IN THIS ISSUE
PMI Supports You With New Digital Resources
In Memoriam: Russell D. Archibald
Choose Your Candidates in the 2021–2023 Board Election
Telecommuting Is the New Norm: PMI Webinar With Microsoft
LIMC 2020–Leadership Moments During a Time of Disruption
Events Calendar
Chapter Links
Available online for PMI members only at PMI.org
PMIEF's 30th Anniversary
Thirty years ago, the world saw the launch of the World Wide Web, the release of Nelson Mandela, the deployment of the Hubble Space Telescope … and the creation of the PMI Educational Foundation.
In 1990, a small group of dedicated PMI members joined forces to launch the PMI Educational Foundation. Over the years, PMIEF has made an impact on the lives of others through scholarships, awards, volunteerism and programs geared toward youth. The Foundation also coined the tagline: PM for Social Good®, inspiring project managers around the globe to leverage their project management skills for social good. Today, PMIEF is laser-focused on bringing project management to youth (ages 5 to 19), impacting the lives of over 200,000 youth annually.
“The Foundation focuses on youth and partners with nonprofit organizations to bring project management to their teams and, ultimately, the youth they serve,” said Jim Snyder, one of the founding members of PMIEF. “It's about helping everyone become “project ready” for the demands of our times.
When kids learn how to successfully manage a project, they can move forward with confidence. They know what has to be done, and they know how to do it. That's the heart—the true impact—of PMIEF.”
Since our first steps to use PM for Social Good, and with the incredible support of the PMI community, we have been working hard to make a difference in the lives of others around the world.
And now, it's time to celebrate! We hope you'll celebrate with us as we take a look at PMIEF's history, and how we're shaping the lives of youth right now. See the infographic on page one to learn more about PMIEF's impact over the last 30 years and visit pmief.org/anniversary to learn more about PMIEF's milestone anniversary.
Correction: In the listing of the PMIEF 2019 scholarship and award recipients published in the March/April issue of PMI Today, we misspelled Chanie Alpert's last name. We apologize for the error.
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PMI GLOBAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
PMI and members of the influential Global Executive Council believe that project, program and portfolio management deliver a strategic advantage that helps organizations do more with less. The elite organizations selected for participation in the Council are well positioned to have the most direct influence on the direction and future of the project management profession.
To learn more, please visit PMI.org/Business-Solutions/PMI-Global-Executive-Council.aspx.
2020 PMI Board of Directors
Chair
Tony Appleby, MBA, C.Dir., PMP
Chair, Audit Committee
Galen Townson, EMBA, MAPP, CDA, PMI-ACP, PMP
Chair, Strategy Oversight Committee
Tejas Sura, MS, MBA, PMP, PfMP
Chair, Compensation Committee
Caterina (Cathy) La Tona, BCS, PMP, PfMP
DIRECTORS
Randall T. (Randy) Black, P.Eng., C.Dir., IoD Fellow, PMP, Immediate Past Chair
J. Davidson Frame, PhD, PMP, PMI Fellow
Teresa A. (Terri) Knudson, MBA, PMP, PgMP, PfMP
Beth A. Partleton, PMP, PMI Fellow
LuAnn Piccard, PMP
Anca E. Slușanschi, MSc, ICP-APM, PMP
Jennifer Tharp, PMP
Roberto Toledo, MBA, PMP
STAFF EXECUTIVE
President and Chief Executive Officer
Sunil Prashara
FROM THE PRESIDENT AND CEO
Sunil Prashara, President and CEO
PMI Supports You With New Digital Resources
Every organization in the world is currently confronting the challenge of moving forward amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, while balancing the safety and well-being of their teams. In just a short period of time, we have been called upon to make rapid changes and sacrifices, and to adjust the ways that we work and live. Many of these new working practices are going to stick (i.e., they won't be temporary; and I'm pretty sure our collective recovery from COVID-19 will mean that how we work in the future will be very different).
During these uncertain times, I want to assure you that PMI is here to support you. As we adjust to a new norm, PMI remains laser-focused on being a resource for our members, certification holders and key stakeholders around the globe.
Some organizations already operate on a full-time basis in a virtual work environment, and we have been learning from them. For most of us, the challenges we are experiencing remind us of the importance of virtual learning options and customizable digital services.
At PMI, we stand ready to provide you with resources, connect you to your community of peers and help you to continue advancing your professional development from wherever you may be.
Here are examples of our current and upcoming digital products that can benefit you:
Organizational Transformation I
Quickly learn what it takes to play a role in your organization's transformation and prove you have what it takes to drive it forward. This new course provides the tools and techniques to assist you as you support transformation.
