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Instructor Q & A

Background

ESI instructor Trina Hope, PMP, is not only accomplished in the classroom but also in the realm of world travel. Her love of a challenge led her to climb Africa's highest peak, Mt. Kilimanjaro, and Mt. Fuji in Japan, cycle through China and sail the Greek isles. Her sense of adventure is contagious and she often stresses the need to face challenges head-on through good project management.

Hope is a familiar face at ESI, who knows what it takes to teach successful project management and IT project management classes. She joined ESI International in 1995 as a senior instructor, focusing on project management, quality training and consulting. Her expertise led to a promotion to ESI Director and then Vice President of ESI Public Programs where she oversaw the development of all ESI's project management courses taught to the public. Now, back in the classroom, Hope brings her insights to new and veteran project managers.

Before joining ESI, Hope worked for the IBM Corporation as a senior manager in software development. As a result of her 30 years of project management experience, she has worked with local and international businesses, with customers from the private and public sectors and across a wide range of industries. She is a Certified Project Management Professional, a member of the Project Management Institute, the American Society of Quality and the American Society for Training and Development. She received a master's degree in industrial engineering from New York University and a bachelor's degree in mathematics and education from Syracuse University.

ESI asked Hope about her experiences in the ESI classroom and insights on teaching successful project management. Here are a few highlights:

1. What's your approach to teaching in the classroom?

"I try to establish a penalty-free environment, an atmosphere of openness and learning by having fun. I want everyone to be comfortable asking or saying whatever is on his or her mind: there are no questions not worth asking. One student's question may reflect another student's concerns and shared experiences may help another class member to become a better project manager. Students are encouraged to do things they haven't been able to try in the office. Making their mistakes in the classroom is a productive way to help things go more smoothly in the real world."

2. When you're teaching project management, what are some of the concepts you hope your students will take away from the course?

"I give them the broad basics. They need to recognize that these basics have to be tuned, by them, in order for project management to be successful in their unique environments. They have to make the tools, techniques and practices work for them."

3. What are some of the common project management mistakes you see?

"Some project managers give up too easily. Often when project managers try to introduce or initiate formal project management principles or tools, they are criticized and quickly stop trying to be innovative. It may be politically prudent not to push back the first time or two this happens. However, that doesn't mean they should stop trying! In fact, this becomes an ideal situation for gathering information, documenting what went wrong and showing how their original "game plan" might have changed the project outcome. Several examples like this could provide future leverage for doing it the project management way. Patience and persistence are our best allies in transitioning to a project management culture."

4. What are some of the project management principles that seem more difficult for managers to adhere to?

"There is often pressure to get on with the work of the project. Thus, project managers don't pay enough attention to clarifying what specifically needs to be done, getting agreement on it and investing the time in planning how most effectively to accomplish the mission before they begin doing it!"

5. What concerns do you hear most in the classroom?

"Many students are preoccupied with the concern that their managers don't understand project management, won't let them try new ways of doing business and generally regard project management as time wasted. Students often fail to recognize that their company is investing in their learning project management. Why would a business do that if they weren't serious about it? They need to be more aggressive in showing their management the way. They can take small actions for which they don't need permission to demonstrate at the end of the project what a difference these actions have made. The executives are looking for the staff to help get the ball rolling by pushing from below to get the line managers to recognize the practical value in project management."

6. What is the value of earning a master's certificate in today's job market?

"As people move within their companies and between companies, the Master's Certificate and project management credentials may be a tiebreaker in getting that next job. The individual who has completed this rigorous program has a versatile cross-industry skill. He or she has demonstrated professionalism by taking responsibility for growth and has a proven ability to manage time in a very time-constrained world."

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