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Table of Contents

WELCOME TO DELIVERING@PMI ................................................................................................................. 4

ENTRY TICKET 1 ............................................................................................................................................ 7

Week 1: Personal values, behavioral styles & learning styles ....................................................................................... 7

Activity 1.1: What are your personal values? (15-20 min) ............................................................................................ 7

Activity 1.2: What is your preferred behavioral style? (15-20 min) ............................................................................ 10

Activity 1.3: What is your preferred learning style? (15-20 min) ................................................................................ 15

Week 2: Personal SWOT analysis & Learning@PMI .................................................................................................... 20

Activity 2.1: Perform a personal SWOT analysis (30-40 min) ...................................................................................... 20

Activity 2.2: Find opportunities to learn (20 min) ....................................................................................................... 23

Week 3: Communication, listening & feedback .......................................................................................................... 29

Activity 3.1: How to communicate effectively? (15 min) ............................................................................................ 29

Activity 3.2: How to listen actively? (15 min) .............................................................................................................. 33

Activity 3.3: How to seek & provide useful feedback? (15 min) ................................................................................. 35

Activity 3.4: Online quiz (10-15 min) ........................................................................................................................... 37

WORKSHOP 1 .............................................................................................................................................. 38

ENTRY TICKET 2 ........................................................................................................................................... 39

Week 1: Critical thinking & problem solving ............................................................................................................... 40

Activity 1.2: How to solve problems effectively? (30 min) .......................................................................................... 41

Week 2: Time management ........................................................................................................................................ 48

Activity 2.1: How to manage your priorities? (10 min) ............................................................................................... 48

Activity 2.2: How to manage your time effectively? (20 min) ..................................................................................... 50

Activity 1.1: How to think critically? (10 min) ....................................................................................................... 39

Activity 2.3: How to run effective meetings? (10 min) .......................................................................................... 53

Week 3: Change & stress management ................................................................................................................ 55

Activity 3.1: How to deal with change? (25 min)................................................................................................... 55

Activity 3.2: How to cope with stress? (10 min) .................................................................................................... 63

Activity 3.3: Online quiz (15-20 min) ..................................................................................................................... 66

Week 4: Prepare your group presentation ............................................................................................................ 67

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE ‘CRITICAL THINKING’ GROUP ......................................................................................... 68

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INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE ‘PROBLEM SOLVING’ GROUP ........................................................................................... 69

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE ‘TIME MANAGEMENT’ GROUP .........................................................................................70

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE ‘CHANGE MANAGEMENT’ GROUP .................................................................................. 71

WORKSHOP 2 ...................................................................................................................................72

FOLLOW-UP .......................................................................................................................... .......... 73

Final assessment & pass it on! ................................................................................................................................ 73

Commitment board & ice bucket challenge ........................................................................................................... 73

Evaluation with you and your manager .................................................................................................................. 73

Additional resources ............................................................................................................................................... 74

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WELCOME TO DELIVERING@PMI

The Delivering@PMI learning journey has been designed for PMI employees at the MANAGE

SELF career stage.

The overall objectives are to:

• Support your integration into the PMI workplace

• Increase your personal effectiveness which will allow you to deliver results as quickly

as possible

• Start to develop the 7 key behaviors which are needed for a successful career at PMI

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WELCOME TO DELIVERING@PMI

The learning journey is split into 5 phases.

PHASE 1 PHASE 2 PHASE 3 PHASE 4 PHASE 5

ENTRY TICKET 1

(1h/week)

WORKSHOP 1

(1.5 days)

ENTRY TICKET 2

(1h/week)

WORKSHOP 2

(1.5 days)

FOLLOW-UP

(….3 months)

WEEK 1

Personal values, behavioral styles & learning styles

WEEK 2

Personal SWOT analysis & Learning@PMI

WEEK 3

Communication, listening & feedback

(including quiz 1)

DAY 1

• Understanding

ourselves

• Learning@PMI • Working with

others

DAY 2 (half-day)

• Clear

communication

• Active listening • Useful feedback

WEEK 1

Critical thinking & problem solving

WEEK 2

Time management

WEEK 3

Change & stress management

(including quiz 2)

WEEK 4

Group presentation

preparation

DAY 1

• Critical thinking • Problem solving • Time management

• Effective

meetings • Change & stress

management

DAY 2 (half-day)

• Start leading • Grow your

network

Level 1 Evaluation (EE)

• Pass it on! • Commitment

board & ice

bucket challenge

• Level 2 Evaluation (EE) • Level 3 Evaluation (EE &

Mgr) • Additional

resources

• Certification

During the 3 weeks prior to WORKSHOP 1, all participants are expected to prepare. The

estimated duration of this phase is 3 hours. In order to best digest and reflect upon the

content, we recommend you spend 1h per week. However, you can also decide to follow your

own rhythm, according to your work schedule and preferred learning style. We have included

the entire reading for the program in case you are a learner who wants to read ahead!

You must always complete your ENTRY TICKET work in order to attend the subsequent

WORKSHOP. The ENTRY TICKET includes reading plus a quiz, but keep in mind that the

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better prepared you are for the workshop, the more you will get out of it. Moreover, the trainer

and your colleagues will be expecting you to be prepared as well.

Please refer to the ENTRY TICKET 1 section of this workbook to learn what we expect from

you during this first phase. If you attend WORKSHOP 1, we will assume that you covered

everything in this section. For those of you who registered late, please start preparing as soon

as possible in order to catch up with the others. You must complete your ENTRY TICKET as

well.

Each WORKSHOP lasts 1.5 days. For ENTRY TICKET 2, you are expected to build on what

you have learned so far and prepare for WORKSHOP 2. Again, this phase is mandatory and

requires approximately 4 hours of work (reading plus a group presentation). There is a

FOLLOW-UP phase, during which you will be given the opportunity to apply what you have

learned.

We trust you will enjoy this learning journey! The Delivering@PMI team

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ENTRY TICKET 1

Week 1: Personal values, behavioral styles & learning styles

Throughout life, we interact with others on a daily basis. In our personal lives, these people

may be family and friends. In our professional lives, they may be colleagues, supervisors,

customers, suppliers, etc. A key factor which determines how well we interact with them is

how well we understand them. However, before we can really understand others, we must

first understand ourselves. Have you ever taken the time to identify:

• Your personal values?

• Your preferred behavioral style?

• Your preferred learning style?

Understanding who we are, what we want from our lives and careers, being able to manage

our emotions and behaviors – all these skills are related to what we call Emotional

Intelligence (EI). Research has shown that people with higher levels of EI are generally more

successful in life and often have more productive and rewarding careers.

Activity 1.1: What are your personal values? (15-20 min)

Our personal values define the things that are important to us. They influence our behaviors

and provide a starting point for the decisions that we make during our lives. These values can

have such a profound effect on us that it is possible to identify someone’s values by just

observing their behavior.

Within the wide range of values that we have, a small number of them will be even more

important to us than all of the others; these ‘core values’ will form the basis of the guiding

principles for our lives.

As we move through the different phases of our lives, our values may change as our priorities

in life change. These changes in values are often triggered by events which have a major

impact on our lives or careers, such as getting married, having children or even a work

promotion. These personal changes can take time to become fully embedded, and it is not

uncommon for people to have problems making these changes, particularly when our core

values are involved.

As we go about our daily lives, we will often encounter other people that have different values;

occasionally their values will be in conflict with our own and this may lead to disagreement or

friction. We may also be asked to do things at work that conflict with our own values, which

can lead to personal discomfort or unhappiness.

Whenever we are faced with situations where our values are being challenged by someone

else, it is often good to discuss the situation with someone, perhaps even the other person, to

resolve any issues as quickly as possible and find a common way to move forward.

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Step 1: Identify your personal values

Go through the following list and highlight between 10 and 12 values that reflect what is

important to you. Some words are similar, so carefully choose the ones that best describe

what is really important to you. Do add other values, which do not appear on the list, if you

feel they more accurately reflect who you are.

Adventure Diversity Happiness Money Sacrifice

Affection Duty Harmony Morality Safety

Authenticity Education Health Nature Sanctuary

Autonomy Effectiveness Home Openness Security

Balance Efficiency Honesty Optimism Self-Esteem

Beauty Empathy Honor Order Serenity

Caring Empowerment Humanity Partnership Service

Challenge Enlightenment Humility Passion Sharing

Change Enthusiasm Humor Patience Simplicity

Collaboration Environment Imagination Patience Sincerity

Communication Equality Independence Peace Spirituality

Community Ethical Individuality Perfection Stability

Compassion Excellence Influence Perseverance Status

Competence Excitement Initiative Pleasure Strength

Competition Expertise Innovation Positivity Success

Connectedness Fairness Integrity Power Tact

Consensus Faith Involvement Privacy Teamwork

Conviction Fame Joy Productivity Tolerance

Cooperation Family Justice Professionalism Tradition

Courage Fidelity Kindness Prosperity Trust

Courtesy Flexibility Knowledge Purpose Truth

Creativity Forgiveness Leadership Quality Understanding

Curiosity Freedom Learning Recognition Variety

Decisiveness Friendship Life Relationships Vision

Dedication Fun Love Reliability Wisdom

Democracy Generosity Loyalty Religion

Development Goodness Meaning Resilience

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Dignity Gratitude Mercy Respect

Diligence Greatness Merit Responsibility

Discipline Growth Modesty Risk-Taking

Step 2: Identify your core values

Once you’ve identified your values, narrow the list down to your top 3 to 6 values and rank

them in order of importance in the table below.

MY CORE VALUES

1 4

2

3

5

6

If you have problems identifying which values are most important to you, it might be useful to

ask yourself the following questions:

• What would happen if value X was NOT important to me?

• If value X was more important to me than value Y, what would happen?

• What needs to happen to make value X more important to me than value Y?

• Are any of your personal values more important?

o For your relationships with certain groups of people (such as family or friends)?

o For certain parts of your activities (such as personal/out-of-work or work-based)?

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In summary:

• Our personal values are very important as they drive our behavior.

• Our core values change as we encounter life-changing events and integrating these new

core values can take time.

• Conflict can occur if our values are challenged; work to resolve any conflict as soon as

possible. • Being aware of other people’s values can help to better understand and

collaborate with them and be more inclusive; respect any differences that there may be

between you and others.

• Being aware of how different situations interact with our personal values can help

reduce internal stress and minimize the impact on our performance.

