JUNE, 2010

In This Issue…
· Influencing Without Authority: Part 1
· Industry News
· ProjectBrief Blog: What's On Your Sponsorship Short List?
· MS Project Tip: Certification Program for MS Project
· Project A to B: The Differences Between a PMO and COE
· Industry Events
· Featured Course: Influencing Without Authority
· Upcoming Courses
· Featured Webinar: The Center of Excellence, Jun. 22
· Win a FREE Seat at BA World: Minneapolis
· CBAP® Preparation Flashcards Now Available

Influencing Without Authority: Rev Up Your Internal Consulting Skills
Part 1: Why Don't We Have More Influence?

by Elizabeth Larson, PMP, CBAP, CSM and
Richard Larson, PMP, CBAP

It was an honor to be quoted in PM Network magazine on the subject of “influencing without authority”. It inspired us to update our past article on the subject, and create a 2-part series to explore this always-timely topic.
—Rich Larson

How often have you met with business clients to plan a project or elicit their requirements only to have them provide you with their solution? And because they have already given their solution, they can't understand why you want to spend any time shaping the product or defining their requirements! Or, perhaps your sponsor or business clients are at the opposite end of the spectrum. They may be overly busy, stressed-out, and distracted, and again don't have time to define their real needs, or to articulate their detailed requirements.

This two-part article addresses these common quandaries by making a case for a consultative approach to better provide internal clients what they truly need and want. The framework is straightforward, yet reduces the amount of time you hear these dreaded words from clients: “Oh, darn, you gave me what I asked for!” It offers tips on how to respectfully question key stakeholders about their real needs and provides recommendations that best meet their business objectives. All in all, the benefits of this approach are to reduce the amount of rework on projects, improving client satisfaction, and saving time and money.

Read This Article

Rich Larson Quoted in PM Network Magazine

Rich Larson, PMP, CBAP, principal of Watermark Learning, was quoted in PM Network magazine in an article on influencing without authority. This article discusses the importance of project managers to act as consultants to dig for the 'why' behind projects and how they can better position themselves to take a leadership role.

Read This Article

ProjectBrief™ Blog

An online forum where business analysts and project managers can read, share, interact, and swap tips and ideas.

May 28th Post:
What's On Your Sponsorship Short List?
What is it with sponsorship? If I had a nickel for every story I heard in the classroom about poor or completely non-existent (!) sponsorship, I'd be writing this blog from somewhere more exotic than my cube. Sponsors who aren't available for meetings. Sponsors who don't have time to read reports. Sponsors the project manager never sees. Ever. Who is driving the project train here?

Read Post

Microsoft's Certification Program for MS Project

by Jim Clayton, Microsoft Certified for Office Suite and MS Project

In class I am frequently asked about Microsoft's certification program for MS Project. In this tip I discuss this certification and useful internet resources that are available to help you in getting certified.

Read This Tip

Eavesdropping On the
Chat Wire

Listen in on a chat between Andrea Brockmeier and Bob Prentiss on all things Project Management and Business Analysis. This month they discuss the differences between a PMO and COE.

Read This IM Chat

Business Analysis Fundamentals
June 28-30 (Minneapolis, MN)
July 20-22 (Chicago, IL)

Data Modeling
July 12-13 (Chicago, IL)

Eliciting Business Requirements
June 23-24 (Minneapolis, MN)
July 28-29 (Chicago, IL)

Facilitation Skills Workshop
July 19-20 (Minneapolis, MN)

Influencing Without Authority
June 21-22 (Minneapolis, MN)

Microsoft® Project for Project Managers
June 23-24 (St. Paul, MN)

Planning and Managing Requirements
July 6-7 (Minneapolis, MN)
July 26-27 (Chicago, IL)

PMP® Certification Preparation
July 26-28 (Minneapolis, MN)

Project Management Fundamentals
June 14-16 (Minneapolis, MN)

Software Testing Fundamentals
July 14-15 (Chicago, IL)

VIEW FULL PUBLIC CLASS SCHEDULE

FEATURED WEBINAR
	The Center of Excellence: Creating Measurable and Manageable Maturing...Your Way
June 22 • 1-2 pm (CDT) Presented by: Bob Prentiss, CBAP Are you ready for Business Analysis or Project Management Maturity? Have you toyed with the idea of creating a Center of Excellence? The COE is a powerful model to help mature your organization and the concept applies to any discipline and not just the BAs and PMs (from QA to Development to Management and more). This webinar will explore the goals of maturity, maturity models and how to measure and manage that maturity—your way.

HOT NEW PRODUCT!
	CBAP® Preparation Flashcards Now Available!
Recently updated, these colorful, sturdy flashcards cover the most important BABOK® terms and techniques. Over 300 cards to help you drill and learn the central concepts for the CBAP® exam, and help you finalize your exam preparation. Color-coded by BABOK® Knowledge Area, the set also includes several blank cards so you can create your own flashcards and customize your study. Order your set today!

CBAP Certification Preparation

“The CBAP Certification Preparation class was very helpful to me. The class provided me with tools to break down the BABOK into logical pieces for memorization. After the class, I had two weeks until my test. I could not have memorized the information in that time period without the helpful methods taught in the class. The practice exams were also helpful to me as a means to measure how well I was retaining the information and the areas that I needed to study more. The suggestion that we 'dump' everything we had memorized was most helpful. By the time I was near the end of the test my brain was so tired that it was nice to refer to what I had written down with a rested brain.”

—Janet Justice, NACCO Materials Handling Group, Inc.

Read More Testimonials