Debut of new presentation to attendees of PMI Global Congress destined to help business analysts and project managers worldwide achieve a new level of success
Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) October 8, 2007 — Today, Watermark Learning, a globally recognized provider of business requirements analysis and project management training, will once again transform the way project professionals manage their projects with the debut of its presentation, “Oh No, You Gave Me What I Asked For! Common Pitfalls to Uncovering Expectations” at PMI Global Congress North America in Atlanta, GA.
The presentation is based on the paper of the same name by Watermark Learning principals Elizabeth & Richard Larson, both registered project management professionals (PMPs) and certified business analysis professionals (CBAPs).
Garnered from their decades of experience with both business analysis and project management training, the paper and presentation speak to the inescapable reality that any project ignoring the importance of uncovering customer expectations is susceptible to failure, despite otherwise outstanding execution.
“Uncovering expectations, at its core level, is about the art of consultative questioning,” states Watermark Learning CEO Elizabeth Larson. “As we have trained students of our project management and business analysis training programs throughout the years, mastering this art will lead to more success in analyzing, documenting, and validating customer requirements. And, it is an essential skill in discovering customer expectations about the products our projects introduce.”
Watermark Learning, a globally recognized provider of business requirements analysis and project management training, will be celebrating its fifteenth birthday on Thursday, May 24, with an open house and tour of its new headquarters.
Minneapolis, MN (PRWEB) May 10, 2007 — http://www.watermarklearning.com Thursday, May 24, Watermark Learning, a globally recognized business requirements analysis and project management skill development company, will be celebrating its fifteenth year birthday with an open house and tour of its new corporate headquarters in Minneapolis, MN.
In 1992, Richard Larson, PMP, CBAP, founded Watermark Learning with the goal of guiding teams to produce enduring results through training focused on a practical approach, industry best practices, and engaging delivery. In the fifteen years since, Watermark Learning has proudly developed, delivered and perfected its own sought-after training based on firsthand, real world experience; and helped thousands along the way.
“We are thrilled to offer an afternoon where we can invite friends and colleagues to tour our new offices and share their past successes,” states founder Richard Larson. “We also look forward to sharing details on exciting upcoming developments, such as our newest class focusing on Certified Business Analyst Professional (CBAP) Certification Preparation set to begin this September.”
Watermark Learning Principals Elizabeth Larson, CBAP, PMP, & Richard Larson, PMP, will be in Toronto, Ontario all this week to present “Influencing Without Authority: Rev Up Your Internal Consulting Skills” at Project World/Business Analyst World: Toronto. They will also be conducting a 2-Day Use Case Modeling Workshop.
Minneapolis, MN (PRWeb) March 28, 2007 — http://www.watermarklearning.com Watermark Learning, a globally recognized provider of business requirements analysis & project management training, will be in Toronto, Ontario all this week for Project World Business Analyst World: Toronto 2007.
Principals, Elizabeth Larson, PMP, CBAP, and Richard Larson, PMP, will be co-presenting their popular presentation “Influencing Without Authority: Rev Up Your Internal Consulting Skills” to a mix of business analysis and project management professionals on Wednesday and conducting a 2-Day Use Case Modeling Workshop Thursday and Friday.
“Richard & I are thrilled with the opportunity to present at Project World: Toronto,” states Elizabeth Larson, PMP, CBAP. Larson adds, “Influencing Without Authority: Rev Up Your Internal Consulting Skills,” is designed to help project managers and business analysts of all skill levels understand why building a solution without determining the business need leads to project failure. It’s already helped hundreds of teams get to the root cause of business problems and through this event we hope to help hundreds more.”
Minneapolis, MN, December 13, 2006 – http://www.watermarklearning.com – Watermark Learning, a leading business analysis and project management training firm, is addressing the biggest challenge facing today’s business analysts.
Many companies today understand the benefit of growing the business analysis functions in their organization. While business analysis can add much value to organizations by increasing corporate efficiency and helping to launch new products and services, there are emerging challenges to be addressed.
“I believe the biggest challenge in projects today is defining requirements,” said Richard Larson, Co-Principal of Watermark Learning. “Business requirements analysis is a recurring challenge and getting requirements right is harder than ever.”
According to Larson, the main issues surrounding requirements definition are:
• Lack of time to gather and analyze requirements
• Clients provide solutions in the guise of requirements
• Finding necessary stakeholders and getting them to consensus once they are found
• Clients cannot articulate their requirements or provide incomplete requirements
• Changing and volatile requirements
“With the evolution of technology and global business, there are even more complications added to the requirements definition mix,” said Larson. “Cross cultural relations and geographically dispersed stakeholders all contribute to the challenge.”
Minneapolis, MN, October 16, 2006 – http://www.watermarklearning.com – Watermark Learning, a leading business analysis and project management training firm, is addressing the top 5 challenges faced by project managers.
As the project management industry evolves, so do the challenges faced by project managers. Watermark Learning is coaching project managers on how to communicate effectively with their entire project team and improve their project success rate.
“I think there are several major challenges in project management today,” said Elizabeth Larson, PMP, CEO and Principal of Watermark Learning, “one of the largest is gathering requirements from clients who believe they already have the solution.”
Communication is a key element to effective project management and many of the challenges that project managers face are relationship-based. According to Larson, the top 5 challenges are:
1. Gathering complete business requirements.
2. Working with teams from different backgrounds and cultures.
3. Working with geographically-dispersed team members.
4. Establishing trust and getting buy-in from business customers.
5. Having sponsors and business customers take responsibility for the project’s requirements.
“Many clients do no understand why the project manager wants to spend time defining their needs,” said Larson. “This in turn makes the project manager reluctant to ask questions that are important in determining the real business need behind the client’s stated solution.”