Activity 1.2: What is your preferred behavioral style? (15-20 min)

We all have preferred ways of behaving, which are driven by our personal values and career

aspirations. These preferred behaviors are typically more natural and easier for us to use and

contribute to the results and outcomes that we get in life.

Whilst there are many positive aspects associated with the behaviors that we use on a day to

day basis, there is also real potential that these behaviors, if overused or used

inappropriately, could also limit our performance. The key here is to proactively look at the

results that we get from using these behaviors and modify what we do if we need to get

different results.

In order to identify preferred styles of behaving, PMI has developed a framework based on the

work of Dr Katherine Benziger, called the PAIR model.

The PAIR model looks at 4 preferred styles of behavior:

• P – Process

• A – Analytical

• I – Intuitive

• R – Relationship

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Step 1: Read about the PAIR behavioral styles

Go through the following descriptions of the PAIR behavioral styles.

PROCESS

Others appreciate these strengths:

• Focus on processes, procedures and operating principles

• The ability to create detailed plans and records

• Reliability and ability to get the job done

• Relentless pursuit of quality and accuracy

• A neat, tidy and ordered approach to work

• Consistency and high standards

• Attention to detail

• The ability to spot mistakes, flaws and find faults

When you overuse these strengths, others may perceive you as:

• Bureaucratic & inflexible because of your focus on following processes

• Pessimistic and critical of others because of your ability to spot flaws and faults in

things and your questioning way of gathering more detail

• A perfectionist because of your focus on detail and accuracy

This frustrates you:

• Disorganized working practices

• Carelessness and a lack of attention to detail

• Ambiguity and unclear instructions or guidelines

• A lack of closure

ANALYTICAL

Others appreciate these strengths:

• Your analytical and data orientated approach to solving problems

• Logical and rational thinking practices

• The ability to focus on facts

• Precise appreciation and measurement of a situation

• The ability to understand technical concepts

• Your focus on results and achievements

• The ability to deal with situations in a cool, calm and collected manner

• A clear concise communication style – direct and to the point

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When you overuse these strengths, others may perceive you as:

• Not comfortable dealing with people issues

• Uncomfortable dealing with ambiguity

• Not naturally creative or innovative

• Unemotional and difficult to read

This frustrates you:

• Inefficient use of time and resources, too much talking and going off track

• Overly-emotional people

• Lack of information and inaccurate information

• Poorly structured proposals, arguments, suggestions and ideas

INTUITIVE

Others appreciate these strengths:

• A focus on creativity and innovation

• A curious and imaginative approach to life

• Big picture focus

• The ability to recognizes patterns and possibilities

• The ability to tolerate ambiguity

• An enthusiastic and energetic approach to life

• Expressive and not afraid to play it safe

• The ability to integrate and synthesize ideas and concepts

When you overuse these strengths, others may perceive you as:

• Too high level or conceptual

• Too ‘wacky’ or ‘off the wall’

• Easily bored, often failing to finish what they start Inattentive to detail

This frustrates you:

• A lack of flexibility, too much doing things ‘by the book’

• Too much detail

• Structure, predictability and a lack of flexibility

• Playing it safe and moving too slowly

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RELATIONSHIP

Others appreciate these strengths:

• A strong focus on people and relationships

• Empathic and considerate of others

• A warm and friendly approach

• Sensitive

• Like harmony and collaboration

• Caring and compassionate

• The ability to collaborate and share with others

• Good networking skills

When you overuse these strengths, others may perceive you as:

• Over-emotional and easily hurt

• Unable to make a decision without gaining consensus with others

• Having difficulty challenging and confronting others

• Finding it difficult to say ‘NO’

This frustrates you:

• Lack of respect for others

• Confrontation and hostility in the workplace

• Overly direct and critical colleagues

• Lack of focus on the people aspects of work and business

Step 2: Which PAIR behaviors do you use and how often?

Complete the following table by indicating the order in which you use the PAIR behaviors and

approximately how often, during a normal day, do you use each of them.

Behavior 1 2 3 4

Amount of use

(total = 100%) % % % %

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Step 3: What does your preferred style allow you to do well?

Give examples:

Step 4: Which behaviors from other less preferred styles might be useful when working

with others?

Give examples:

In summary:

• We all have a preferred way of behaving.

• These preferred ways can be really powerful when used correctly, but can diminish our

performance if overused or used inappropriately.

• The ability to flex your behavioral style to match other styles will allow you to build rapport

quicker with others, communicate and collaborate better with them.

This material has been amended from content retrieved from [www.businessballs.com/ benzigerpersonalityassessment.htm], [2013] and is based on the original work of Dr Katherine

Benziger. Alan Chapman/the author(s)/Businessballs accepts no liability for any issues arising. Original concepts are copyright of Katherine Benziger 1989-2010, further information relating to the work of Dr Benziger can be found at: www.benziger.org/index.html

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Activity 1.3: What is your preferred learning style? (15-20 min)

In addition to having a preferred way of behaving, we often have a preferred way of learning

new things. Over the years, you have probably developed learning habits which help you

benefit more from some experiences than others.

Step 1: Identify your learning style

Complete the following questionnaire to identify your preferred learning styles. There are no

right or wrong answers – the accuracy of the results depend on how honest you can be. The

questionnaire consists of 40 statements. Go through the list and if you agree with a

statement, check the corresponding box.

No Statement

1 I like to be absolutely correct about things. ☐

2 I quite like to take risks. ☐

3 I prefer to solve problems using a step by step approach rather than

guessing. ☐

4 I prefer simple, straightforward things rather than something complicated. ☐

5 I often do things just because I feel like it rather than thinking about it first. ☐

6 I don't often take things for granted. I like to check things out for myself. ☐

7 What matters most about what you learn is whether it works in practice. ☐

8 I actively seek out new things to do. ☐

9 When I hear about a new idea I immediately start working out how I can try it

out. ☐

10 I am quite keen on sticking to fixed routines, keeping to timetables, etc. ☐

11 I take great care in working things out. I don't like jumping to conclusions. ☐

12 I like to make decisions very carefully and preferably after weighing up all

the other possibilities first. ☐

13 I don't like 'loose ends', I prefer to see things fit into some sort of pattern. ☐

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14 In discussions I like to get straight to the point. ☐

15 I like the challenge of trying something new and different. ☐

16 I prefer to think things through before coming to a conclusion. ☐

17 I find it difficult to come up with wild ideas off the top of my head. ☐

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I prefer to have as many bits of information about a subject as possible, the more I have to sift through the better.

☐

19 I prefer to jump in and do things as they come along rather than plan things

out in advance. ☐

20 I tend to judge other people's ideas on how they work in practice. ☐

21 I don't think that you can make a decision just because something feels

right; you have to think about all of the facts. ☐

22 I am rather fussy about how I do things - a bit of a perfectionist. ☐

23 In discussions I usually pitch in with lots of ideas. ☐

24 In discussions I put forward ideas that I know will work. ☐

25 I prefer to look at problems from as many different angles as I can before

starting on them. ☐

26 Usually I talk more than I listen. ☐

27 Quite often I can work out more practical ways of doing things. ☐

28 I believe that careful logical thinking is the key to getting things done. ☐

29 If I have to write a formal letter I prefer to try out several rough workings

before writing out the final version. ☐

30 I like to consider all the alternatives before making my mind up. ☐

31 I don't like wild ideas, they are not very practical. ☐

32 It is best to look before you leap. ☐

33 I usually do more listening than talking. ☐

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34 It doesn't matter how you do something, as long as it works. ☐

35 I can't be bothered with rules and plans, they take all the fun out of things. ☐

36 I'm usually the 'life and soul' of the party. ☐

37 I do whatever I need to do, to get the job done. ☐

38 I like to find out how things work. ☐

39 I like meetings or discussion to follow a proper pattern and to keep to a

timetable. ☐

40 I don't mind in the least if things get a bit out of hand. ☐

Step 2: Are you an activist, pragmatist, theorist or reflector?

For each statement that you checked, highlight the corresponding number below. Then add

up the number of highlighted statements in each column to indicate the relative strength of the

4 preferred learning styles.

2 4 1 11

5 7 3 12

8 9 6 16

15 14 10 18

19 20 13 21

23 24 17 25

26 27 22 29

35 31 28 30

36 34 38 32

40 37 39 33

Sum: Sum: Sum: Sum:

ACTIVIST PRAGMATIST THEORIST REFLECTOR

A widely used framework, proposed by UK educationalists Stephen Honey and Andrew

Mumford, looks at learning through 4 styles: Activist, Pragmatist, Theorist and Reflector.

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Step 3: Read about the four learning styles

Now that you’ve identified your preferred learning style(s), go through their description to

understand what they mean.

ACTIVIST: learning by 'jumping in' and doing things

Energized by working with others

Open-minded approach to learning, involving themselves

fully in new activities and experiences

Being thrown in at the deep end

Activities such as problem solving, project work, role plays,

brainstorming and discussions

PRAGMATIST: learning by applying knowledge in a practical manner

Trying out and practicing techniques using techniques with

obvious practical benefits

Situations where they can implement what they have learnt

immediately

Unlikely to follow a course of action unless they can

recognize the benefits of the action

Activities include cases studies, problem solving,

discussion and time to think about applying their learning

THEORIST: learning by understanding theoretical models

Situations with structure and purpose

Interesting concepts or models, even though they may

not be immediately relevant

Logical and rational arguments which they explore

Being allowed to question assumptions or logic

Activities include reading and researching, access

to theoretical models and studies, stories and applying research

REFLECTOR: learning through reflecting on previous actions

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Activities where they can stand back from events, listen

and observe from a number of different perspectives

Carry out research or analysis and taking the time to

work towards an appropriate conclusion. Opportunity

to think and review before acting

Activities such as observation, paired discussion,

coaching and feedback from others

Each different learning style has advantages associated with it, but no one style is better than

the other. The best way of maximizing learning is to use as many of the four styles wherever

possible according to the situation that you find yourself in.

Although we have focused on identifying your preferred learning style, it is important to

understand that, similar to behavioral styles, the more styles you can use to learn new

information or ways of doing things, the more flexible and adaptable you can be in your

approach to learning, which will ultimately help you be more effective in your learning.

Step 4: What are the benefits of your preferred and non-preferred learning styles?

