Author: Ian Stokes
Publisher: Gower Publishing
Size: 325 pages
‘Skills and Principles’ is volume one of a three-part series published by Gower, and is designed to offer a complete course structure and supporting materials to trainers delivering basic management skills as part of a wider project management syllabus.
The author, Ian Stokes was involved in many of the major areas of project management before moving into the training sector, where he was involved in developing corporate training packages.
My initial feeling about the book was that it is well presented in a secure and professionally designed A4 four-hole folder. Printing is large-font, which makes the text easy to read for most users and is set out in an uncluttered way, which not only increases the accessibility, but also makes it easy to refer to while presenting the material. The folder has enough space for additional loose-leaf sheets to be added if necessary and there is plenty of space in the margin for the trainer to make notes or add timings and keywords.
Volume one consists of thirty-nine modular action-centred learning activities, separated into five specific themes and based on the timings, is clearly designed to form a one-week introductory training course.
The volume is set out in a simple format:
Introduction to the volume – principles and activities
- Part 1 – Project management principles
- Part 2 – Setting objectives and assessing requirements
- Part 3 – Creativity and problem solving
- Part 4 – Communication, negotiation and co-ordination
- Part 5 – Motivation, teamwork and leadership
Every part carries a separate introduction and is then sub-divided into seven or eight activities, which follow the daily themes closely, but could easily be used standalone, to target specific learning needs.
Activities are designed to explore the relevant learning area, develop relationships within the team and encourage team members to learn more about themselves and colleagues. A consistent ‘lesson plan’ format is used for every activity and each has specific aims and learning objectives to be carried out by the student group.
Activities are structured in the following format:
- Activity title and number
- Description of the activity
- Application of the activity, justification why the activity is important
- The aims of the session
- Trainer guidance on how the session should be run
- Method of briefing the group.
- Learning messages, questions that the groups should be challenged with.
- Typical timing for the exercise to be carried out fully.
- Materials required for the session.
- Session-specific handouts.
This structure allows the trainer to become familiar with the material quickly, making the relevant information easy to locate.
Even if students have completed management skills training before, the exercises are highly relevant to project teams as they are designed to bond the team and start members working together in a positive and constructive way.
Although the volume initially seems costly at £100, the loose-leaf format allows group activities to be copied without destroying the binding, so the package should last a reasonable amount of time and therefore provide reasonable value for money.
As a project manager I would find the material particularly useful in the early stages of forming a project team, to assist in building relationships between members and setting early standards for the group.
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