On Saturday, 23 May 2026, the PMI Mauritius Chapter gathered at Royal Green for a half-day workshop dedicated to soft skills, one of the most underrated drivers of project success. 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 and 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 practise, not just listen.
Interested in upcoming PMI Mauritius workshops? Keep an eye on pmimauritius.org for the next session.