Give examples:

In summary:

• UK educationalists Honey and Mumford proposed fours styles of learning: Activist,

Pragmatist, Theorist and Reflector; no one style is better than the others.

• The best way to maximize your learning opportunities is to use as many learning styles

as you can, according to the situations that you encounter.

• The ability to use multiple learning styles will help to make you a more agile and flexible

learner.

• No one style is better than the other. By being aware of the different styles, you can

appreciate the diversity of learning styles and promote a more inclusive environment.

This material, based on the Learning Styles Theory proposed by Honey and Mumford, has been downloaded from the following website:

www.science.ulster.ac.uk/nursing/mentorship/docs/nursing/oct11/Learning%20Styles%20Que

stionnaire%20%20short%20version%20Aug10.pdf

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Week 2: Personal SWOT analysis & Learning@PMI

Activity 2.1: Perform a personal SWOT analysis (30-40 min)

A SWOT analysis helps to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats

involved in a project. A personal SWOT analysis is a self-assessment of your own Strengths,

Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. It helps you to evaluate your own performance so

as to identify any changes that may need to happen in order to deliver better results. A SWOT

analysis is usually represented using four quadrants:

STRENGTHS Skills and competencies that

you are good at and excel at.

WEAKNESSES Skills and competencies that you are

not good at and need to either develop

or seek help from others.

OPPORTUNITIES Situations which may have a

positive outcome for you if you take

advantage of it.

THREATS Situations which may cause you a

problem if you fail to take action to

resolve.

STRENGTHS and WEAKNESSES focus on your personal skills and competencies.

OPPORTUNITIES and THREATS are outside of your immediate control, but can be

addressed by you as and when you become aware of them.

Step 1: Read the following example

Go through the following example1 of a personal SWOT analysis:

STRENGTHS

I'm very creative. I often impress clients with a new perspective on their brands.

I communicate well with my clients and team.

I have the ability to ask key questions to find just the right marketing angle.

I'm completely committed to the success of a

client's brand.

WEAKNESSES I have a strong, compulsive

need to do things quickly and remove them from my "to do" list, and sometimes the quality of my work suffers as a result. This also causes me stress when I have too many tasks.

I get nervous when presenting ideas to clients,

and this fear of public speaking often takes the

passion out of my presentations

1 Taken from https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_05_1.htm

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OPPORTUNITIES

One of our major competitors has developed a reputation for treating their smaller clients poorly.

I'm attending a major marketing conference next month. This will allow for strategic networking, and also offer some great training seminars.

Our art director will go on maternity leave soon.

Covering her duties while she's away would be a

great career development opportunity for me.

THREATS

My colleague Simon is a much stronger speaker than I am, and he’s competing with me for the art director position.

Due to recent staff shortages, I'm often overworked, which negatively impacts my creativity.

The current economic climate has resulted in slow growth for the marketing industry. Many firms have laid off staff members, and our company is considering further cutbacks.

Step 2: Think about the following questions:

STRENGTHS

What do you do better than anyone else?

What do others see as your strengths?

What advantages do you have that others don't?

Are you part of a network that no one else is

involved in? If so, what connections do you have

with influential people?

WEAKNESSES

What could you improve?

What do others see as your weaknesses?

What tasks do you usually avoid because you don't feel confident doing them?

What are your negative work habits (late, disorganized, short temper, not handling stress)?

Do you have personality traits that hold you back in your field (fear of public speaking)?

OPPORTUNITIES

Could you take advantage of a new role, project, technology, company trend?

Is your industry growing?

Are any of your competitors failing to do something important?

Is there a need in your company that no one is

filling?

THREATS

Could any of your weaknesses lead to threats?

What obstacles do you currently face at work?

Are any of your colleagues competing with you for projects and roles?

Is your job challenging? Does changind technology threaten your position?

What is your competition doing?

.

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Step 3: Perform a SWOT analysis

Perform a personal SWOT analysis by completing the following grid.

STRENGTHS

WEAKNESSES

OPPORTUNITIES

THREATS

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Step 4: How do the findings of your SWOT analysis affect your ability to ‘Deliver@PMI’?

Remember that self-awareness is concerned with understanding who you really are, not who

you would like to be. When conducting a self-assessment, it is important to be as objective as

you can about yourself and whilst it may not be pleasant to focus on personal weaknesses or

threats, denying their existence or ignoring them will not make them go away.

In summary:

• Regular self-assessment is an important aspect of self-awareness.

• Openness and honesty are critical components of accurate self-assessment.

• Always look for evidence to confirm the accuracy of any self-assessment.

• Ensure you take a balanced approach to any self-assessment, looking at positive and

negative aspects equally.

Activity 2.2: Find opportunities to learn (20 min)

At PMI, we take the development of our people very seriously. We are always looking for

talented people. Those that perform well and constantly demonstrate their ability to learn new

skills are often selected for promotion to higher levels across the organization. Learning new

skills will help you to perform better at work. It will help you to reach and perhaps exceed your

personal objectives. As a result, PMI will also meet its business objectives.

Who is responsible for your development? You are! Although your manager also has a part to

play. Your manager has the responsibility to:

• Ensure that you can do your job safely and work in accordance with all of the

principles, practices and other rules which govern your employment at PMI

• Help you identify what you need to learn

• Support and coach you during your learning experience (like this one)

• Help you apply what you've learned in the workplace

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However, in the end, it’s your willingness to learn that makes all the difference, your

willingness to apply what you have learned and to measure any change in performance.

Step 1: What are your LEARNING NEEDS?

When you first joined PMI or during your last annual performance appraisal, you and your line

manager should have agreed on certain areas of development. Specify them below:

During regular meetings with your manager throughout the year, your development areas

should be discussed and any additional areas of development might be highlighted. However,

this doesn't stop you from identifying other learning needs during your day-to-day work and

finding ways to address these needs. The more proactive you are in identifying and resolving

your learning needs, the better chance you have of being successful in your career at PMI.

Step 2: What ACTIVITIES answer your learning needs?

Once you’ve identified your learning needs, you and your line manager should have defined

suitable activities to help you achieve them. Specify these activities:

Studies show that we typically learn at work in one of the following three ways:

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This is called the 70/20/10 principle.

These numbers are only approximate and

have not been subjected to any degree of

rigorous evaluation, but what it does show

is that there are far more opportunities to

learn informally in the workplace and from

those around us (colleagues, managers,

experts, etc.), than there are from attending

training courses and other more formal

learning events.

70/20/10 principle Description Examples

LEARNING ON THE JOB

(70%)

Learning on the job is about

reflecting on what you do in

your day-to-day work and

thinking how you can do it

better next time. Learn from

what has happened previously

and seek ways to improve.

• Problem solving activities • Projects at work • Job aids, wikis, flash

cards…

• Internet research

LEARNING FROM OTHERS

(20%)

Learning from others is about

observing, discussing or being

coached on different

behaviors, language,

techniques and approaches.

Practice what you learn from

others to improve your

performance.

• Coaching at work • Mentoring at work • Feedback from manager

and colleagues • Join communities of

practice or collaboration

platforms • Learn from Subject Matter

Experts (SMEs)

FORMAL LEARNING

(10%)

Classroom and online training

are only a small part of how

we learn at PMI. Formal

training should always be in

line with your development

needs and complemented by

learning on the job and from

others.

• Attending training courses

• Reading books, journals…

• E-learning modules

26

Here is an example of a development plan following the 70/20/10 principle.

Competency: Customer focus

Objective: To establish and maintain effective relationships with local Key Accounts (KAs)

LEARNING

ON THE JOB

• Conduct a research of the territory to understand customer needs (Jan

2016) • Prepare a presentation based on Nielsen report for local KAs (2

meetings/year)

• Create a meeting plan incorporating customer needs before visiting POS

LEARNING

FROM

OTHERS

• After the negotiations have taken place, share key learning with experienced

colleagues in order to analyses potential areas for improvement (Feb

2016)

FORMAL

LEARNING

• E-Learning module on How to Conduct Effective Business Meetings

Step 3: What LEARNING ON THE JOB activities could answer your learning needs?

Specify:

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Learning on the job means that you are able to learn from your experiences and apply your

learning. Some of the key characteristics associated with someone who excels at this

competency are:

• Learns quickly when facing new problems

• A relentless and versatile learner

• Open to change

• Analyses both successes and failures for clues to improvement

• Experiments and will try anything to find solutions

• Enjoys the challenge of unfamiliar tasks

• Quickly grasps the essence and the underlying structure of anything

Step 4: What LEARNING FROM OTHERS activities could answer your learning needs?

Specify:

Other people can help you by prompting you to learn and sharing their experiences. One of

the ways that they will prompt you to learn is through the use of ‘coaching’. The use of

coaching as a development tool at PMI is common and there is a high likelihood that you will

be coached by your line manager or colleagues at some point during your PMI career.

The coaching process consists of being asked a series of challenging or searching questions

about a problem or issue that you are experiencing, and being allowed to find the answers

yourself. The fact that you answer the questions means that you ultimately own the problem

solving process and solutions to the issues that you are facing.

In order to increase the effectiveness of being coached, there are some key things to

remember and actions that you should do:

• Bear in mind that your ‘coach’ is trying to develop you and respect that they are giving

their time to help you.

• Be open and honest with yourself and your ‘coach’; if you aren't, how can you possibly

expect to get the best out of this activity?

• If you're unsure of anything, ask for clarification rather than getting defensive when

challenged.

• Do not be afraid to ask for help from your line manager or colleagues.

• If you agree to do something, make sure you follow up and do it.

• As you become more familiar with the coaching process and the questions that are asked,

start to coach yourself.

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Step 5: What FORMAL LEARNING activities could answer your learning needs?

Specify:

If you need to register for any formal training courses, your line manager will help guide you

through the process. Before you go, identify what you would like to get out of any learning

activity – perhaps even set objectives with your line manager. Let’s think about this program;

have you thought of what you wanted to get out from the Delivering@PMI learning journey?

In summary:

• Learning is an essential part of life at PMI and is seen as a PMI Key Behavior.

• You are ultimately responsible for your learning.

• Applying your learning is critical to improving your performance.

• Proactively looking for opportunities to learn and develop is a key performance

differentiator between those who are successful and those who are not.

• There are more opportunities to learn in the workplace (70%) than there are from learning

with/from others (20%) and from formal learning activities (10%).

• The more agile and flexible you can be as a learner, the better your chances of success.

• Coaching is a powerful development tool; look for opportunities to be coached.

