Program format:
- 8 months of curriculum and support plus four months of coaching
- 3 hrs virtual training sessions and 2 hrs virtual coaching and support each week
- Simulation training and role playing (Tiny Bio/Eleven project)
- Practical workshops plus essential & management skill building for the whole team
Program length:
8 months
(optional 4 mos coaching add-on)
Number of sessions:
27
Total training hours:
169
Instructors:
Class capacity:
6
Evaluation: (3)
Self assessment, formative assessment, skills assessment
Certificate upon successful completion:
Louder Than Ten Certified Digital Project Lead
Curriculum outline
Module 1: Intro to your apprenticeship
The format, outcomes, and expectations for training and a high-level description of the project management role and skillset.
Learning objectives
Students will learn:
- Function of goal setting
- Setting up appropriate learning environment and PM foundations
- Essential skills for immediate impact (writing/editing/listening/process review)
- Why and how digital is different
- Core vocabulary
Outcomes
- Knowledge and skills assessment
- Anticipated reading/professional development schedule (organized by apprentices)
Module 2: You, your organization, and your team
Learn about your immediate role as a project coordinator while you’re learning, become familiar with you and your organization’s goals and processes, and contextualize roles on your team.
Learning objectives
Students will learn:
- Documenting key metrics at the organizational level
- How to set personal and organizational goals and KPIs
- The role of the project management coordinator
- Variability of roles and titles on your team
- Core vocabulary
Outcomes
- Personal goals & KPIs
- Documented organizational metrics and goals
- A supportive ally within your org
Module 3: Sales and project intake
The sales & vetting process for stakeholders and projects.
Learning objectives
Students will learn:
- Exploring the project vetting (and sales) cycle in client services
- Evaluating client success and project fit
- Identifying red flags in incoming projects
- How to setup successful transition meetings
- Tiny Bio brief and sales assessment simulation
Outcomes
- Documenting your org’s sales or vetting cycle
- A work in progress ‘client alignment matrix’ for active clients in your org
- Practice managing tough conversations during the sales process
Module 4: Stakeholder onboarding and setup
How to transition a project from sales to project start, onboard your stakeholders, and organize your team.
Learning objectives
Students will learn:
- Setting the pace and tone of projects
- How to onboard internal and external stakeholders successfully
- How to minimize pitfalls in the transition between project ideation and official start
- Project team roles and functions
- Eleven team characteristics simulation assessment
Outcomes
- Stakeholder onboarding checklist
- Initial welcome email to new project stakeholders
Module 5: People, roles, and personalities
How the PM role intersects with stakeholders and their quirks.
Learning objectives
Students will learn:
- Roles of internal and external stakeholders
- Communication styles
- Identification and management of team risk
- The pillars of project management
- Tiny Bio stakeholder buy-in and alignment simulation
Outcomes
- RACI matrix
- Empathy map
- Developing your project management persona
- Simulation: scripts to deal with tough Tiny Bio personalities
Module 6: People skills and team building
How to champion your team and unpack limiting beliefs.
Learning objectives
Students will learn:
- How limiting beliefs impact your project management approach and how to challenge them
- How to cultivate emotional intelligence and empathy for project stakeholders
- How to prioritize and manage tough conversations
- How to build a stronger, more unified team
Outcomes
- Limiting beliefs workshop
- A plan to handle tough conversations with Tiny Bio stakeholders
Module 7: Discovery, research, and communication plan
How to lead an amazing kickoff, facilitate good research, and assemble a solid communication plan.
Learning objectives
Students will learn:
- The implementation process for a successful discovery phase (and its related value)
- How to run a great project kickoff
- The role and function of research and how to support it
- The key to writing a solid communication plan
Outcomes
- Discovery checklist
- Completing a communication plan
- Documenting project assumptions
Module 8: Effortless collaboration
How to execute productive planning sessions, check-ins, retrospectives, and updates.
Learning objectives
Students will learn:
- The process of planning, facilitating and implementing useful meetings
- How to foster healthy and meaningful retrospectives
- How to make space and build in team check-ins
- Useful tips for managing project updates and reviews
Outcomes
- Refinements to current meeting and retrospective processes
- Scripts for handling difficult meeting participants
Module 9: Project plans and other docs
A first-principles approach to lock down your scope and expectations.
Learning objectives
Students will learn:
- The function, format, and purpose of project plans
- How lean documentation can support project scope
- The role and application of Statement of Work documents
- Common pitfalls to avoid in documentation
Outcomes
- Presentation of Tiny Bio project plan
- Project plan refinements at your organization
Module 10: Setting your prices
Different types of rates and prices, when to use them, and how to set them.
Learning objectives
Students will learn:
- How organizations make and spend money (allocations, revenue, cash flow)
- How revenue and expenses cycles affect forecasting
- How project leads can support smoother cash flow
- How project health impacts company health
- How to set appropriate rates and budgets for internal and client-facing organizations
Outcomes
- Rate card calculations for your organization
- Setting Eleven’s target rates during simulation
Module 11: Intro to project scoping
How to define, simplify, and control the requirements that make up your project.
Learning objectives
Students will learn:
- The importance and function of scope
- How to scope projects using different approaches
- How to avoid the pitfalls of scoping
Outcomes
- Scoping exercise: Renovate your kitchen
- Tiny Bio scoping simulation
- Choosing project plan format
Module 12: The art of prioritization
How to laser focus your time, and prioritize projects and tasks.
