POP-University Training Programs

Whether you are an Old Pro, a Newbie, or Somewhere in the Middle—the Plan On a Page-University provides accomplished, ambitious professionals with practical & applied training, artifacts and support to adopt a new, successful way of thinking about planning, plans & effort execution. Each POP-University course is designed to accelerate career advancement…and reduce stress…helping you…

Get Going. Get Done. Get Results.

POP-University Courses are probably not what you think. These courses are unlike conventional rote-learning project management training programs that prematurely focus on success-inhibiting minutiae of details; such as schedules (e.g., Gantt Charts), task lists and the like.

• Each POP-University experience increases your insights-into-success with a deep, systematic understanding of how efforts of all sizes and types (e.g., projects, new product development, strategy development, event planning) work…as well as easy-to-use ways to avoid what doesn’t work.

Choose the option that works best for you:

Practitioner Course

The focus of the Practitioner’s Course is the “What” and “How” of the POP Approach. In this practical & applied course, you’ll learn:

• The New Way of Thinking About Planning, Plans & Effort Execution
  • And why absence of thinking about planning is a leading—and preventable—cause of failed efforts
• How to establish the context of any sized effort…in about an hour
• How to enhance collaboration, clarity, and communications
  • And, how to avoid success-sapping latency
• Seven key roles that must be staffed—at the outset—for every effort
• More than a twenty key planning, plans and effort execution concepts
• How to quickly & easily frame the “Three Designs” inherent in all efforts
• How to answer the essential question, “What’s the effort about?” by understanding Five Key Topics,
• Fifteen Important Questions which must be answered on every effort’s first day,
• Fourteen practical Tools which should be considered for every effort’s “Control System”

Prerequisite: None; this course begins with the basics.

Format:

• Online Program: ~6 contact hours at your pace
• On-Premises Program (at your facility):
  • Short Course: ~6-7 contact hours in 1 day; plus individual preparation
  • Practitioner’s Course: ~12-14 hours in ~1.75 days; plus individual preparation
  • Practitioner’s Course with Applied Workshop: ~18-20 contact hours in ~2.5 days; plus individual preparation
• For large, distributed teams, a customized “Hybrid Program” is available. They Hybrid Program combines the Online Program with Live Webinars

Master Course

The Master’s Course focuses on advanced mastery of key skills to assure your success.

In this intensive course, you’ll learn:

• How to solve difficult problem with an introduction to Planning System Dynamics
• How to foster greater collaboration with facilitation
• Keys to designing and executing an effective & efficient planning cycle
• How to guide participants in forming POP’s Three Designs (Value, Effort, Solution)
• How to manage the arbitrary nature of planning, plans and effort execution for greatest success

Prerequisites:

• Practitioner’s Course
• A degree of applied experience with POP-Approach

Format: On-Premises Only; by arrangement (~12-14 hours in ~1.75 days; plus individual preparation)

Advisor Course

The focus of the Advisor’s Course is to equip professionals to advance their careers as expert advisors assisting executives, planners, managers and those involved in effort execution.

The focus of the Advisor’s Course is on understanding the affect of any effort’s context & situation with respect to articulating desired outcomes and crafting approaches to achieve those outcomes.

The Advisor’s Course makes extensive use of Advanced Planning System Dynamics skills in a workshop setting.

Prerequisites:

• Practitioner’s and Master’s Courses
• Extensive applied experience with POP-Approach (e.g., about a year, or more)
• Submission (for review) of at least one Planning System Dynamics model that addresses a real-world problem from the Advisor’s prior experience

Format: On-Premises Only; by arrangement (~12-14 hours in ~1.75 days; plus individual preparation)