• Do not be afraid to ask questions if you're unsure about something.

29

Week 3: Communication, listening & feedback

Activity 3.1: How to communicate effectively? (15 min)

Communication is a PMI Key Behavior. It is critical that you are able to communicate clearly

with your colleagues, suppliers and customers, and anyone else that you interact with. Before

giving you guidelines on HOW to communicate effectively, let’s briefly focus on WHY we

communicate.

We communicate to:

• Build rapport or create relationships with other people

• Clarify what we may be required to do – for example when we are being given a task by

our line manager

• Confirm our expectations of what we want someone else to do – what we want them to do,

how and when they do it, the standard we require, etc.

• Give feedback to someone

As a global organization with employees from many different cultures and professional

backgrounds, there is a huge range of different communication styles and preferences in play

across PMI. It is thus essential to adjust your message according to your target audience.

Furthermore, we must always try to avoid stereotypes while communicating.

Step 1: Are you aware of stereotypes?

Watch the following video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUO59Emi3eo

Step 2: How good are your communication skills?

For each statement, give a score of 1 to 5 according to the definitions below.

1 2 3 4 5

Strongly

disagree Disagree

Neither agree

nor disagree Agree Strongly agree

Write your score in the box on the right of the following table. There are no right or wrong

answers, just be honest with yourself. After completing all of the questions, add up your total

score for the 15 items, and record it in the space provided at the bottom of the table.

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Statement Score

When preparing written communication materials, you ensure that:

1. They are accurate and well-researched.

2. They are brief and to the point.

3. They are laid out and presented in a clear way.

4. You use diagrams and charts to help express your ideas.

5. There are no spelling mistakes.

In face-to-face communication:

6. You think of the message that you want to send and tailor it to the audience

that will be in front of you.

7. You make sure that you understand and can explain the meaning of any

technical information, abbreviations or jargon.

8. You look for clues that people understand what you’re saying; if you think that

they haven’t, you ask if anyone has any questions and rephrase.

9. You ask for further clarification if you don’t understand what someone is

saying

10. You summarize what someone said to check your understanding.

11. Even if public speaking makes you nervous, you speak slowly and include

pauses.

12. You see things from the perspective of others.

13. You consider cultural barriers.

14. You try to anticipate and predict possible causes of confusion, and deal with

them up front.

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15. To increase people’s understanding, you give background information and

explain the underlying concept of your message.

Total Score

Results:

• 15-35: Poor communication skills

• 36-55: Moderate communication skills

• 56-75: Good communication skills Effective communication means passing information in

a way that recipients can correctly understand the information and act on it as you want

them to. It is therefore a two-way process, which encourages both parties to openly ‘send’

and ‘receive’ information to each other.

Written communication

In written communication, the ABC principle is a useful tool to consider:

Accurate – content should be accurate and well-researched.

Brief – we all have a lot of work and do not have the time to read lengthy documents, so be

brief. Prepare a summary if you need to highlight key points and emphasize the most

important points (also note that PAIR – 'analytical' types want you to be brief and to the point).

Clear – ensure that your written material is laid out and presented in a clear way. You may

have standard templates within your business area to help you do this.

When preparing material to communicate to managers above you in the organization,

consider approaching your line manager or colleagues for feedback before you present your

final material.

32

Face-to-face communication

In face-to-face communication, the ‘total’ message that you send is composed of different

parts:

What we say (verbal) + What we do (non-verbal)

↓ ↓ ↓

The words that you use

This part of your message is a significant one.

Whether written or spoken, choose your

words carefully and

according to your intended

audience.

+

The way that you say them

The way that you express the words includes the

rate that you speak at, the

volume you use, the pitch that you speak at, any pauses you insert and any emphasis that you

place on certain words. +

Your body language

Body language includes hand gestures, facial

expressions, arm and leg

movements and overall

body movement.

The more the three factors above are aligned and saying the same thing, the more likely your

message will come across as genuine to whoever is receiving it. However, if there is a lack of

alignment between these three components, people may recognize that your message is not

genuine and perhaps challenge you on its content.

In summary:

• Effective communication is a two-way process and involves both parties transmitting and

receiving messages.

• When preparing written documents, ask for help from your line manager where you need

to and use the ABC principle.

• When we communicate face-to-face with someone, the message is made up of what we

say, how we say it and our body language

• Make sure that you understand any technical information, abbreviations or jargon that you

use, and can explain what they mean to someone else.

For all types of communication, think about how your message will be received by other people. Make sure you’re aware of the unwritten rules on how to communicate within your own business area. Your line manager can help guide you on the best way to communicate in your working environment.

33

Activity 3.2: How to listen actively? (15 min)

When it comes to effective communication, it can be easy to focus on speaking. In the end,

we all want to get our points across. However, to be a great communicator, you also need to

step back, let the other person talk, and just listen and observe.

Listening is a critical skill which we need to develop in order to communicate effectively and

build rapport with others, both in and out of the workplace. Poor listening skills could lead to

missing information that people say, or being accused of not listening to them (whether that is

the case or not). But what exactly do we mean by ‘listening’? There are a number of different

levels of ability with regard to listening, each one highlighting what other things you might be

doing at the time.

Step 1: At which level of listening are you?

The table below summarizes some activities that can take place when you are ‘listening’ to

someone. Read each description and determine the level of listening at which you are.

Level of

listening

Description

Noise

You are hearing the ‘noise’ that someone makes but are not actually paying

attention to what they are saying; this may involve doing other things while

someone is talking to you like looking at your computer or reading.

Your

experience

Listening to what is said but looking to jump in and share your story or thoughts for

your own satisfaction and to serve your agenda

Judgement

Listening and making assumptions and judgement on the situation and what the

other person should do; you may filter or select information according to how it fits

with your assumption or judgement

Application Listening to identify what you can learn or take away from the story and apply;

although this is a deeper level of listening, the focus of the activity is still on you

Understanding

Listening to understand what it is like to be the other person; this involves a

minimum of judgement and internal dialogue and will allow you to hear what is

said, what is not said and the way that it is said.

The ability to listen at these deeper levels is not an easy skill to master and takes lots of

practice and willpower to reduce the level of this internal ‘self-talk’.

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Step 2: How good are your listening skills?

For each statement, give a score of 1 to 5 according to the definitions below.

1

2 3 4 5

Stron

disag

gly

ree Disagree

Neither agree

nor disagree Agree Strongly agree

Write your score in the box on the right of the following table. There are no right or wrong

answers, just be honest with yourself. After completing all of the questions, add up your total

score for the 17 items, and record it in the space provided at the bottom of the table.

Statement Score

1. I daydream or think about other things when listening to others.

2. I do not mentally summarize the ideas being communicated by a speaker.

3. I do not use a speaker’s body language or tone of voice to help interpret what they

say.

4. I listen more for facts than overall ideas during presentations and lectures.

5. I tune out dry speakers.

6. I have a hard time paying attention to boring people.

7. I can tell whether someone has anything useful to say before they finish

speaking.

8. I stop listening to a speaker when I think he or she has nothing interesting to say.

9. I get emotional/upset when speakers make jokes about things that are important

to me.

10. I get angry or distracted when speakers use offensive words.

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11. I do not expend a lot of energy when listening to others.

12. I pretend to pay attention to others even when I’m not really listening.

13. I get distracted when listening to others.

14. I deny/ignore information/comments that go against my thoughts, feelings and

values.

15. I do not seek opportunities to challenge my listening skills.

16. I do not pay attention to the visual aids used during lectures.

17. I do not take notes on handouts when they are provided.

Total Score

Results:

• 17-34: Good listening skills

• 35-53: Moderate listening skills

• 54-85: Poor listening skills

In summary:

• When you listen to someone, be aware of what they say and watch their body language

for other messages.

• The most effective listening involves stopping all internal ‘self-talk’, judgments and

personal agendas in order to hear what someone is really saying.

• Listening includes being aware of what people say and observing their body language.

Activity 3.3: How to seek & provide useful feedback? (15 min)

The most proactive way of identifying opportunities to improve is to actively seek feedback

from others about your performance, rather than simply waiting for them to volunteer the

feedback.

Whenever someone gives you feedback, remember that it is their perception of a situation

and whilst it is appropriate to respect their point of view, it may not always be completely

accurate. However, the ability to get feedback from a number of people can be powerful,

particularly if there are strong consistent messages coming from your sources.

36

There may be times when you are faced with a situation where a number of people give you

slightly different or conflicting feedback. In these cases, it is important to recognize and

respect their individual points of view and to understand how they have formed their opinions.

The easiest way to do this is to approach them directly and to ask them questions relating to

your performance.

Step 1: Actively seek feedback

During a coffee break, ask someone (manager, colleague, etc.) for feedback. If you’re unsure

of how to ask for feedback from others, the following approaches should help.

Approach 1 Approach 2

WHAT did I do?

HOW did I do it?

WHAT effect did it have on you or others?

WHAT do you want me to do differently?

WHO can help me to do this?

STOP: What do you need me to stop doing?

START: What do you need me to start doing?

CONTINUE: What do you need me to do more

of?

Step 2: Give useful feedback

There are three types of feedback:

Type of feedback Description

Recognition

Feedback

The person did an excellent job, exactly what he/she had committed to

do and it was challenging.

Development

Feedback

The person did an overall OK job and wants to improve. This type of

feedback helps to focus on what can be done more / better / in addition

to achieve the objective.

Corrective

Feedback

The job is not OK and the person needs to acknowledge and understand

what to stop doing or change next time.

There may be times during your career at PMI when other people will ask you for feedback on

their performance: colleagues or your line manager perhaps. If you are asked to do so, the

BOOST approach should help you deliver accurate feedback in a way that still allows you to

show respect for the individual.

37

B Balanced Balance your feedback by covering both strengths and improvement areas.

O Observable Base your feedback on concrete behaviors that you have observed.

O Owned Own your feedback (i.e. it should come directly from you, not someone else).

S

T

Specific Be specific and support your feedback with concrete examples.

Timely Provide feedback right after the observation.

Summary:

• Giving and receiving feedback is an important part of your career at PMI.

• The purpose of feedback is to help people improve their performance.

• Proactively seeking feedback from a number of sources is an excellent way of identifying

what you can do to improve your performance, particularly when there is a consistent

message coming from your feedback sources.