Learning objectives
Students will learn:
- The true meaning of value for our stakeholder audiences
- How to prioritize impact vs effort
- How to prioritize importance vs urgency
- Tweaking personal and team productivity
- The role and function of Minimum Valuable Products
Outcomes
- Setting a weekly team schedule
- Prioritizing projects within your organization
- Prioritizing Tiny Bio’s Minimum Valuable Product
Module 13: Managing scope creep
Turn your best worst enemy into project gold.
Learning objectives
Students will learn:
- How to identify and classify various types of scope creep
- How to triage and treat scope creep
- How to turn scope creep into future phases and better stakeholder relationships
- Ways to reduce and prevent harmful scope creep
Outcomes
- Practical scripts for dealing with scope creep
- Scope creep reduction plan for your organization
Module 14: Waterfall methodology and the Lean approach
How dependencies and lean principles impact your project.
Learning objectives
Students will learn:
- Waterfall methodology: what it’s for, when to use it, what to watch out for
- Lean approach: what it’s for, how to use it best, when to be less Lean
- Common pitfalls of Waterfall and Lean and how to avoid them
Outcomes
- Evaluate and refine your organization’s approach to projects
Module 15: Agile, Kanban, and hybrid
How flexible planning and iterative development impact your project.
Learning objectives
Students will learn:
- Epics, user stories, sprints, and positioning in Agile
- How and when to blend the best of Waterfall and Agile into Agifall
- How to limit works in progress with Kanban
- How to avoid common pitfalls in Agile, Agifall, and Kanban
Outcomes
- Refined user stories for Tiny Bio’s projects
- Rewrite tasks for your organization’s projects
Module 16: Estimating projects
How to apply smart estimates and useful ranges in project management.
Learning objectives
Students will learn:
- The similarities and differences between estimating techniques like Monte Carlo, PERT, Rolling Wave, Double-Blind, and Three-Point estimating techniques
- How to estimate project scope using multiple techniques including planning poker
- How to avoid the pitfalls of poor estimation
Outcomes
- Planning poker practice
- Double-blind estimates for Tiny Bio projects
Module 17: Risks & red flags
The ins and outs of mitigating risk, recognizing red flags, and applying modifiers to your projects.
Learning objectives
Students will learn:
- How to recognize red flags that indicate probable risk
- Identifying and analyzing positive and negative risk
- How to create a system for red flag assessment and treatment
- How to avoid common red flags with internal and external stakeholders
- Scripts for handling tough red flags
- How red flags impact project estimates
Outcomes
- Design non-negotiable red flag criteria for your organization
- Create a risk assessment and mitigation strategy for Tiny Bio’s projects
Module 18: Project scheduling
Intuitive schedules, time boxing, calendars, and deadlines.
Learning objectives
Students will learn:
- How to build adaptable schedules for different kinds of projects
- How Gantt charts, calendars, and milestones can drive a project forward or stall it out
- How to use your scope and stakeholder needs to build in proper buffers and reviews
- How time boxing can help you manage project profitability
- Ways to negotiate additional time for schedules
Outcomes
- Build a useful Gantt chart for both Waterfall and Agile managed practice projects
- Practice tough conversations around managing timelines and resetting expectations
- Review current and future schedules and adjust accordingly within your organization
Module 19: Resourcing and capacity management
How to plan for the right people, doing the right amount of work, at the right times.
Learning objectives
Students will learn:
- How to allocate, plan, and buffer resources, materials, and equipment for your projects
- How to assess stakeholder and contractor availability and involvement
- How to source and work with contractor talent
- How to set up optimal capacity across multiple project teams
Outcomes
- Resourcing and capacity plan for Tiny Bio
- Resourcing and capacity review of your own projects
Module 20: Managing changes
Documenting feedback, requests, approvals, and guiding turnarounds.
Learning objectives
Students will learn:
- How to plan, pace, and respond to team and stakeholder feedback
- How to automate and simplify the approval process
- Useful ways to document and track feedback and approvals
Outcomes
- Checklists and guides for managing changes
- Responses to feedback on Tiny Bio projects
Module 21: Minding project metrics
The important project numbers, graphs, and data you need to monitor.
Learning objectives
Students will learn:
- How to monitor burn rates, resources, KPIs, and staff retention
- How to stay on top of changes and outcomes
- Ways to automate and simplify reviews and approvals
Outcomes
- Optimization of your organization’s metrics and data systems
- A useful system for monitoring Tiny Bio’s metrics
Session 22: Maintenance and future phases
The process and agreements required for long-term relationships.
Learning objectives
Students will learn:
- How to cultivate positive long term partnerships
- How to plan for an effective launch
- How to set up a successful maintenance plan and future phases
- How to build in proper testing and proper quality assurance
Outcomes
- Maintenance or future phase plan for Tiny Bio
- Template for maintenance agreements
Module 23: Future of PM
What’s next for project leads and how to make the most of your learning.
Learning objectives
Students will learn:
- Areas of focus for future professional development
- Review of major concepts
- How to transition to a full project load
- The growth path of project managers
- How technology impacts project management’s future
Outcomes
- Final reflective essay
- Updated skills assessment
- Updated KPIs and goals
Module 24: Project plan presentations
Finesse your PM presentation skills and delivery.
Learning objectives
Students will learn:
- How to selectively present and share data
- How to improve tone and delivery
- How to anticipate audience needs
Outcomes
- Self and peer assessment
- Final project plan assignment
Coaching continues throughout the program. Four months of additional coaching can be added after curriculum completion.