You actively participated in a project. Now, you want to move from participating in projects to managing projects. In this lesson, you will be introduced to the basic terminology used in project management, examine the various project management approaches, and identify the leadership roles and responsibilities in a project. To successfully lead and manage a project, you need to be able to use your management skills with sound knowledge of the processes to achieve your goals. By identifying the key elements of effective project management, you can enhance your chances of success in managing a wide range of projects across application areas and industries.

You have some knowledge of the project life cycle and the skills required to be a project manager. Having understood the basic elements of project management, you are ready to begin the initial stages of a project. In this lesson, you'll discover how to initiate a project and perform the critical steps involved in laying the foundation for your project's success. Starting a project is like starting a new job; the more you know about the company, your team members, and what is expected of you, the more likely you are to hit the ground running and make a good impression. Ensuring that your project starts out right will not only save you time and resources, but will also eliminate the need to backtrack once your project is officially underway.

You'll wrap things up and then validate what you've learned in this course by taking an assessment.