“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.” Dr Seuss
The Fistral “Espresso” Range – access PM videos for FREE
During Covid-19 everyone is pulling together to help where they can, and the Fistral team is doing our bit too. To support customers, course participants and anyone with an interest in Project Management (PM), we have developed the following bite-sized videos that we’re making free to access during the pandemic.
We call this our Fistral “Espresso” range as it’s an intense ‘shot’ of learning.
The videos below focus on Project Management and are aimed at PhD/PGR and Early Career Researchers. Each video is circa 5 minutes long, and although presented in the context of research, the tools, tips and techniques are equally useful in any project and across any industry or sector. Fistral also offer a range of webinars across our Product Suite – on PM, Leading & Influencing, Communication & Collaboration, and Personal Effectiveness which, linked to the above, we’re calling our “Americano” range. Customers can book and schedule webinars as per an onsite training session. See our Webinar Page or Contact Us for more info.
Please share these videos as widely as you can – with your network, friends, colleagues, classmates, students, relatives – in case it’s of help or interest to anyone during this time.
Fistral Espressos
In response to customer requests, we have initially focused on developing videos on Project Management topics specifically aimed at PhD, PGR and Early Career Researchers. The PM tools and techniques below will help with managing any project, but are presented in the context of research. The videos are sequenced, and we recommend you watch them in order. However if you’ve attended a Fistral PM session before, have PM experience, just need a refresher, or want a just-in-time ‘shot’ of knowledge – feel free to jump to the relevant topic.
Our focus when developing Fistral “Espressos” – as with all our training – is to ensure the content is useful, practical, has a common-sense approach, and is accessible and easy-to-understand. Based on trainers’ experiences working in industry and academia for over 20 years, and their expertise delivering highly successful consultancy and training across sectors globally, Espressos provide tried-and-tested knowledge underpinned by sound theoretical principles.
More Fistral ‘Espressos’ are planned for development, but feel free to Contact Us if you have suggestions for specific topics. To keep up to date, follow @FraserFistral, Newsletter Signup or check back here to see what’s new.
01. Introduction to Project Management – What is a Project?
What is a project? What do we mean by project management? And why is it applicable to me? This session defines what we mean by project management, contextualising it within a research environment. It also provides an overview of how to use these videos, who we are, and the Fistral approach to project management. Length 03:49
02. Project Initiation
So you’ve got a project, are preparing a bid, have received funding or been given a piece of work to complete… How should you start planning and organising? This session discusses what you should be considering, where you begin, and what key questions you should be asking right from the start. Length 04:43
03. The Project Triangle
The secret to managing any project effectively is understanding your constraints and how any change will have an impact upon other aspects of your work. This session introduces a simple but effective way to consider this. Length 04:00
04. Prioritisation
Often we have too much to do and too little time! This session introduces a method of identifying the most important elements of your project and allowing focus on them, leaving the items of less importance to later. Length 04:55
05. Stakeholder Identification
Projects do not happen in isolation – they are affected by the world around them. This session helps to begin identifying some of these key influencing factors in the form of stakeholders and how understanding these people can be extremely useful when considering our project. Length 04:12
06. The Scope Document
Managing expectations and boundaries is crucial in any work environment. This session examines simple way to begin to do this in projects of any size. Length 04:03
07. The Planning Process
This session gives a brief overview of the planning process and contextualises the tools to be discussed in sessions 08-12. We recommend viewing this session before proceeding to 08-12. Length 03:52
08. Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
It might sound obvious, but a key element in planning any bit of work is actually understanding what is involved in it. In this session you’ll be introduced to a fundamental project management tool that kicks off the whole planning process and is one of the most transferable techniques around. Length 04:04
09. Task Duration
This session examines the differences between active and passive tasks, and why it is important to identify and include both when planning your work. Length 04:59
10. Activity Sequencing
Working efficiently involves identifying the best order in which to perform the different tasks and figuring out where multi-tasking will work or where tasks just have to be done one after the other. This session establishes a method of easily identifying the optimal dependencies of task, establishing which are the key time-dependent activities and which have greater flexibility. Length 05:27
11. Activity Scheduling
The famous Gantt Chart! This session demystifies the most popular of project management artefacts, the Gantt Chart. It demonstrates how it can be a powerful tool if developed correctly but is only as good as the information entered in to it so should be used with great care. You will be shown how to create a Gantt Chart properly! Length 04:46
12. Resource Allocation
All projects require several resources – even those where it only seems to be us alone doing the work! This session considers resource planning to allow others to make time for you. It also examines that if we’re in a resource constrained project (e.g. it genuinely is only us!) how to optimise our schedule. Length 07:08
See our Product Suite or Online Training page for topics and to see more Fistral ranges – e.g. video (“Espresso”) and face-to-face (“Grande”) training. Or Contact Us for more information.
