Last Saturday, 23 May 2026, the PMI Mauritius Chapter gathered at Royal Green for a half-day workshop dedicated to one of the most underrated drivers of project success: soft skills. Designed primarily for our newly onboarded volunteers, the session was facilitated by Frad Dahall, who brought both structure and warmth to a topic that too often gets reduced to platitudes.

Three frameworks, one practical toolkit

The workshop introduced three complementary models that volunteers can carry directly into their PMI roles — and into their day jobs as project practitioners:

• COMM — a structured stack for opening, steering, and closing high-stakes stakeholder conversations with clarity.
• AIM — a method for influencing stakeholders when you have no formal authority over them.
• GROW — a coaching framework for mentoring new members through questions rather than ready-made answers.

Rather than walking through theory slide by slide, Frad anchored each model in concrete project scenarios — the kind every project manager eventually faces: a sponsor who keeps shifting scope, a finance director who quietly stalls approvals, a junior volunteer unsure of where to start.

Practice, not just theory

A standout part of the morning was the role-play work. Participants paired up — one playing the project manager, the other the project sponsor — and worked through conversations where the "sponsor" was deliberately stubborn, evasive, or unwilling to commit to a decision. The goal wasn't to "win" the conversation, but to learn how to stay structured, calm, and outcome-oriented when the other side isn't being cooperative.

Observers gave live feedback against a simple checklist, and the room quickly discovered that influencing without authority is far less about charisma and far more about preparation.

The same approach carried into a paired SBI feedback exercise and a GROW coaching triad, where volunteers practised asking better questions instead of jumping to advice.

In the participants' own words

Today's PMI session was far more than a learning experience — it became a moment of reflection. Communication is often taken for granted, yet it shapes relationships, opportunities, leadership, and even personal growth. — Koudsia Nuckcheddy

Frad captured the key takeaway in a powerful phrase: « Structure leads to ritual, ritual leads to stability, stability leads to success. » — Imshaad Ramkoleea

The GROW model moves away from traditional advice-giving by utilising powerful, structured questions, enabling team members to problem-solve and make their own decisions. — Eddy Lareine

This session was more than just a learning experience for me — it was truly inspiring. It reminded me that beyond tools, processes, and deadlines, it is empathy, communication, leadership, and human connection that make a great project manager. — Lavina Singh

Closing thought

The underlying message is one we're happy to repeat: project success is rarely a technical problem. It's a communication, influence, and trust problem. Workshops like this one help our volunteers — and the chapter as a whole — get better at the human side of project work.

A sincere thank you to Frad Dahall for the generous facilitation, and to every volunteer who showed up ready to practice, not just listen.