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APMP Training Courses

APMP is now known as APM PMQ (Project Management Qualification) so for the most up-to-date information see our APM PMQ Courses page. This qualification can boost your career prospects providing new opportunities in the project profession. It is a knowledge-based and competence-based course of study so you will learn the practical skills that can be immediately […]

Added: 16th May 2022 Read More

Emotional Intelligence – A Project Manager’s Best Asset?

Emotional Intelligence can be described as the capability to be aware of your emotions, knowing how to express them and control them effectively. It also involves being able to empathetically and judiciously handle interpersonal relationships. There have been a number of studies that have proven how critical Emotional Intelligence is to professional and personal success. […]

Added: 2nd May 2022 Read More

5 Barriers To Communications And How To Overcome Them

5 barriers to communications are:       1. The environment in which the communication takes place is one of the barriers to communication. Work environment such as noise and temperature might affect communications in certain circumstances. The project manager, therefore, must ensure that the work environment is comfortable to everyone and that it will […]

Added: 21st April 2022 Read More

Cyber Security: Yet Another Task for Project Managers?

Updated April 2022 Anyone who has worked as a project manager knows that the array of tasks that fall to the project manager is seemingly endless. Risk management, time management, people management, budgeting, motivational and diplomacy skills are just some of what a project manager needs to tackle in order to successfully manage a project. […]

Added: 18th April 2022 Read More

Project Initiation – A Practical Guide

In our practical guide to project initiation, we will look at how you can achieve these, as well as some of the things you should be considering for your first project meeting and, of course, those all-important questions you really should ask at the start of any new project. Having put in the groundwork for […]

Added: 11th April 2022 Read More

Project Planning Techniques

This post was originally written back in 2014 but was updated in April 2022. Fundamental project planning techniques have changed little during that time but many of the tools we now use have changed, and our best-practise knowledge has expanded immeasurably over that time. A project plan is the glue which will hold a project […]

Added: 7th April 2022 Read More

Performing A Swot Analysis To Improve Teamwork

SWOT Analysis is a technique used frequently in project management to assist with decision-making. It is useful for project planning and risk management of complex projects and, as a consequence, it can also help to improve teamwork within a project team. The acronym SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. These terms indicate that […]

Added: 24th March 2022 Read More

A complete guide to project scope

Defining the scope of your project clearly will help you to effectively manage stakeholder expectations, ensuring that all of the elements of the project are aligned with the objectives, therefore, increasing the chances of your project being a success. Because of this, the project scope is a critical part of project management to understand. Read […]

Added: 28th February 2022 Read More

Attending project management training in Manchester

Located in the North-West of England, Manchester is a thriving commercial hub and one of the biggest cities in the country. As a location to attend a project management training course, Manchester has everything that you could possibly need.  Transport Thanks to its substantial transport network, Manchester is easy to get to. It has its […]

Added: 18th February 2022 Read More

Mindful listening for project managers

Communication is one of those vital project management skills; it involves information being transmitted between a sender and a receiver. It is the sender who gives the message – by whatever means – and the receiver who either gets the message verbally or in written form. The success of communication relies on the words themselves […]

Added: 16th February 2022 Read More

Jan Underdown – Project Manager Interview

Jan Underdown has over 20 years’ experience in project and change management via consultancy, training and education, having started her career within human resource management in the hospitality industry.  During this time Jan developed, implemented and managed Trainee Management Programmes for the De Vere Group. Jan’s project management career evolved through managing the development and […]

Added: 14th February 2022 Read More

New APM Project Management Qualification Hybrid Course for 2022: 5 Days in 5 Weeks

What is Hybrid Learning Parallel has over ten years of experience delivering virtual project management training, but for the past two years, we have been providing pure virtual training, and we have learned what works best for the 7th edition of the APM Body of Knowledge. Today we are launching a new flexible hybrid approach […]

Added: 2nd February 2022 Read More

Stressed Project Team? Here Are 4 Quick Calming Tips

The world of work can be an incredibly stressful place at times. Here are our 4 top quick tips for when your project team is stressed. The workplace is a stressful environment, and despite the huge improvements in technology that really should make things easier, they seem to have become even more stressful. Businesses, and […]

Added: 2nd February 2022 Read More

Project Managers – Importance Of Good Body Language

Body language is incredibly important in many areas of work life, yes, even for project managers so we should understand how important it is in relation to all aspects of our working life. Here we look at the 8 different elements of body language.   Professional training courses for project managers teach you skills, and […]

Added: 20th January 2022 Read More

How to Pass Your Project Management Course with Flying Colours

Whether you already work in the field of project management or are looking at this as a new direction for your career, you will undoubtedly have come across the wide range of project management courses you could study. For many people, particularly those who are already undertaking a role successfully in the workplace it can […]

Added: 19th January 2022 Read More

Project Burnout – How To Spot It And How To Stop It

Being a project manager is a fast paced and highly demanding job. So, there’s no surprise that burnout can occur. Detecting signs of burnout is not something typically taught on a project managers training course but, nevertheless, it could be important. Even if you are using a controlled approach to managing your projects and consider yourself to […]

Added: 12th January 2022 Read More

Could Combining Traditional and Agile Methods Lead To More Successful Projects?

There are many different ways to approach managing a project, including hybrid project management. The best approach will partly depend on the type of project, the type of organisation and even the personal attitudes of the project manager. Some organisations will insist on following a formal methodology rigorously, others will allow a PM to adapt […]

Added: 10th December 2021 Read More

A Guide to Quality Management in Project Management

It does not matter what sort of project you are working on; the importance of quality management is something we cannot underestimate. Whether you’re heading up a construction project or bringing a product to market, or even switching to a new technology, quality really does matter. Effective project quality management makes sure that your team […]

Added: 17th November 2021 Read More