Authority focuses on the specific behaviors and attitudes that enable you to achieve desired results without relying on the use of authority 246, Managing Information Overload: Techniques for Working Smarter provides the skills needed to process fast-paced information to develop a competitive edge. 299, Microsoft® Project: A Comprehensive Hands-On Introduction offers experience with using Project 2002 to plan, budget and run projects, schedule resources, optimize project plans, track and analyze project progress and create status reports 219, Hands-On Business and Report Writing: The Art of Persuasion offers the skills to create more effective business documents and reports

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