• Because we are all different, there is the potential for us to perceive events differently from

our colleagues; from a feedback perspective, this means that there may be times when the

feedback we receive from different people is contradictory; try to understand how

someone has formed an opinion rather than simply challenging or dismissing their opinion.

• Giving feedback to someone else can be an excellent way of increasing rapport,

particularly when the feedback is given in a constructive manner.

Activity 3.4: Online quiz (10-15 min)

Well done! You are almost ready to attend WORKSHOP 1 of this learning journey. Have you

done all the activities so far? Make sure you have so as to be able to participate during the

workshop. For instance, we will ask you to mention your preferred behavioral and learning

style when introducing yourself. You should therefore know what they are and what they

mean. For us to ensure that you won’t be lost during the workshop, please pass the online

quiz. There are 10 questions. To complete it successfully, you need a score of 70%.

This assessment is mandatory, but not enough in itself. Again, keep in mind that the better

prepared you are for the workshop, the more you will get out of it.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

The Delivering@PMI team

38

WORKSHOP 1

If you have any questions on what you did so far, please record them so that we can discuss /

answer them during WORKSHOP 1.

PHASE 1 PHASE 2 PHASE 3 PHASE 4 PHASE 5

ENTRY TICKET 1

(1h/week)

WORKSHOP 1

(1.5 days)

ENTRY TICKET 2

(1h/week)

WORKSHOP 2

(1.5 days)

FOLLOW-UP

(3 months)

WEEK 1

Personal values, behavioral styles & learning styles

WEEK 2

Personal SWOT analysis & Learning@PMI

WEEK 3

Communication, listening & feedback

(including quiz 1)

DAY 1

• Understanding

ourselves

• Learning@PMI • Working with

others

DAY 2 (half-day)

• Clear

communication

• Active listening • Useful feedback

WEEK 1

Critical thinking & problem solving

WEEK 2

Time management

WEEK 3

Change & stress management

(including quiz 2)

WEEK 4

Group presentation

preparation

DAY 1

• Critical thinking • Problem solving • Time management

• Effective meetings

• Change & stress

management

DAY 2 (half-day)

• Start leading • Grow your network

Level 1 Evaluation

(EE)

• Pass it on! • Commitment

board & ice

bucket challenge

• Level 2 Evaluation (EE)

• Level 3 Evaluation ( EE & Mgr)

• Additional

resources

39

ENTRY TICKET 2

At the end of WORKSHOP 1, you should have been assigned to a group, as well as one of

the following topics:

• Critical thinking

• Problem solving

• Time management

• Change management

As you will see, we will cover all these topics (and more!) in the following weeks. Please go

through all the topics even though you’ve been assigned only one. During the last week, you

are expected to get together with your group and prepare your presentation. If you haven’t

already arranged a meeting with your group at the beginning of week 4, please do so now.

Be aware that you will need your personal SWOT analysis during WORKSHOP 2. Based on

what you have learned during WORKSHOP 1, feel free to revisit your SWOT analysis now.

STRENGTHS

WEAKNESSES

OPPORTUNITIES

THREATS

40

Week 1: Critical thinking & problem solving

Activity 1.1: How to think critically? (10 min)

Why is critical thinking important?

A critical thinker is able to get an accurate and ‘objective’ view of a problem or situation to

make better decisions. In the workplace, this allows to make the best decisions for PMI.

Critical thinking relates to a number of PMI Key Behaviors: Impact and perhaps less obviously

Learning, Communication, Collaboration, and Leading.

Critical thinking allows us to:

• Understand / analyze a problem or situation better

• Make decisions, solve problems and plan better

• Get better results

How can we think critically?

We must first understand the difference between the following terms.

Fact

Objective statement about something that is known to have happened.

Additional information or evidence to confirm the accuracy or validity of the statement.

It is important to ensure that the evidence is accurate and will hold up to challenge.

Opinion

Subjective statement regarding a thought, belief or judgment that someone has about something.

It may not substantiate with any kind of evidence or rationale.

Assumption

Information that you accept as true without question or proof.

We are often unaware of them when we make decisions, conclusions and recommendations.

They need to be reasonable and valid for the situation at the time.

Bias A bias is an inclination or prejudice for or against one person or group, especially

in a way considered to be unfair.

1 – Use facts rather than opinions

To be an effective critical thinker, we need to:

Separate facts from opinions and make decisions based on facts (rather than

opinions)

Assess the accuracy of facts

41

This requires skills such as observation, questioning and listening. Here is an example of a

conversion between an employee and a critical thinker:

Employee: Yesterday’s manufacturing figures were good.

Critical thinker: What do you mean by ‘good’?

Employee: They were better than the day before.

Critical thinker: How many packs did we actually make yesterday?

Employee: We made XXX thousand packs, 5% more than the day before.

Critical thinker: How many do we normally make on a good day?

Employee: On a good day we make 20% more than we did yesterday.

Critical thinker: So yesterday’s figures weren’t really that good!

2 – Be aware of your assumptions and biases

When we observe or evaluate the world around us, we do so through a series of internal

‘filters’ which are made up of (amongst other things) our personal values, biases, past

experiences and the assumptions that we make. This may be happening outside of our

awareness and there is potential for this unique ‘perspective’ to be inaccurate or incorrect. To

be an effective critical thinker, we therefore also need to:

• Be aware of any assumptions that we make and correct them if necessary.

• Be aware of our personal values and biases so as to be able to challenge them when

necessary.

• Review and reassess our point of view and consider other more accurate and objective

viewpoints.

Summary:

• Make decisions based on facts rather than opinions.

• Be aware of any assumptions that you make and correct them if necessary.

• Our personal values, biases, prejudices and past experiences contribute to the creation of

our unique view of the world.

• This unique viewpoint may be potentially inaccurate or incorrect.

• Being aware of the limits of our view of a situation can allow us to consciously look beyond

our own point of view to consider other, more accurate viewpoints.

Activity 1.2: How to solve problems effectively? (30 min)

The ability to solve problems is a key skill for all employees if they are to ‘deliver’ at PMI. It is

therefore an important part of the PMI Key Behavior of Impact. Whilst there are a number of

problem solving tools available across PMI, some of them are specific to certain business

areas. For this reason, a simple tool called DOSIM is provided below:

42

D Define the situation What is happening in your area? This is an information gathering

phase and involves asking questions to identify what the problem is.

O Options available What options do you have to resolve this situation?

S Solution choice What is the best solution to resolve the situation?

I Implement solution How will you implement your chosen solution?

M Measure How will you measure the success of this intervention?

D – Define the situation

As stated above, this stage involves gathering information about the current situation and

analyzing it to identify exactly what is happening. If this isn’t done correctly, any further work

could potentially be a waste of time and so this is an area where adopting a critical thinking

approach is absolutely essential if you are to get the accurate awareness of the situation or

problem that you are facing.

In an operational or engineering environment, defining the situation is often referred to by

another name called Root Cause Analysis (RCA). There are many tools which can be used to

help you identify the root cause of your problems; we will discuss a tool called the 5 WHYs.

The 5 WHYs is a simple but effective tool to identify the root cause of a problem. It involves

asking ‘why’ something happens 5 times over. Each time you ask the ‘why’ question, you may

identify several possible answers which can be explored further by asking additional ‘why’

questions until you get to the root cause of the problem.

Have you heard of the term ‘BPWATTS’ before? It stands for ‘Business Problem We Are

Trying To Solve’. A good BPWATTS is defined once you’ve reached the simplest set of

problems that cannot be further broken down by consistently asking ‘why’ several times. An

example of how the 5 WHYs can be used is shown below.

Why does the paper keep jamming in the copier?

↓ ↓ ↓

The copier is faulty The wrong paper is being used The paper is being fed

incorrectly

↓ ↓ ↓

Why is the copier faulty? Why is the wrong paper being

used? Why is the paper being fed

incorrectly?

↓ ↓ ↓

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It hasn't been serviced recently Employees don't know which

paper to use Employees don't know how to

feed the paper correctly

↓ ↓ ↓

Why hasn't the copier been

serviced recently? Why don't employees know

which paper to use

Why don't employees know

how to feed the paper

correctly?

↓ ↓ ↓

Budget cuts

Because they haven't been trained to use the copier correctly

In the simple example above, the root cause of why the paper keeps jamming in the copier

comes down to two issues: the copier hasn’t been serviced recently and employees haven’t

been trained to use the copier correctly; both of these are as a result of budget cuts. In this

example, all of the possible options lead to the same cause, however it should be noted that

this may not always be the case.

Some additional questions which can be used to gather information are given below:

What is happening

in your business

area?

• What is happening on a day-to-day basis?

• When and where does this occur or not occur?

• Who is involved, how are they affected?

• Who else might also be affected?

• Who else might be interested in this situation?

• How do you know this is happening, what evidence is there?

What is causing

this issue?

• How has this situation occurred?

• What else may be causing these issues?

• Could these causes be symptoms of a wider problem?

• What evidence is there that these causes are correct?

What effect is this

situation having

on the business?

• Results

• Day-to-day operations in your area

• Customer service issues / reputation

• Employee morale or engagement

• Other

• How do you know that the business is being affected in this way –

what evidence do you have, what do the ‘numbers’ tell you?

44

What evidence

would you have if

you’d successfully

resolved the

situation?

• Consider how you would measure success early on to build it into

a solution.

• What evidence would allow you to declare a successful

outcome?

The last series of questions above refers to the evidence that would tell you that the situation

has been resolved satisfactorily. Even at this early stage in the problem solving process, it is

worth defining how success would look. Wherever possible, stating these success factors

using the same measurements or metrics that you have used to define the problem would be

a good idea.

Once you've gathered information and evidence – using the 5 WHYs and other relevant

questions as required – and analyzed it using a 'critical thinking' approach, you should have a

clear idea of the problem and the effect that it is having on the business. Most importantly,

you should have some form of information or data which supports your argument or point of

view.

O – Options available

Once the problem has been analyzed, the causes identified and success measures defined, it

is appropriate to start thinking about the options available to resolve the problem. As

specialists in your own functional areas, you may already have a typical range of solutions to

problems that you encounter on a day-to-day basis.

However, PMI is an organization that is constantly looking for opportunities to grow and

develop in order to meet its strategic business goals and stay ahead of its competitors. In

order for this to happen, there is a real need for us all to look for more creative ways of

working in our respective business areas in order to ensure that we work as effectively and

efficiently as we can. This is also why these skills are specifically included in the PMI Key

behavior of Entrepreneurship.

