Performance Problem
This course replaced a traditional three-week, lecture-based bootcamp course on project management principles designed for new and experienced new hires at a human resources professional services company.

Performance Clinic Solution
The revised course takes a two-pronged approach:

• Self-study, peer-graded course on project management principles and practices (the basics). Experienced participants can "test out" by submitting completed project documents without taking the course.
• Five-day project management simulation facilitated by project mentors (see below).

In the project simulation, the class forms into small project teams who complete with each other to manage the same project.

Colored cards provide the project tasks and instructions. The simulation has four rounds. Participants plan each project phase by creating a work breakdown structure, then carry out tasks on the cards using the company's project management policies, tools, and standards (purple cards). To succeed, teams must apply the practices they learned in the self-study course to routine tasks and critical problems they are likely to find on the job.

Teams earn points for on-time and on-budget completion, and for customer satisfaction (orange cards).

Some tasks include a management challenge or crisis to resolve (grey cards). The game provides feedback and points for crisis responses.

Results
Course time was reduced by one week. Project managers commented that they were up-to-speed with policies, practices, and tools within three weeks. The previous course did not achieve adoption of these practices. The project management office, which taught the previous course and then put out fires, found their workload reduced enough to redeploy staff as senior project managers.