An individual new to project management, or one who has experienced a failure or two in the past, can develop new skills through a project management workshop. Hearing new ideas from a qualified instructor and trading "been there, done that" stories can release a lot of tension and anxiety, as well as turn on light bulbs for greater success next time. Coordinating team members who bring different backgrounds, education and personalities to the table can be a challenge or a nightmare.

Basic principles and critical factors for success can't be ignored, if a project is to be completed, let alone come in on time. For example, you must know that designers and programmers don't and usually can't work 9 to 5, unless they're just monitoring the rest of the team, or it's their turn to meet with the technical writers. When those guys get on a roll with subroutines, they can't let go of it until that one subroutine is finished, or the sub-subroutines that are called by it all test properly. Debugging, in particular, generally requires working late into the night when things are quiet and distractions are either non-existent or have become white noise to them. If you need them in the meeting, plan well ahead, unless you want to deal with Worf.

Most project management workshops provide manuals with templates and grids, maybe examples of Gantt charts, along with workbooks to be written in. A good class will cover principles, not specific software tools, and will clearly indicate where you'll benefit from a complex program and where you'll just get buried keeping the reports up to date. The latter is a waste of time you won't be able to afford.

More Indicators of a Good Project Management Workshop

Other members of the team will need people skills. Definition of project scope, assigning roles and responsibilities, follow-up rules, conflict resolution, ethics, time management, communication, risk recognition, and much more will be covered. A lifetime of networking contacts, or research, can bring you the best resources to teach you.