Micro-Projects: Six Exercises for Developing Project and Team Skills / Edition 1

by Ian Stokes

Overview

A project is more than an assembly of methods, tools and resources. Projects often seem to have a soul. They require dedication, belief and commitment. The only way to gain experience of a project, assess and develop the skills associated with it is to live through it. The six micro-projects in this collection highlight the kinds of skills typical of creative project teams. They can be used to practise: • team working in a project environment • working as a team to satisfy a need expressed in terms of time, cost and quality • the skills associated with creativity, problem solving and team leadership • the guiding principles for tackling projects creatively. The collection includes the following games: Eggbox is a creative project that emphasizes idea generation; Ironbridge simulates a scenario in which consortia explore the specifications of a construction project; Tower of Straws produces a situation in which change is frequent and normal; Domino Race is based on an imaginative design project that needs to reflect operational constraints; Catapult is an all-day task offering a complete project management experience and, finally, the Autonomous Team Activity encourages productivity and initiative in the project team.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780566086007
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	09/17/2004
Pages:	134
Product dimensions:	8.25(w) x 11.69(h) x (d)

About the Author

Ian Stokes is chairman of two small consulting/training companies and more recently he has developed methods that are specially suited to innovative and cross-functional project teams. He is author of the two-volume looseleaf collection Training for Project Management, also published by Gower.

Table of Contents

Contents: Introduction. Facilitator's Guide: Trainer guidance; The learning messages; Notes for observers of micro-projects; Observer's checklist; Facilitator's guide to the micro-projects: Eggbox; Ironbridge; Tower of straws; Domino race; Catapult; Autonomous team activity. Micro-Projects Team Resources: Eggbox; Ironbridge; Tower of straws; Domino race; Catapult; Autonomous team activity. Micro-Projects Participants' Notes: Using a micro-project as a learning experience; Working with micro-projects.

Editorial Reviews

'Ian Stokes is to be commended on the clear and simple layout of this manual. Many trainers will have used a wide variety of activities to support their groups, and it might seem that here are just some more of the same. The actual difference is that these are so well structured and provided with such superb materials that you really can pick them up and very quickly work with them. At the same time you can be sure you can rely on the design to meet the learning needs identified.' ITOL (Institute of Training and Occupational Learning)

From the Publisher