Welcome to Project Management and Interpersonal Skills

Description:

This course is a practical ‘hands on’ workshop, which will support PhD students in their endeavors to manage the PhD project. The focus is twofold: 1) enhancing project management skills in a university culture that is characterized by unruly creative work, lack of formal structures and network organization. 2) Enhancing interpersonal skills, particularly in relation to the cooperation with supervisors and other important stakeholders.

The workshop will introduce and illustrate an easy and down to earth method on how to plan your time on a daily basis inspired by Steven Covey (2005) and the game plan approach from the world of coaching. The course will also work with the Core Quality Quadrant (Ofman, 2004) as a tool to explore interpersonal communication structure. Key issues in the relationship between PhD student and supervisor will be identified and analyzed by means of role-play.

There will be a possibility for an individual follow up coaching session after a month for those PhD students that find it beneficial. Target group: • PhD students preferably during their first year

Time schedule for the workshop: • One workshop in the spring and one in the fall

Objectives: To show the PhD student: • How to be a good project planner on a daily basis in a university setting • How to apply the Core Quality method to understand your own role in interpersonal relationships • How to use basic negotiating skills in making agreements with your supervisor • How to build a network in academia

Course structure: • 2 consecutive days consisting of a mix of introductions and exercises individually and in groups. • An assignment related to actual skills is to be send in before the workshop • Relevant literature will be introduced during the course

Completion of the course: Handing in assignments and participating in the course are criteria for passing the course. Course program: Day 1 Planning and time management

Day 2 Interpersonal skills and negotiation

Course literature: Covey, Stephen R. The seven habits of highly effective people. 2005. ISBN 9780743268165

Ofman, D. Core. Qualities and the Core Quadrant. Core Quality International, 1999. ISBN 90 5594 1697.  7th edition 32013.

Phillips, E.M. & D.S. Pugh. How to get a PhD? A handbook for students and their supervisors (Third edition). Open University Press, Buckingham, 2000. P 235.

Prochaska, James O. et al. Changing for good. Changing for Good: A Revolutionary Six-Stage Program for Overcoming Bad Habits and Moving Your Life Positively Forward. 1994/2008

Organizer: PhD coach Pia Bøgelund

Lecturers:
PhD coach Pia Bøgelund, PhD and Professor Erik de Graaf, PhD

ECTS:
2

Time:
9-10 December, 2014, 9-16 

Place: Aalborg University, Nybrogade 6, room no. 1.133

Zip code:
9000

City:
Aalborg

Number of seats:
20

Deadline:
18 November, 2014