Business analysis training firm, Watermark Learning, reports increased demand for its Masters Certificate program as awareness grows in the industry of the corporate value of business analysis.
Minneapolis, MN, September 7, 2006 – http://www.watermarklearning.com – Watermark Learning, a leading business analysis and project management training firm, has announced the success of its Business Analyst Masters Certification Program, which was launched in July 2005 in partnership with Auburn University.
One year later, Watermark Learning is pleased by the response to its business analysis certification program and believes this is indicative of an industry calling out for advanced training in business analysis.
“In today’s competitive landscape, businesses must perform with razor sharp efficiency and productivity,” said Terri Swanson, Watermark Learning, COO. “More business leaders are recognizing the value that business analysis training brings to an employee’s contribution and the effectiveness of an organization as a whole.”
Since launching the Masters Certificate in Business Analysis in July 2005, Watermark Learning has received hundreds of participants in the program, including Allianz Life, a life insurance company.
Minneapolis, MN, June 21, 2006 — http://www.watermarklearning.com/businessProcessLdg.html — Watermark Learning, a leader in project management, business analysis and business process modeling training, recently spoke about the necessity of Business Process Modeling (BPM) at the PMI Honolulu Chapter’s Professional Development Day.
Richard Larson, PMP and Watermark Learning Principal, spoke to members of the PMI Honolulu chapter about how they could most efficiently use Business Process Modeling in their organization.
“Watermark Learning is dedicated to providing organizations with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively manage themselves,” said Richard Larson. “Without these skills, organizations are simply unable to adapt to the rapid changes of the business world.”
Watermark Learning believes there are five steps to implementing business process management within an organization:
Watermark Learning insists that the secret to successful business process management lies in the development of mechanisms within an organization that enable easy replication of processes as they are developed.
“Ad hoc process makes replication extremely difficult,” said Richard Larson. “When a process is not repeatable, it is out of control.”
The replication and control mantras touted by business process modeling are helping organizations establish ongoing structured processes that are dedicated to achieving corporate efficiency.
Minneapolis, MN, June 8, 2006 –http://www.watermarklearning.com– Watermark Learning, a leader in business analysis, project management training and skill development, welcomes Terri Swanson as its new Chief Operating Officer. Swanson comes to Watermark Learning with 20 plus years of experience in training, publishing and high tech sales and marketing.
Swanson will continue Watermark Learning’s efforts to expand into other markets and to share the knowledge and expertise of its principals and instructors through project management and business analysis related:
- Onsite Training
- Public Classes
- Masters Certificate Programs
- Mentoring/Coaching
“I am impressed with the quality and depth of the training that Watermark Learning provides,” Swanson said. “Watermark Learning’s genuine concern for helping clients solve their business needs, and our openness to customizing training and mentoring services to match these needs, is something that everyone in business should know about.”
Swanson plans to update the eNewsletter, Website and to help principals Elizabeth Larson, PMP, and Richard Larson, PMP, publish and promote their first book, “Nail Requirements Flat.”
“Nail Requirements Flat” will present the critical factors for quickly nailing requirements, and the techniques that will contribute to successful projects every time. It will focus on how effective business analysis can supply the missing ingredients to reduce or eliminate challenged projects, capture vital functionality, and delight clients.
Minneapolis, MN, May 25, 2006 — http://www.watermarklearning.com – Watermark Learning, a leader in business analysis, project management training and skill development, is responding to a recurring dilemma facing project managers and business analysts – how to gather business requirements for a reluctant client or sponsor?
Watermark Learning Co-Principal, Richard Larson, PMP, will deliver a presentation on business requirements analysis at the upcoming Delivering Project Excellence event in Scottsdale, AZ, June 5 – 7, 2006.
“Obtaining customer requirements is one of the most difficult stages of project management,” said Richard Larson. “Oftentimes, customers are reluctant, unavailable or simply unable to define their business requirements.”
Larson will directly address this common dilemma facing project managers and will provides tips on how to respectfully question key stakeholders about their real needs and provide recommendations that best meet their business objectives.
In his presentation “Want to Be a ‘Star’ in Requirements Planning?” Larson will share a set of professional interviewing techniques to help project managers and business analysts properly gather business requirements.
These techniques will include:
• How to summarize your findings & recommendations
• How to feel good about asking questions
• How to get stakeholder buy-in and interest
Minneapolis, MN, March 2, 2006 — Watermark Learning (http://www.watermarklearning.com), a leader in Project Management and Business Analysis skill development, has contributed an article to the academic market’s very first collection of IT project management readings.
“How to Create a Clear Project Plan in Six Easy Steps” written by Watermark Learning Principals, Elizabeth Larson, PMP, and Richard Larson, PMP, appears in the book “Readings in Information Technology Project Management,” by Dr. Gary Richardson and Charles Butlers.
“Creating a clear project plan is one of the most critical phases in project management,” said Richard Larson, Principal, “not only is it the project manager’s roadmap, but it is also a premier communications tool throughout the project.”
“How to Create a Clear Project Plan in Six Easy Steps” outlines the necessary components of project planning:
• Step 1: Explain the project plan to key stakeholders and discuss its key components
• Step 2: Define roles and responsibilities
• Step 3: Develop a Scope Statement
• Step 4: Develop the project baselines
• Step 5: Create baseline management plans
• Step 6: Communicate!
“We were thrilled to be a part of this endeavor,” Elizabeth Larson, Watermark Learning Principal and CEO explains, “Having our article included in such a distinguished piece of literature is greatly rewarding.”