At the Manage Self career stage, creativity doesn’t have to produce big and complex changes

with far reaching effects on the business. It can mean introducing small changes, which

increase your own personal effectiveness and efficiency or finding more creative solutions to

problems that you encounter, in order to bring about an increase in business results. A simple

3 stage tool is detailed below to assist you in your creative efforts:

Idea Generation

• Everything is possible, however crazy or impractical it may

seem at the time.

• Producing as many ideas as possible, quantity over quality at

this stage.

• Build and expand on other people ideas

45

Reality Check

• Take each idea and identify how it can be applied in the

workplace.

• A pragmatic focus on producing workable solutions.

Fault Finding

• Highlight problems that you may encounter when you

implement each idea.

• Discuss potential ways to resolve these problems.

• Identify additional implementation requirements.

In order to run an effective brainstorming session, it is important to remember and apply a few

simple ground rules to the session:

• Clearly define the problem or idea being explored

• The leader is in control

• All participants are encouraged to contribute

• Any idea is valid, no matter how crazy it might seem

• No judgement or criticism of participants or their ideas is allowed

Some additional questions which can be used to highlight different options are given below:

In an ‘ideal world’, what

outcome would you

like?

• What do you need to do to get this outcome?

• If this is not possible, what stops you from having this option?

• Can you amend this option to get the result that you want?

What other options are

available to resolve

the situation?

• Have any of these options been used before – if so, what

were the outcomes?

• What other solutions have been used for this or similar

problems before?

What resources are

available?

• Do you need additional resources –are they readily

available?

• Who else can help you get the resources that you need?

S – Solution choice

In order to choose the best course of action to implement, some kind of evaluation needs to

be made in order to decide on the most appropriate option to implement as a solution. This is

a key part of the problem solving process and again needs to use an objective, open-minded

or critical thinking approach.

There are many decision-making tools available; we will discuss the 80:20 Principle and the

Weighted Factor Analysis.

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The 80:20 Principle is sometimes called the Pareto principle. This approach relies on the

assumption that 20% of your effort can lead to 80% of your results and so the question to ask

yourself is what is the minimum effort you can expend to get the maximum benefit? This

approach is useful if the problem you are dealing with is minor and has limited consequences

if not resolved thoroughly.

The Weighted Factor Analysis involves looking at the various factors that any solution must

have and weighting the most important or critical factors. Scoring each factor in turn and

looking at the totals will highlight the most suitable choice.

2 2 3 6 2 1 11

3 4 3 6 3 3 16

4 2 4 8 2 2 14

In the example above, if higher scores were linked to the best solutions, option 3 would be the

best. Additional weightings could be put on any factor if required, such as a minimum score

required to be considered (if this was a 12 in the example above, then options 1 and 2 would

be discounted immediately).

Some additional questions which may be used at this stage are given below:

What factors are important when

considering your

options?

• Cost and time considerations

• Resource availability

• Implementation issues

• Benefits and drawbacks of each option Others

What are the most

important factors to

consider?

• Do any of these factors need to be weighted due to their

importance?

• Which of the benefits and drawbacks are the most

significant and will have greatest impact on the outcome?

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Taking everything into account,

which solution will give you the best outcome to the situation?

I – Implement the solution

This phase is about executing your chosen solution and, depending on the nature of the

problem or situation, may involve aspects of planning, communication to other interested

parties, resource management and getting additional support from your line manager or

colleagues.

Additional questions which may help you in the implementation phase are given below:

How will you implement

this solution?

What problems might

you encounter along

the way?

• What do you need to do first?

• What are the implications of implementing your solution?

• How can you reduce the likelihood of these problems

arising

• What plans can you put in place to address these problems

if they occur?

When implementing

your solution…

• Does anyone need to approve your work?

• What are the important milestones?

• What are your next steps?

M – Measure the outcome

Before you can measure the results of any change, you need to know what you intend to

measure. For this reason, any success metrics or critical success factors should be proposed

when you actually define the problem or situation at the beginning of the process. These

measurements of success are usually given in the same format as the information or

evidence that supports your initial argument or description of the problem.

Additional questions that you can ask at this stage are shown below:

How will you

measure your

success?

• What metrics or KPIs can you use as a measurement?

• Who can provide you with this information?

• What else might be available to help you measure success?

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The questions given throughout this problem solving tool are a starting point for your problem solving skills only and should be amended, added to or replaced as the situation in your respective business areas.

Summary

• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving are essential skills for employees at PMI and relate

directly to the PMI Key Behaviors.

• Ensure you use some kind of problem solving tool to ensure you consider all aspects of

the process.

• Accurately diagnose the problem that you're dealing with by using some kind of RCA tool if

required.

• Ask good quality questions to get the accurate, objective assessment of the problem that

you need to resolve it effectively.

• Use a critical thinking mindset through all parts of the problem solving process.

Week 2: Time management

Activity 2.1: How to manage your priorities? (10 min)

Our workload is comprised of different tasks which have to be completed according to how

important and urgent the work is. When we receive additional work, we have to ensure that it

is also completed according to how important or urgent it may be. This requires us to be

skilled in prioritizing our work as it comes in to allow us to meet our deadlines.

There are a number of tools to help you manage the changing priorities of your workload,

some of the most common tools are the TO DO list and the IMPORTANCE VS URGENCY

grid.

TO DO list

By simply writing down the different tasks that we have to complete, we tend to become

aware of the relative importance of different pieces of work without formally prioritizing each

piece. Writing down the tasks that you have to do also makes it less likely that you will forgot

the work and once completed, it can be crossed off your list.

The list should be reviewed on a daily basis, or whenever additional tasks are added. It is also

a good practice to break down large tasks into smaller activities.

IMPORTANCE VS URGENCY grid

As the name suggests, this grid looks at how important a piece of work is, as well as how

urgent it is. When these two variables are plotted, we have a two-by-two grid with the vertical

and horizontal axes being importance and urgency respectively. A description of these

priorities is shown in the diagram below:

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Priority 2

Schedule an appropriate amount of

time on these tasks; perhaps your

most productive times of the day and

week. Put them off and these tasks

will become urgent as well as

important!

Priority 1

Give these tasks the time and

commitment that they deserve as

your top priorities. How have these

tasks become urgent?

High

importance

Low

importance

Priority 4

Think very carefully before

committing time to any of these

tasks. These can be time stealers

and we often do them because they

are easy and possibly comfortable

Priority 3

Minimize time and effort spent on

these tasks as they are not really

important. Do not let the urgency of

these tasks overshadow their lack of

importance.

Low urgency High urgency

If you find that you have too many tasks in the Priority 1, 2 or 3 boxes and insufficient time to

deal with them all, it is possible to 'move' the middle vertical and horizontal lines either up or

to the right respectively, in order to highlight the most important and urgent tasks.

Summary

• The ability to effectively manage your priorities contributes to the PMI Key Behavior of

Impact as it directly affects your drive for results.

• Use a tool to priorities your work.

• Review the priority of your work on a regular basis to ensure that you are completing the

most important or highest priority work first.

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Activity 2.2: How to manage your time effectively? (20 min)

When are you the most effective?

We all have busy schedules with many challenges and competing priorities and so the ability

to manage our time effectively can make the difference between achieving our objectives or

not. The outcome of time management is to ensure that we achieve our work and are able to

meet all of the competing demands. For this to happen, we must understand WHEN we are

the most effective and productive.

During the working week and each working day, there will naturally be peaks and troughs in

how effective we are. At our most effective times, we can produce a large volume of work

which is executed to a high standard. At other times, our workload may drop and the quality of

the work may be reduced as well.

If you are able to identify these peaks and troughs, it can allow you to plan your work routine

to ensure that you complete the highest priority or most important work when you are at your

most productive. At these times, you probably feel:

• Full of energy and alert

• Able to concentrate on work and think quickly

• Feeling quite motivated

Think back over the last few days and try to pick out any days or times when you have been

really effective or not effective. Was it during the morning or the afternoon? The beginning or

the end of the week? Specify below:

Being aware of things (such as food or stimulants such as caffeine) which impact the way you

feel can also be useful as it may allow you to modify your routine. For example, you may feel

at a ‘low’ point a short time after you've drank coffee or had a large meal. If you have an

important piece of work to do, try and avoid doing it at these ‘low’ times or modify your

caffeine or food intake to reduce the likelihood of having a ‘low’ point in the first place.

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What are your time stealers?

Another important aspect of time management is how we ensure that the available time is

used as efficiently as possible and that time wasted is reduced to a minimum. By 'waste' we

mean any activity that does not directly contribute to the work that we produce, although

many of these activities are essential parts of our daily routine such as:

• Tea, coffee or refreshment breaks

• Lunch break

• Chatting with colleagues

• Travel to and from meetings

The key challenge is to ensure that you balance the time taken for these activities to ensure

that you do not overdo them and waste valuable time.

Time stealers are activities and events that happen to you on a day-to-day basis which ‘steal’

your time and do not contribute to your overall effectiveness and productivity at work. Try to

identify these time stealers that affect you and write them in the space below:

Which tools can help you manage your time?

If you are currently having problems managing your time, the following tools may help you be

more effective or productive at work. You may also find it useful to use apps or other digital

tools that can help you manage your time effectively.

Activity Benefits

Calendar

Using your calendar to schedule meetings, appointments and other important

events will help you to be more aware of your schedule; you can also make

entries if you do not want to be disturbed. Keeping your calendar up to date

also allows others to view your availability.

Microsoft Lync 'Do

Not Disturb'

Putting a sign on your desk stating that you do not want to be disturbed may

stop some people from coming up to you unannounced, but isn't guaranteed to

work all of the time and some people may still disturb you.

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Diverting your

phone

Diverting your phone to someone else's (with their agreement) may reduce

your interruptions as will turning off your phone's ringer and turning on your

answering machine (if available).

Be aware of time Start to take more care and attention of the time; repeatedly being late for

events or meetings will have a detrimental effect on your reputation.

Find a quiet room to

work in

Moving away from your desk and finding a quiet place such as a meeting

room will help to limit interruptions, especially if you're working on an

important or complex piece of work.

'Can I get back to

you…'?

Confirming that you're busy and asking if you can get back to someone later

may stop them from giving you some extra work and will also let them know

that you're busy.