For Customer Comments see Testimonials
PM Planning – 100% of MSc group would recommend to a colleague
The final group of Masters-level students from Queen’s University Belfast MSC programme joined us for our one-day Introduction to Project...
“I wish we had done this a year ago!” – University Staff
Staff from the University of Dundee logged on to two Fistral webinar sessions “Introduction to Project Planning” and “Planning for...
“Loved it!” – Project Planning webinar 4.63
MSc students from Queen’s University Belfast MSc programme attended a one-day Introduction to Project Planning webinar. The students gave the...
QUB MSc students give 4.65 for Project Planning
Postgraduate students from Queen’s University Belfast MSc programme attended Fistral's one-day Introduction to Project Planning webinar session. This session was...
BME ECRs – Building Resilience is “A very helpful session”
A group of ECR staff and PhD students logged on to Fistral’s Building Resilience webinar, a follow-on skills training session...
BME ECR post-conference skills – 4.56 for Maximising Your Potential
Early career researchers (ECRs) and PhD students logged on to Fistral’s Maximising Your Potential webinar. This webinar was a follow-on...
“Brilliant as usual” – Collaboration webinar for BME ECRs
BME ECRs logged on to our Collaborating Effectively With Others webinar, a follow-on training session held after the 5th BME...
Maximising your potential – 100% will put the learning into practice
Early career researchers (ECRs) from Universities and locations up and down the whole of the UK logged on to Fistral’s...
Research staff and students rate Project Planning 4.88 out of 5
A mixed group of attendees from Edinburgh Napier University logged on to our four-part series for research staff and PGRs....
Edinburgh Napier University – Stress, Resilience, Procrastination Busting
Fistral has welcomed attendees from Edinburgh Napier University on several recent online training sessions. Post-graduate researchers logged on to our...
The Powerful Communicator is “interesting and useful” – staff working in Space Sector
Staff from LSE Space GmbH logged on to Fistral’s training webinar The Powerful Communicator. The group gave an overall feedback...
“Loads of great ideas which I am really excited about implementing” – PM Essentials for staff
Research staff from the University of Warwick, logged on to the fourth and final of the Project Management Essentials series...
Space Sector staff give 4.80 for PM Principles skills training
Staff at independent space consultancy LSE Space GmbH logged on to Fistral’s Project Management Principles - Level 1 training session....
Managing complex research projects for senior research staff – 4.61
Senior researchers at the University of Warwick continued the two-part series of webinars Managing Complex Research Projects logging on to...
Project Management Essentials for Research Staff – 4.58
Research staff from the University of Warwick logged on to the third session in the Project Management Essentials series of four...
4.71 “Super useful” – Procrastination Busting
PhD students at the University of Ulster Doctoral College, across three years of study, logged on to Fistral’s webinar session,...
4.75 – Avoid Drifting webinar
Postgraduate researchers at the University of Liverpool Doctoral College logged on to Fistral’s webinar Taking Charge of Your Time: Avoid...
Project Management Essentials for Research Staff (Part 2)
Research staff from the University of Warwick Researcher Development Programme logged on to the second session in the Project Management...
Managing Complex Projects for senior research staff (1/2)- 4.71
Senior research staff at the University of Warwick attended part one of a two-part Fistral webinar series Managing Complex Research...
“Should be mandatory” – Space sector attendee
Staff from the European Space Agency logged on to Fistral’s Project Management Principles Level 1 webinar. Comments from the group...
The Effective Teamworker in the Space sector – “Very well balanced, definitely applicable to real-life work situations.”
Staff from independent space consultancy LSE Space GmbH logged on to Fistral’s training webinar The Effective Teamworker. The group gave...
“Really useful things that I can take away and use for my work” – Time Management Strategies for researchers
Attendees from the University of Strathclyde Doctoral College and Researcher Development programme logged on to Fistral’s Keeping on Top of...
“Great series of workshops” – 4.67 across all sessions
Postgraduate Researchers at the University of Ulster attended our four-part online training course; Introduction to Project Planning for researchers. Rating...
