To become an outstanding project manager and not to burn out

My course will teach you how to manage projects in a God mode) I will tell you how difficult and dangerous the career of a project manager is in a dynamic and intense manner. Besides this, I will also provide you with recommendations and tools to apply the acquired knowledge in your practice today. I will share the life hacks that will allow you to avoid customer complaints like some bullets in Matrix)

There will be no boring lectures about methodologies and terminology. You will hear no morals or trite banalities. I will give you only the essence as it is, many practical issues and analyses of fuckups I have seen and made over my eight-year experience of leading a team of project managers. I should also mention that the basic material is aimed to fulfil projects on customer demand (outsourcing). Nevertheless, this material’s major part will also be suitable for managing the company’s internal projects.

Now push the button and GO!

1. About the speaker and his projects

2. Introduction to the profession and main skills

3. Starting the project:

   1. Budget and deadlines

   2. Agreement

   3. Customers requirements

   4. Development methodology (Waterfall (incl. hybrid), Agile/Scrum)

   5. Gantt Chart

   6. Kanban board (Trello)

4. What one should think over beforehand:

   1. Versioning storage system (GIT)

   2. Interrelation analysis

   3. Code documentation

   4. The initial project is 80% of completion

   5. Work speed

   6. User-friendly administration

   7. Solution versatility

   8. Project architecture/code purity

5. Project documentation (with examples):

   1. Specification (links to concepts)

   2. Functional Tasks

   3. Concepts

   4. Design brief

   5. Content scheme

   6. Rules of developing a functional task (example)

   7. The universality of proposed solutions and their cost

   8. The complication of project documentation in the course of discussion

   9. Not to forget to discuss with the client

   10. PM life hacks

6. Project management process:

   1. Freelance letter structure

   2. One and a half rule

   3. Production schedule

   4. Gantt Chart

   5. Daily report (sample)

   6. Intermediate testing

   7. Code review organization

   8. Hands-on principle

   9. Poor management

   10. Communication with the client

   11. Working with additions and changes

   12. Tracking changes

7. Testing:

   1. “I am not a tester”

   2. Testing scenario

   3. Testing checklist

   4. Working with a tester

   5. Developments from testing

   6. Testing methodologies: boundary values, loading, and A/B test

8. Project delivery:

   1. List of bugs and wishes

   2. List of tasks for free execution and signing of the protocol

   3. User’s instruction

   4. Backup

   5. Questionnaire for the customer

9. Maintenance:

   1. The free technical support period

   2. Maintenance period

   3. Task classification and response time

   4. Support schedule

   5. Dev → Release Test → Prerelease → Release Work

   6. Estimating the plan and fact specialists’ time

   7. Monthly reports

   8. Time conditions

   9. Shifting from outsourcing to outstaffing model

10. Dealing with contractors:

    1. Formation of a team

    2. Work with full-time and freelance specialists

    3. Planning and estimating tasks

    4. The climate in your team

    5. Technical literacy

    6. Accounts and accesses

    7. Confirmation letter

    8. Risks and preliminary measures

11. Working with the client:

    1. Selling your expertise

    2. Rules of comunication

    3. Planning deadlines

    4. Not always agreeing with a customer

    5. Informing about your mistake

    6. Leaving the chat room with the team

    7. Documents approval

    8. Working with tough clients

    9. Communication management

12. Crisis management:

    1. Knowing the project is going to hell

    2. The “red flags” of customer dissatisfaction

    3. Global nature of errors

    4. Working with missed deadlines

    5. Maximum combat readiness

    6. List of tasks and setting priorities

    7. Processing of customer’s complaints

    8. Effective types of communication

    9. Putting the fire down and searching for the arsonist

    10. Analysis of reasons and solutions

    11. Increase the loyalty and get some extra tasks

    12. Planning the top-priority / time-limited project

    13. Risk mitigation plan

    14. Responsibility for customer losses

    15. Draw conclusions and reflect on the development rules

13. Soft skills:

    1. Top 5 time management rules

    2. Ways of effective communication

    3. Basic sales skills

    4. Work-life balance and burning out

    5. Project profit vs period of its implementation

    6. Theory of constraint: the narrow neck

    7. Data exchange: tips & tricks

14. Useful software:

    1. For simultaneous work

    2. Kanban boards

    3. Drawing a design

    4. Communication tools

    5. Gantt Charts tools

    6. Password generation and storage

Who this course is for:

• Students of IT faculties
• Junior and Middle project managers
• Managers responsible for internal company’s projects
• Managers willing to change their professional orientation