E-mail discipline Turn off the new e-mail alert on your PC/laptop and resist the temptation to

answer your new e-mails as they arrive; set aside time to answer them at

regular intervals during the day.

Summary

• The ability to effectively manage your time contributes to the PMI Key Behavior of Impact

as it directly affects your drive for results.

• Identify your productive times of the day and week – do your most important or most

difficult work then.

• Be aware of your time stealers; they may be a normal part of your working routine but they

do reduce your productivity and overall effectiveness.

• Identify appropriate time management tools for you to manage your time more effectively

and develop habits and routines around them.

Activity 2.3: How to run effective meetings? (10 min)

Part of the way that business is done in many organizations is through meetings, when

people, all with an ‘interest’ in a common subject, come together to discuss the subject, make

decisions, resolve issues, agree outcomes and identify actions or plans to move forward.

The challenge with many meetings is that they are not as effective as they can be for a

number of reasons:

• Attendance at the meeting is not managed effectively; there may be too many people

attending or some people such as key decision makers are missing.

• Outcomes for the meeting are not clearly established.

• What needs to be discussed on the meeting agenda is either not clear or is not followed

rigorously; often extra subjects are added.

• Timings of individual items is not managed well; meetings run past their timings and later

agenda items are often missed.

• Roles and responsibilities are not clearly defined resulting in poor administration.

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• Follow-on activities such as preparing and circulating minutes or completing any

subsequent actions is not done well.

In order to counter many of these issues, the following information can be used to highlight

key requirements for a meeting:

P Participants

Who needs to attend the meeting?

Who are the key influencers and decision makers that are needed?

Meet with them beforehand to engage them and gain support

O Outcome What is the purpose of the meeting? What

will be a positive outcome?

A Agenda

What needs to be discussed at the meeting?

When will the invite for agenda items and required timings be sent?

Has any pre-reading been sent out?

R Roles &

responsibilities

Who will be the chairperson, note taker, time keeper etc?

Are they aware of these roles and what is required of them?

S Subsequent

activities

When will notes or minutes of the meeting be reviewed and sent out?

Who is responsible for ensuring that subsequent activities are carried

out?

What is the date, time and location of the next meeting?

Summary:

• The ability to effectively participate in or manage meetings requires a high level of

collaborative behavior.

• Identify the key people that need to attend any meeting that you organize, especially key

decision makers and influencers.

• Ensure any meeting that you organize has a clear outcome or purpose.

• Invite agenda items (with the approximate time required) from attendees.

• Ensure that any pre-reading is circulated before the meeting to allow more effective us of

time.

• Identify key roles for meeting participants and ensure that they are aware of their

responsibilities.

• Ensure that follow-up activities and actions are carried out.

54

Week 3: Change & stress management

Activity 3.1: How to deal with change? (25 min)

At PMI, we work in a fast-paced business environment where change is a part of the everyday

routine. The ability to work with change and deal with the effects of change are key

requirements for employees. This explains why the PMI Key Behavior of Agility includes the

ability to initiate, lead and adapt to change when required. Change at PMI can come in a

whole variety of guises, ranging from small departmental changes to major business

restructures, which can affect multiple countries or functions. The personal effects of these

changes can also vary.

What are the effects of change?

Whilst change affects us all in different ways and to different degrees, there are some

common effects – described by the change curve2 – which impact our emotions and

productivity.

2 Adapted from Elisabeth Kubler-Ross Personal change and Transition Curve

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When a change occurs, people’s first reaction may be shock or denial (stage 1). They pretend

that it does not concern them or decide to ignore it. Once the reality of the change starts to

hit, negative emotions such as anger and fear can appear (stage 2). People might be

overwhelmed or feel that their job position is threatened. This stage needs to be managed

well in order to minimize the negative impact of the change. As long as people resist the

change, everyone is stuck in this unpleasant stage. If, however, people stop focusing on what

they have lost and let go ‘the old way of doing things’, they can start to explore what the

change means and eventually accept it (stage 3). With time, change is not only accepted but

also sustained. People are committed and the organization starts to benefit from the change

(stage 4).

How do you react to change?

Now that you know the types of reaction that you may experience during a change event,

think about a time when you personally were faced with change. Answer the questions below

in the space provided:

• What were your reactions?

• What caused these reactions?

• Where were you on the change curve?

• How did you move forward?

• Did anyone help you – what did they do?

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In addition to looking at the different types of reactions that we personally experience when

undergoing change, other things to consider when working with our colleagues who are

exposed to change are:

The intensity of reaction to change The speed of change

Two people may both be at the same stage of change, but may behave differently because they are having different degrees of reaction to the change. The shallower the curve is, the lower the intensity of reaction to change. As a result, negative impact is reduced.

For the same change event, some people

will be able to move through the stages of

change quicker than others. The narrower

the curve is, the faster people adapt to

change. At any given time, a team may

have members at different stages.

Change Preference Questionnaire

The questionnaire below consists of 12 statements, each with a choice of four possible

answers, which should be answered by awarding 4 points to the choice that you like the most,

3 points to your next preferred choice, 2 points to the next preferred choice and finally 1 point

to the answer that you least like.

Points awarded should be totaled on the score sheet. Then read through the four types of

reactions to change and reflect whether they are accurate.

1. Which of the following jobs is most appealing to you? Score

A Researcher

B Administrator

C Writer

D Social Worker

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2. Which of the following words is most appealing to you? Score

A Harmony

B Beauty

C Intellect

D Efficiency

3. Which of the following words is most appealing to you? Score

A Keep

B Evaluate

C Share

D Change

4. Which of the following words is most appealing to you? Score

A Idea

B Feeling

C Organization

D Fact

5. Which of the following words is most appealing to you? Score

A The right answer

B Safety first

C Go for it

D Sixth sense

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6. Which of the following words is most appealing to you? Score

A Smile and the whole world smiles with you

B If you try nothing, you gain nothing

C The facts speak for themselves

D Look before you leap

7. Someone who does not like you might describe you as: Score

A Being stuck in the mud (doing the same routine all of the time)

B Being as dry as dust (being boring)

C Wearing your heart on your sleeve (being emotionally obvious)

D Having your head in the clouds (daydreaming about what might be)

8. What is your attitude to risk – do you prefer to: Score

A Take risks

B Share risks

C Avoid risks

D Analyze risks

9. What is your attitude to change – do you prefer to: Score

A Analyze and evaluate ideas

B Implement ideas that are practical

C Generate ideas

D Look to see how ideas will affect others

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10. Which of the following actions do you prefer? Score

A Make a new friend

B Change your approach

C Have a debate

D Control the situation

11. How would you describe yourself? Score

A Practical

B Rational

C Friendly

D Imaginative

12. Someone who does not like you might describe you as: Score

A Rebellious

B Weak

C Over-cautious

D Cold

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Score sheet

Question

SC

LD

PC

PF

1

2

B A C D

D C B A

3 A B D C

4 C D A B

5 B A C D

6

7

8

9

10

D C B A

A B D C

C D A B

B A C D

D C B A

11

12

A B D C

C D A B

Total

In addition to highlighting potential behavior when exposed to change, this questionnaire can

also show your likely behavior in initiating change. For example, people with high PC and low

SC would be likely to initiate change whilst those with high SC and low PC would be more

likely to maintain the status quo.

Interpretation

Logical Detached (LD)

These people are typically unemotional and have a rational perspective on the change; they

are interested in the facts and implications of the change and try to make sense of things.

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These people tend to not challenge the nature and dimensions of the change, nor do they

consider the emotional impact on others, focusing more on the event and what it means.

Associated words: Intellect, Evaluate,Facts, Implications, Unemotional, Analyse, Answers,

Rational

Safety Control (SC)

In this mode, people typically tend to react in an emotional and self-centered way, instinctively

trying to resist the change as it disrupts their status quo. Often, people with this preference

may refuse to accept that a change exists, particularly where a sudden or traumatic change is

involved.

People in this mode tend to fight to control the environment which is under threat of change

and often focus on the negative aspects of the change, using logic to make their argument;

under extreme stress, these logical arguments often become flawed and illogical.

Associated words: Emotion, Caution, Organisation, Limit, Rejection, Self-Centred,

Resistance, Safety

People Focused (PF)

People in this group tend to accept change rather than challenge, explore or resist it;

reactions are usually at an emotional level rather than an intellectual level. Their primary

focus is generally directed to other people who are affected by change rather than themselves

and they satisfy their own needs by sharing experiences and supporting others that are

affected.

Associated words: Safety Control, Emotion, Caution, Organization, Limit, Rejection, Self

Centered, Resistance, Safety

Positive Creative (PC)

People in this group tend to enjoy change and enjoy taking risks and being a part of the future

that the change is creating. They tend to not be linked to the emotional consequences of the

change as they are too wrapped up in the dynamics of the change and exploring the

questions, ideas and possibilities that the change brings.

Associated words: Emotion, Accepting, Selfless, Care, Sensitivity, Support, Others, Touch

Summary

• Change is a constant part of life at PMI and requires every employee to be able to initiate,

lead and adapt to change (in a manner appropriate to their position).

• Change affects everyone differently.

• There are a number of possible reactions to change.

• People can experience different degrees of reaction to change.

• Some people will move quicker through the change curve than others.

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Activity 3.2: How to cope with stress? (10 min)

Competing priorities for our time (including our work/life balance) combined with high

workloads and the presence of change across the business can make the work environment

quite a stressful place. It goes without saying that the more you can manage stress and the

impact that it has on you, the better you will perform.

What is stress?

One of the widely accepted definitions suggests that stress is a condition or feeling

experienced when someone perceives that demands placed on them exceed the personal

and social resources available to deal with these demands.

Many people suggest that a certain level of stress can have a positive effect as it allows you

to stay focused on what you're doing and can motivate you to perform well. The challenge is

to maintain stress at a level which does not adversely affect you. The other complication here

is that people handle stress differently and what might be an acceptable level of stress for one

person may have an adverse effect on another person.

What are the causes of stress?

Whilst there are many different things which can cause stress, they can largely be broken

down into the following causes:

• Work issues – workload, problems

• Relationship issues in work – manager, colleagues

• Personal issues outside of work

What are the signs and symptoms of stress?

