Core Performance Concepts Inc.

This is one of those questions where everyone has an opinion.  So let's start with the basic question, "What is a manager?"  A manager is a person who serves to get people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively.
 
To break this down a bit further, let's agree that management comprises of planning, organizing, staffing, leading or directing, and controlling a group or organization for the purpose of accomplishing a goal.

The "using available resources" part involves deploying and manipulating human resources, financial resources, technological resources, and natural resources.
 
Whew.  Let's go with: "A manager looks after budgets, people, projects, and time."
 
If a manager is born, then is he or she born with a kitbag full of tools such as a Requirements Traceability Matrix, Precedence Diagramming, Rolling Wave Planning, Critical Path Analysis, Critical Chain Method, Resource Leveling, Network Diagrams, Analogous Estimating, Variance Analysis, SWOT Analysis, and  Trend Analysis; to name a few.   Is your head spinning right now?  No, these are tools and techniques that have to be acquired and no amount of "good leadership" can overcome failing to use proven instruments that help people become good managers. 
 
In summary, though history indicates that some people were born to have the ability and traits to be good managers, evidence and research indicate that most successful managers do use proven skills and techniques that bring their abilities to the forefront.  The Stetson program is designed with this in mind; that new and even good managers can be taught to bring out their born talents and to employ a variety of project management tools that will work.  The tools listed above are only a few of those covered in its classes.
 
And how has the Stetson program been received?  Dr. Jay Braden, Director, Professional Development Programs, explains it this way.  "In my 15 years of experience, this program has received more outstanding student reviews than any other I have known, and in most cases, our students are persons already in project management positions.  This means we have a program with instructors who don't just roll out platitudes and tired buzzwords, but deliver on techniques that our students see as relevant to what they are or will be doing.  We have about ten instructors who help deliver our program and all are consistently excellent."
 
What else might someone want to know about this program?  Braden points out two interesting points:  First, is that while experience shows that it takes about two years for a program to catch on, the Stetson Project Management Certificate Program is clearly successful in just thirteen months.  Second, is that Stetson has recently contracted with a large organization in Tampa that has heard about and wants some of the project management training offered by the Center.  That speaks volumes.

Dr. Jay Braden, Director of Professional Development Programs for Stetson University's Celebration Technology Programs, wrote this article for their local community in Florida.  He kindly shared it with CPC saying "...you deserve almost all of the credit..." for the success of their program.