Middle of Course Blog

1.  Given your knowledge/skills/experience/confidence at the start of these courses, what have you learned so far?

I have learned about successfully identifying stakeholders and ways to gather  requirements.  I learned whose roles and responsibilities certain requirements belong to.  I studied different tools used to help in gathering requirements.  I learned about different start up issues of a project and some remedies for them.  I learned communication is the #1 skill that a PM should possess.  Not only from the PM but from all team members.  Without open communication between everyone, shareholders too, there could be all kind of misunderstandings and misconceptions.

2.  Looking at the course objectives, which ones do you feel you have achieved, and which ones still look difficult or completely unfamiliar to you?

I feel like I have achieved the concept of how to gather requirements using different tools.  I also feel comfortable in identifying stakeholders and getting their needs from them.  I am not so sure about declaring the scope of a project and writing it's scope statement.  I am still a little fuzzy on what I actually should say. 

3.  How has the information you learned so far changed the way you approach projects or think about projects in your everyday life?

I take a little more time to listen to the person I am working with/for.  Instead of thinking of questions in my mind while I am communicating with someone, I open my mind to listen to them completely.  Then I think of questions after they have completed their communication and I have thought about what they said.  I gather details and requirements before I act upon things more than I did before.  I read the assignment requirements and objectives before I do my assignment now which I didn't do before.

4.  Are there any topics that have been discussed that still seem unclear? What are your thoughts as you get ready to start the second half of the course?

Risk Management is still unclear.  I am not sure how to minimize risks but my research paper is on the subject so I will be forced to understand it. 

I love this course.  This is my favorite course so far.  It is too late for me to certify as a PM.  Too much to do, too little time, however, if I were younger I would go for it.  I can only hope to learn more and more on such an interesting subject.