Before we can effectively manage stress, we must first be able to recognize that we're under

stress. This means that knowing some of the more common signs and symptoms of stress

might be useful:

• Irritability, short temper, mood swings

• Isolating yourself from others

• Inability to concentrate, reduced memory

• Anxious, agitated, unable to relax

• Overly pessimistic or negative

• Nervous habits (nail biting, tics, pacing around)

• Increased use of alcohol, cigarettes or perhaps drugs

• Change in sleeping pattern, feeling tired

• Feeling overwhelmed and unhappy

• Change in dietary habits

• Increase in minor ailments

It should be noted that not everyone will experience all of the symptoms mentioned above

and some of them may be difficult to spot in other people.

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How to manage your stress?

We all experience stress in different ways and to different amounts, so there is no ‘one cure

fits all’ for stress and what might work for one person may not work for another. The key here

is to find out what stress management or stress relief tools work for you and to make sure that

you use them when you recognize that your stress level is increasing. Longer term activities

are often based around changing your lifestyle and typically increase your tolerance of stress.

Immediate / short term activities Long term activities

• Recognize and accept that you may be

under stress and identify the causes;

share with others if appropriate to let them

know – they may be able to help

• Recognize events which trigger stress or

emotional reactions in you and avoid them

wherever possible

• Maintain productive working relationship

with others and resolve conflict wherever

possible (in and out of work)

• Ensure that you understand and manage

other people's expectations of you

• Organize and prioritize your workload

• Don't over commit yourself – manage your

time effectively

• Ensure you have regular breaks away

from your desk and computer (even if it

just to drink a glass of water)

• Speak to your manager or colleagues and

ask for their assistance if appropriate,

especially if your relationship with them is

the source of the stress

• Increase exercise levels

• Eat a healthy diet

• Reduce your intake of caffeine and

alcohol and increase your water intake

• Avoid working late at night (to allow your

brain to 'wind down') and ensure you get

enough 'quality' sleep

• Take up a hobby or pastime (to stimulate

you in other ways)

• Spend more time with people who make

you feel good about yourself

• Develop the ability to see the positive side

of things

These lists are not exhaustive and further information on managing stress is widely available

on the internet. The ability to manage your stress level is also an important part of Emotional

Intelligence, so being able to better manage stress will also increase your levels of EI.

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Circles of Control and Influence

A cause of stress in some people is the need to manage, control or influence things which are

beyond their capability to do so. A simple way of representing this is to consider things that

are:

• Completely within our control

• Within our power to influence the outcome (but not control it)

• Completely outside of our direct control and influence

Circle of Control:

Anything where you have total control of the outcome

Circle of Influence:

Anything where you can influence the outcome

Focus your attention on what you can control or have influence over. Everything else is

outside of your control or influence, hence time spent trying to address these issues will be

wasted.

Summary

• Stress is always present in our daily lives – sometimes it helps us stay focused, other

times it degrades our performance.

• Stress affects us in different ways – what may not be stressful for you might have quite an

effect on someone else.

• Identify tools which help you to deal with your levels of stress.

• Consider making any lifestyle changes to help increase your tolerance to stress.

• Focus your energy and attention on things you can control or influence rather than wasting

on those you can't.

Activity 3.3: Online quiz (15-20 min)

As for WORKSHOP 1, you are asked to pass the online assessment which will be sent to you

via Outlook prior to Workshop 2. There are 10 questions. To complete it successfully, you

need a score of 70%.

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Week 4: Prepare your group presentation

You should have already arranged a meeting with your group. Get together with your group

members and discuss how you will present the topic to which you have been assigned during

WORKSHOP 1. On the next pages are the instructions for each group.

Here are a few rules:

• All participants must be involved during the presentation.

• You can use the powerpoint slides provided by your facilitator, but you don’t have to.

• Keep within the time allotted to your group.

• Follow the instructions that correspond to your topic (see below). Use the provided slides

only as suggestions

We look forward to seeing your presentations!

The Delivering@PMI team

66

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE ‘CRITICAL THINKING’ GROUP

Duration: 15 min

Number of PowerPoint slides: 5-8 slides (check with your facilitator to get a copy)

The group is expected to cover the following points (using the content that was presented

during week 1):

• Why is critical thinking important?

• How can we think critically?

o Explain the difference between facts, opinions, assumptions and biases.

o Mention that to be a critical thinker, we need to:

• Separate facts from opinions and make decisions based on facts (rather than

opinions)

• Assess the accuracy of facts

• Be aware of any assumptions that we make and correct them if necessary.

• Be aware of our personal values and biases so as to be able to challenge them

when necessary.

• Review and reassess our point of view and consider other more accurate and

objective viewpoints.

• Give at least one concrete example of critical thinking. Please use a different

example to the one given on week 1 (i.e. the conversation between an

employee and a critical thinker).

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE ‘PROBLEM SOLVING’ GROUP

Duration: 20 min

Number of PowerPoint slides: 10-14 slides (check with your facilitator to get a copy)

The group is expected to explain the DOSIM tool (using the content that was presented

during week 1):

• D – Define the situation gather information on the current situation by:

o Performing a root cause analysis (RCA) using the 5 WHYs

o Asking any additional questions

• O – Options available generate options by:

o Brainstorming (idea generation, reality check, fault

finding + ground rules) o Asking any additional questions

• S – Solution choice choose a solution by: o Using the 80:20 Principle o Using the

Weighted Factor Analysis o Asking any additional questions

• I – Implement solution execute your chosen solution by defining a project timeline,

roles, resources, methodology, deliverables, etc.

• M – Measure success define KPIs and critical success factors to measure results

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INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE ‘TIME MANAGEMENT’ GROUP

Duration: 15 min

Number of PowerPoint slides: 5-8 slides (check with your facilitator to get a copy)

The group is expected to cover the following points (using the content that was presented

during week 2):

• Explain how to manage priorities by using:

▪ A TO DO list

▪ An IMPORTANCE VS URGENCY grid

▪ Give an example of how YOU manage your priorities

▪ Explain how to manage time effectively by: Identifying WHEN we are the most

effective so as to accomplish important tasks during that time

▪ Identifying WHAT are time stealers and HOW to avoid them – give examples

▪ Using time management tools – do not limit yourself to the list we gave you and give

examples of tools that you use personally (if any)

Group challenge: Involve your audience during your presentation. For example:

• When presenting the IMPORTANCE VS URGENCY grid, ask participants which quadrant

corresponds to which priority.

• Ask participants how THEY manage their priorities.

• Ask participants if there are morning or afternoon persons.

• Share your time stealers and ask participants of if they have similar ones. If they do, do

they have other ways to avoid them? If they don’t, what are their time stealers?

• Do they have tools that they would recommend to manage time effectively? Digital apps?

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE ‘CHANGE MANAGEMENT’ GROUP

Duration: 15 min

Number of PowerPoint slides: 5-8 slides (check with your facilitator to get a copy)

The group is expected to cover the following points (using the content that was presented

during week 3):

• Explain the four stages of the change curve

• Explain what a ‘shallower’ and ‘narrower’ curve means

• Describe two change events that you personally

went through (at least one should be work-related). • How did you react? • How did your change curve look? • How did you move forward?

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WORKSHOP 2

If you have any questions on what you did so far, please record them so that we can discuss /

answer them during WORKSHOP 2.

PHASE 1 PHASE 2 PHASE 3 PHASE 4 PHASE 5

ENTRY TICKET 1

(1h/week)

WORKSHOP 1

(1.5 days)

ENTRY TICKET 2

(1h/week)

WORKSHOP 2

(1.5 days)

FOLLOW-UP

(3 months)

Week 1

Personal values, behavioral styles & learning styles

Week 2

Personal SWOT analysis & Learning@PMI

Week 3

Communication, listening & feedback

(including quiz 1)

Day 1

• Understanding

ourselves

• Learning@PMI • Working with

others

Day 2 (half-day)

• Clear

communication

• Active listening • Useful feedback

Week 1

Critical thinking & problem solving

Week 2

Time management

Week 3

Change & stress management

(including quiz 2)

Week 4

Group presentation

Day 1

• Critical thinking • Problem solving • Time management

• Effective

meetings • Change & stress

management

Day 2 (half-day)

• Start leading • Grow your

network • Level 1 evaluation

with EE

• Pass it on! • Commitment

board & ice

bucket challenge • Level 2

evaluation with

EE • Level 3

evaluation with

EE & Mgr • Additional

resources

Certification

FOLLOW-UP

Final assessment & pass it on!

This final assessment (called Level 2 evaluation) is for you to check how much you’ve learned

so far. You must pass it within two weeks after WORKSHOP 2 and it will be sent via Outlook

message. It consists of 20 questions covering the entire learning journey. You need a score of

70% to complete it successfully.

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We also ask you to ‘pass it on’ by sharing your takeaways from this program with someone

who has not yet attended….what did you like, what would they gain by attending?

Commitment board & ice bucket challenge

As mentioned at the very beginning of the learning journey, your manager does have a

responsibility to support and encourage you in your development. However, you ultimately

have control of whether you want to learn and develop yourself further.

The ‘Delivering@PMI’ journey has covered a lot of different topics, all of them designed to

support your career at PMI, either by helping you deliver in your current role at the Manage

Self career stage or by identifying activities that, if regularly completed, will enable you to

progress your career in the future.

At the end of WORKSHOP 2, you should have committed yourself to at least one

‘Delivering@PMI’ topic or area for development. If you haven’t, do so now by answering these

questions:

• What are your key learnings from the ‘Delivering@PMI’ learning journey?

• How will you apply this learning back in your workplace to improve your performance?

• What is one thing you can commit to working on conscientiously right away?

• How will you measure success? How can you report back to the others from the

workshop?

Over the next two months, we expect you to apply whatever you have decided to commit

yourself to and report back to the other participants. Will you ask for feedback? Will you be

running an effective meeting? Will you adapt to change? Will you work to be a more active

listener? Will you tackle problems differently?

We will initiate an ice bucket challenge for you to showcase your skills!

Evaluation with you and you manager

Two months after WORKSHOP 2, we will contact you and your manager to check whether

you are applying what you have learned or if you are encountering difficulties and need more

support. This is called the Level 3 evaluation.

Additional resources

Throughout this learning journey, we provided you with some hints, tips, tools and activities

that you can use on a regular basis to help you deliver in your role and support your career at

PMI. Once again, only you can apply this material on a day-to-day basis to improve your

performance.

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If you would like to explore even further, here is a list of additional resources to explore:

We wish you all the best on your Delivering@PMI Journey!

The Delivering@PMI Team