Delivering projects when you aren’t a formal project manager presents unique challenges. Without the training or authority that typically comes with the role, you may face several obstacles that can impact the success of the project. Fundamental project management training … Continue reading
The magic ingredients behind great Project Managers
As you start working in projects, it’s tempting to think that all you need to do is buy some expensive project management software and – snap! – the project will be an overnight success! Sadly – while there is a … Continue reading
Projects – maximise your potential
By Trish Thirley, Master Trainer Project Management A common question on our project management workshops is, “With masses of competing demands for my time, how can I maximise my potential?” I’d recommend the following three key ‘focus points’: Start slow … Continue reading
What to do when resources are cut from your project
In the current climate, nothing is certain. Project management is all about dealing with this uncertainty and risk. Projects deliver the future so you need to be flexible, agile and deliver the right outcomes (repeatedly). To do this, you need … Continue reading
Giving a project update
Gilly Meek, Accredited Think on Your Feet® Trainer Project updates are a key part of landing projects successfully – it’s really important to keep stakeholders updated on progress. The way you deliver your updates can be the difference between your … Continue reading
Time and people, the ingredients of project success
By Trish Thirley, Master Trainer Project Management The saying goes, “You’ve got the same hours in the day as Einstein, Mozart or Ghandi – so don’t tell me you don’t have time!” A common question on our project management workshops … Continue reading
Waterfall or Agile? How will you manage your projects?
Research shows that the majority of projects spend more time and money than estimated, and many also fail to meet customer needs accurately too. This means delivering poor customer value, and low confidence in project success. Many organisations are struggling … Continue reading
Make your projects work
By Trish Thirley, Master Trainer Project Management Often, the word ‘project’ elicits a groan from managers and staff alike. Overrunning, overspending or just not happening! Those are the typical pain points that our clients share with us when we talk … Continue reading
Creativity throughout an organisation
We all know that change is happening more often and faster than ever before! Organisations have to be innovative, whether they’re responding to change or driving it. They’ll need to innovate at all levels and in all functions to be … Continue reading
Getting your message across when presenting
By Richard White – Master Trainer: Think on Your Feet®, Writing Dynamics™ and Grammar on the Rocks™. Most people are very nervous about public speaking and giving presentations. There are a number of ways to deal with nerves in our … Continue reading
Getting your message across when writing
By Richard White – Master Trainer: Think on Your Feet®, Writing Dynamics™ and Grammar on the Rocks™. We’ve all been writing for most of our lives and have developed our own style and method. Most of us probably haven’t questioned … Continue reading
Getting your message across in conversations
By Richard White – Master Trainer: Think on Your Feet®, Writing Dynamics™ and Grammar on the Rocks™. Conversations, unlike formal presentations and written documents, give no time to prepare how to get our message across. In conversations, we can’t try … Continue reading
Engaging stakeholders
The skills required to understand, engage, manage and communicate with stakeholders. By Trish Thurley, Indigo Master Trainer and Richard Evans Stakeholder management can be the difference between success and failure for anyone who has to deal with other people. Who … Continue reading
Three challenges Managing Projects™ helps to solve:
The frustration of never-ending projects that drag on and drag you down. Stops ‘risk’ from being a chore, making it your best ally for saving time and effort. Avoids the pain and humiliation of failure, by ensuring success. Tips Use … Continue reading
Raise your productivity
By Trish Thurley, Master Trainer Project Management “UK productivity gap widens to worst level since records began – growing gulf means UK workers produce significantly less per hour than G7 average”. The Guardian, Feb 2016. It’s a real concern for … Continue reading
Ready, set, go – does your organisation support projects?
By Trish Thurley, Project Management Master Trainer Virtually anyone in business today will be working on some kind of project, most being initiated by someone more superior to us. They may be large, with multiple colleagues in a project team, … Continue reading
Research: Supporting the management of change
Change is something that we are all experiencing more often. Any kind of project will initiate some kind of change, whether that’s a change to the way you communicate with clients to a restructure of a team. It’s important for … Continue reading
Reducing project failure… an article for Project Sponsors
Projects are a great way to manage change. But with more and more projects clamouring for the same resources, some are likely to fail. Add increased pace, increasing levels of complexity and ambiguity, and achieving project success becomes extremely difficult. … Continue reading
Project management for non-project managers
Project management, a profession for some – for others, it’s a requirement as well as their day job, no matter what role or level of seniority. As a marketer I manage projects on a daily basis, having never been project … Continue reading
Change – is inevitable…
Change in business is constant. The 2016 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, in Davos, focused on ‘employment, skills and human capital’. It found that successful organisations need to ensure their employees have the skills to be able to innovate, evaluate … Continue reading
Before starting a project…
We’ve heard from our clients that no matter what the individual’s role, they will have projects to look after. Large or small, simple or complex, these individuals are often not project management qualified. This is presenting a challenge for organisations … Continue reading
DO sweat the small stuff – why detail makes all the difference to project success…
Written by Robert Fisher – 10.06.2015 Even if you are not familiar with cycling, you will no doubt know who Sir Bradley Wiggins is, or at least recognise the name. After his success of winning the Tour de France and … Continue reading
Clients take Indigo everywhere.
