As we celebrate Thanksgiving, it’s the perfect time to express our heartfelt gratitude to the incredible students who make Instructing.com what it is today. Your trust in us as a partner on your project management journey means the world to us.

From learning the fundamentals of project management to mastering advanced certifications like CAPM, PMP, and PMI-ACP, your commitment to growth and excellence inspires us every day. We are deeply honored that you have chosen our courses to expand your knowledge, sharpen your skills, and elevate your careers. Watching you grow into confident, capable project managers who deliver real business value to customers and stakeholders is the ultimate reward for our efforts.

At Instructing.com, we aim to provide not just education but empowerment—tools, insights, and strategies that help you thrive in the dynamic world of project management. We are grateful for the opportunity to be a part of your learning journey and to support your professional success.

As you gather with family and friends this holiday season, we hope you take a moment to reflect on all you’ve achieved and all the exciting opportunities ahead. From all of us at Instructing.com, thank you for allowing us to be a part of your story.

Wishing you and your loved ones a joyous Thanksgiving and a wonderful holiday season ahead!

Keep Moving Forward,

Joseph Phillips
PMP, PMI-ACP, ITIL, PSM, Project+, CTT+

Participant Spotlight

PMP Exam Prep

As an Agile professional for several years, I focused on people over processes and earned a great deal of goodwill. However, a Scrum master seeks to maximize work not done, and without the tools to examine project justifications and influence their development, my ability to refine product backlogs eventually met its limit. I chose to pursue the PMI PMP certification to create career opportunities and round out my understanding. I'm pleased to say that I've gained precisely the perspective I sought.

The Joseph Phillips PMP prep course provided a straightforward, well-paced means to understand project management methodologies. I'm personally excited to depart the course with a fresh set of muscles to exercise and a toolbox to work with - if I am diligent in following the process groups and apply my managerial soft skills as I have so far, I have confidence I can be a project manager for my colleagues that instills calm and confidence in turn, without fear of blind spots or ambiguities. 

The test is a four-hour meat grinder, and although I'm proud to say I scored above target in all sections, the examination is no joke. I am thankful to Joe and the Instructing.com team for producing a course that accurately reflected the exam in subject matter and the degree of self-study and preparation required. Using only the course and the PMBOK, I passed the PMP exam on the first try. 

What happens now?

For one thing, I'm guiding a younger colleague through the CAPM - finding professional work while pursuing your first college degree is challenging. We both believe that a CAPM will provide him with the means to gain entry-level project management work and, at the very least, introduce him to the concepts of how businesses manage to deliver value.

What prep course is he taking?

I won't even make you guess. 

Ian Tiso, PMP

To be a part of our Participant Spotlight, please contact [email protected].

PM TIP: In project management, showing gratitude isn’t just a kind gesture—it’s a powerful tool for building trust, boosting morale, and fostering collaboration. Expressing appreciation for your project team’s contributions creates a culture of respect and recognition, leading to higher engagement and better outcomes.

TRIVIA TIME

The correct answer to last week’s trivia question: In Agile project management, the principle of keeping documentation "just enough" is rooted in the Agile Manifesto, which values working software over comprehensive documentation. The primary purpose of this approach is to ensure that documentation provides sufficient guidance and alignment for the team without becoming overly burdensome or time-consuming.

Over-documenting can slow down progress, diverting valuable time and resources away from delivering working products. Agile teams prioritize lightweight and focused documentation that supports collaboration, decision-making, and understanding of the project’s objectives and tasks. By keeping it "just enough," teams stay aligned while maintaining agility and responsiveness to change.

This balance allows for faster delivery, adaptability, and maintaining focus on delivering business value, which is a core goal of Agile methodologies.