4.75 “Great as usual” – Risk Management webinar
A mixed group of research staff and students from the University of Stirling logged on to Fistral’s two-part Risk Management...
“A burden lifted” – Procrastination for researchers webinar
PhD students at the University of Liverpool Doctoral College logged on to our Procrastination Busting webinar. This training provides attendees...
Procrastination Busting – 4.75
A group of Postgraduate Researchers at the University of Strathclyde Doctoral College attended Fistral’s online training course ‘Procrastination Busting Techniques’....
“Really useful session” – PM Essentials 1/4
A group from the University of Warwick Researcher Development Programme attended the first part of Fistral’s new Project Management series...
‘Collaborating with Others’ – 100% would recommend to a colleague
Staff from the Leverhulme Centre for Forensic Science at the University of Dundee attended a bespoke Fistral training webinar ‘Collaborating...
“Superb” – Fistral Project Management for Researchers
A mix of research staff and students at the University of Stirling logged on to parts one, two and three...
Schedule Control for Space is given 4.8 out of 5
Staff at the European Space Agency logged on to a Fistral training course entitled Schedule Control. The staff gave the...
CAPM Prep – 4.78 out of 5
Postgraduate researchers at the University of Strathclyde attended our CAPM preparation training course online. The CAPM (Certified Associate in Project...
4.94 (course) and 5.00 (trainer)
A group of postgraduate researchers from the University of Liverpool joined us online for the final time, to complete part...
“Thorough and extremely useful” – Leadership and Teambuilding
Postgraduate researchers at Strathclyde University Doctoral College logged on to Fistral’s ‘Leadership and Teambuilding Techniques’ webinar training. In this course,...
Space sector webinar – “Highly recommend this to colleagues”
Staff from the European Space Agency logged on to a Fistral webinar entitled Project Management Principles Level 2. The group...
“Life-changing” – Risk Management
A mix of staff and PhD’s from the University of Bath Researcher Development and Doctoral College attended our ‘Risk Management’...
4.93 (course) and 5 out of 5 (trainer) for PM researcher skills training
We hosted a group of postgraduate students from the University of Liverpool Doctoral College for a second time, as they...
Advanced Project Management – 4.81
Postgraduate research students from the University of Strathclyde Researcher Development Programme logged on to our 1-day Advanced Project Management training....
4.62 – Introduction to Project Planning
We hosted a group of 1st to 3rd year PhD students from the University of Liverpool Doctoral College on Part...
CAPM Prep Day – 4.58 from CDT
Postgraduate researchers at the University of Manchester CDT in Integrated Catalyisis, logged on to Fistral’s CAPM Preparation Day webinar. The...
“Incredibly Useful” – PM webinar
A mix of research staff and students at the University of Bath attended our Introduction to Project Planning webinar. This...
Agile PM for Space is “Very hands-on and useful”, 4.6 out of 5
A group of European Space Agency Staff logged on to a Fistral webinar called Agile Product Management: An Introduction Using...
4.7 from Space sector staff – “Instructor was very knowledgeable”
Staff from the European Space Agency logged on to Fistral’s Introduction to Project Risk Management webinar. The attendees gave the...
“So useful” 4.75 – Introduction to Project Planning
First and Second-year Postgraduate students at the University of Strathclyde Doctoral College logged in to Fistral’s Introduction to Project Planning...
Trainer scored 5 out of 5
We welcomed back a group of Post-Graduate Researchers from the University of Ulster, to complete part four of our Introduction...
CAPM Prep – 4.81 out of 5
Post Graduate Researchers from the University of Manchester Materials for Demanding Environments CDT (M4DE) attended our CAPM prep day. This...
4.78 given by researchers and staff – CAPM Prep Day
A mixture of research staff and students at the University of Bath logged on to our CAPM Preparation Day training....
4.60 rating for Advanced Project Management
Working towards their CAPM qualification, we hosted PostGraduate researchers from the University of Manchester M4DE CDT on our Advanced Project...
Creating the Plan: 4.63
We enjoyed hosting a group of PostGraduate Researchers from Ulster University Doctoral College for the third session of our Project Planning training...
100% would recommend Advanced Project Management to a colleague
A group of postgraduate researchers from the University of Manchester CDT in Integrated Catalysis, logged on to Fistral’s ‘Advanced Project...
4.68, “Very Useful” – Scoping the Project
Fistral welcomed a cohort of PGR’s from the University of Ulster back to the second of our four-part Project Planning...