With 2015 looking like being the busiest in our 14 year history, Indigo has witnessed a major upturn in the number of international workshops we’ve been invited to run. Recent training projects have taken us to Saudi Arabia, Bangalore, New York, Sydney, Singapore (to name just a few) and many cities throughout Europe. But what has been behind this trend? We think there are a couple of fundamental reasons: Continue reading
Calculate the readability of your documents.
Everyone loves a clear and concise document. What’s more, the easier your document is to read, the more likely your message will be understood and actioned. The Fog Index is a simple way you can assess how accessible your writing is. Follow these simple steps to calculate you readability statistics. Continue reading
Bridging the Oil & Gas Project Management skills gap
There are other areas where we need to explore new ideas and agree the best way forward, for example in filling positions in disciplines such as design engineering and project management, which are proving the most difficult to fill. Continue reading
Surviving Projects in the Oil & Gas Industry with Stephen Carver
This highly practical, engaging and interactive workshop focuses on the skills and behaviours that make Project Managers and teams highly effective. In adition to the workshop, we are proud to announce Stephen Carver – a globally renowned Project & Programme Management expert – will be streamed live for an interactive Q&A session. Continue reading
Love from Indigo – your Valentine gift from us…
With love in the air, and as Valentine’s Day approaches, we at Indigo would like to share the love by giving you a heart warming 20% off selected open workshops – but only for the next 48 hours. There are 27 open … Continue reading
Lean project management – isn’t that the point?
When an organisation needs to make a strategic improvement, it needs to flex its project management muscles. Good project managers get to work defining and planning the project – identifying key deliverables. The deliverables are the benefits that will be … Continue reading
Your project’s failed – You’re fired!
With the Apprentice TV programme in full flow on the BBC, I could not resist using this headline for my latest blog. However, this is not an uncommon response in the real world! Projects are often high risk low reward. Often, if your projects are a success, you are then tasked with a new, higher risk project, with little praise for your success to date! If (as many can be) you have an unsuccessful project, it can be expensive and embarrassing! Continue reading
It ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you do it
Bill Barnett – 8th May 2013 I had a fantastic day training yesterday, courtesy of my good friends at Indigo, playing on their “Stakeholder Engagement (including Simulation)™” simulator. The simulator is a great piece of kit, which actually takes participants … Continue reading
The Indigo Simulations Webinar: Playing computer games at work improves your management skills.
We are thrilled to announce there are a few more places available at our free “The Managing Stakeholders Simulation Webinar on the 6th November at 2pm. The webinar gives an overview of our globally delivered Managing Stakeholders simulation, demonstrates why Simulations are the cutting edge of management development, and lets you see the simulations process itself. Registration for this unique event is completely free of charge. Simply book your place at this event by going to: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/571774966 Continue reading
Free Webinars – Indigo’s “try before you buy” series.
In these cost conscious times, and with travel budgets being cut, we appreciate that it is often difficult to get approval to attend a workshop, without a full understanding of how it will meet your training requirements, and link to your companies strategic plan. For this reason we have created a number of free webinars to help you gain a clear understanding of our events, before you decide which one to attend. Continue reading
Want to learn how to survive projects? Free Webinar: 19th Ocotber 2011 – 2pm GMT
To give you an overview of our Project Management Survival Guide™ workshop, we are running a free webinar. You can watch the webinar from the comfort of your desk on the 19th October 2011 between 2pm and 3pm GMT. Continue reading
Is there an elephant in the office? Eat it!
Occasionally you will be asked to lead enormous projects of epic proportions. The problem is the bigger the project; the more complex they become, in every possible way. From the number of intended deliverables to the budget, to the breadth and importance of stakeholders; these are what I call ‘Elephant Sized Projects.’
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YES! Indigo help science and commerce mix at London’s County Hall
Indigo sponsor Environment YES 2010 – An innovative competition harnessing the best science brains with commercial know-how. Continue reading
Mastering Skills
Skill, innovation, Edward de Bono, communication, Project Management Continue reading
Lean project management – isn’t that the point?
When an organisation needs to make a strategic improvement, it needs to flex its project management muscles. Good project managers get to work defining and planning the project – identifying key deliverables. The deliverables are the benefits that will … Continue reading
Delivering the Olympic “Project” – London watches Beijing
Stopping for a quick bite to eat at the Indigo offices on Friday, I caught a glimpse of the lavish opening ceremony of the Beijing’s Olympic Games, confidently playing out its carefully choreographed scenes on the TV in our office … Continue reading
Avoiding the pitfalls and risks with project management!
I recently came across a series of quotes regarding project management and thought I would share them! In essence, they take a humorous angle to the potential risks with project management. Enjoy! – “A badly planned project will take three … Continue reading
