“Project management practices in every organization will need to evolve to stay relevant in a growingly dynamic SMAC (Social, Mobile, Analytics and Cloud) world.”
Dr. Surya Ganduri is an Instructor/Advisor for Executive Education at Rutgers School of Business – Camden. He is PMP (Project Management Professional) certified and teaches Project Management and IT management certificate programs at Rutgers. He is also the founder and CEO of a boutique executive coaching company, eMBC Inc. and has over 28 years of business experience in management consulting, leadership development, executive coaching, process improvements, organizational development and youth leadership. He has been featured twice in cover stories for Mentor magazine.
Dr. Ganduri holds a Ph.D., Master of Science and Bachelor of Science in Physics from Andhra University in India in addition to a graduate certificate in Project Management from Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey.
What are the key concepts you cover in your Project Management certificate program and why is each important in today’s business environment?
Teaching is a lot more than standing in front of an audience and talking about what you know. What matters is the outcome: can your students usefully incorporate the course material into their lives? My experiences have led me to three main principles that drive my teaching:
1) Use best practices to solve meaningful, realistic problems
2) Respect differences among students
3) Be enthusiastic and accessible, but have high expectations
What are topics that you think are important and interesting for future participants in your Project Management certificate program to read?
In today’s digital and disruptive world, executives and organizations are faced with fierce competitive challenges that require them to continuously adapt, or else face the consequences and the stark possibility of not being around for much longer. The same goes for project managers who need to keep abreast with what is happening with Agile methods and philosophies in Project Management in order to keep themselves relevant and employable.
From a career standpoint, project managers need to keep themselves relevant. Project Management Institute’s Pulse of the Profession research has indicated that stakeholders are pushing to adopt agile practices. Organizations that are agile and responsive to market dynamics complete more of their projects successfully than those that are not — 75 percent versus 56 percent, according to the research.
Project management practices in every organization will need to evolve to stay relevant in a growingly dynamic SMAC (Social, Mobile, Analytics and Cloud) world.
We are seeing a trend where project management is expanding within industries that were traditionally less project-oriented such as healthcare, publishing, and professional services. In fact, the competencies required for future portfolio, program, and project managers have evolved into the “Talent Triangle,” where the basic understanding of the tools and techniques of developing a scope, schedule, and budget are comparable to knowing how to balance your checkbook. These basics are fundamentals because nearly all business endeavors are project-based. By developing and mastering these capabilities, participants are creating transferable skill sets.
One of the unexpected impacts that project management could have on a career is the ability to stay relevant. Project management is a field of study and profession that teaches people to adapt to the changing needs of business and the demands of industry. Participants can cultivate their interests and deliver on the value of their talent.
What advice would you give to someone who is considering taking your Project Management certificate course as part of the Rutgers Executive Education Program?
The Project Management Professional program that is offered at Rutgers School of Business – Camden is unlike any other online training program. Estimated overall duration of the program is 100 hours. This includes e-learning, homework assignments, virtual meetings with your Instructor/Advisor, which is unique to this program. The best value of this program comes from this feature alone for those who maximize their interactions with their Advisor/Instructor.
Rutgers School of Business – Camden offers a comprehensive online Certification in Project Management. The course is self-paced and includes online readings, assignments and one-on-one mentoring with a PMP certified Advisor/Instructor. This course is ideal for those that want to enhance their project management skills or prepare to sit for the PMP (Project Management Professional) exam.
For more information, visit the Certification in Project Management program page.