PMP Online Proctored Testing
Exam candidates now have the option to take the Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification exam online from their office or home.
As a reminder, the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (ACP)® and Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)® certifications can already be taken online.
Project Management for Beginners
Made available for free during these uncertain times, “Project Management for Beginners” is an introductory course that provides the foundational knowledge necessary to join a project team, serving as the first step on your path to a project management career.
Agile in the PMO
Currently being offered at no cost, this course will position you as a project management office (PMO) director, walking you through a series of scenarios designed to improve your PMO's performance using agile principles and processes.
Business Continuity
This course, offered for free, is timely and relevant. With more companies asking employees to work from home, and in-person industry events going virtual, COVID-19 has created an immediate need to rethink work processes.
The “Business Continuity” course pulls together fan favorites to help leaders and their employees adapt during this difficult time.
Basics of Disciplined Agile™ Course
Gain an introduction to the Disciplined Agile™ tool kit and new ways of working (while earning PDUs) with this comprehensive online course. “Basics of Disciplined Agile” is an eight-module, self-paced online course based on real-life scenarios. It is your unique and personal guide to the world of agile as we reimagine the future of work.
Navigator—Beta
Currently available at no cost, Navigator serves as “the portal into PMI”—a career development platform for project professionals. The platform offers opportunities for comprehensive self-assessment of skills, interests and goals, while offering an action plan to achieve your objectives.
PMI Study Hall—Beta
This offering provides candidates a sneak peek into new PMP certification exam resources, including outlines of exam content, daily practice questions, tips from experts and exam preparation advice.
Virtual Events
COVID-19 may have upended travel plans around the globe, but PMI is still driving forward on a variety of virtual events and learning opportunities, including the recent PMXPO, which took place on 26 March and is PMI's largest virtual event of the year (available on demand). SeminarsWorld® courses have also shifted to a virtual format, offering small group discussions and hands-on learning across a range of subject areas. We'll also be releasing an ongoing series of virtual events for the remainder of 2020 that will allow you to learn and connect with the project management community from home. Learn more at PMI.org/events.
PMIstandards+™—Beta
If you are a project professional looking for reliable resources to complement A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Sixth Edition, you can now benefit from digitized tools, templates and case studies.
Snippets—Beta
Now available for a free trial, Snippets offer bite-sized learning for professionals who are seeking quick, reliable and relevant project learning.
Tower Game
Available at no cost through the PMI Educational Foundation, the Tower Game is a fun project management exercise that can be used by students of all ages, as well as adults. A teaching tool that encourages participants to consider time, cost, quality and risk, the game can be used as an “ice breaker,” a standalone exercise or as part of a class curriculum. It is currently available in 17 languages.
Micro-Certifications
Micro-certifications provide access to specialized learning and assessment tools that can help you to differentiate yourself and gain new skills. Look out for more of these opportunities coming in the third quarter of 2020.
The digital offerings in our ecosystem all complement each other, reinforcing learning and giving practitioners the ability to customize their unique learning journeys. Our goal is to enable practitioners to accelerate their acquisition of the knowledge, skills and capabilities that employers seek.
We live in a time of unprecedented challenges. I firmly believe that project managers will play an increasingly important role in helping their organizations to continue delivering value and in navigating change.
We are ready to support you at every step of the way with these unique offerings—and there's more to come in the future.
A version of this article originally appeared on LinkedIn.
IN MEMORIAM
Russell D. Archibald, MSc, PhD (Hon), APM/IPMA Honorary Fellow, PMP, PMI Fellow
We are sad to share the passing of one of our founding members, Russell D. Archibald, MSc, PhD (Hon), APM/IPMA Honorary Fellow, PMP, PMI Fellow. His career of over 70 years included international experience in engineering, operations, and program and project management. However, it was his PMI volunteerism that had a large impact on the PMI we know today.
Russ was PMI member #6 and was thus a participant in the earliest discussions about the need for a project management practitioner organization, which led to the formation of PMI. He also served as a former PMI vice president.
He was a leader and an incredible advocate of our chapters. Russ was the president of the PMI Southern California Chapter from 1991–1992, and was a founding member of the PMI Mexico City Chapter in 1996. He was also once a member of the PMI Bajio, Mexico Chapter and the PMI Poland Chapter.
Russ was a trailblazer. He presented the first paper, “Planning, Scheduling and Controlling the Efforts of Knowledge Workers,” at the formation meeting of PMI in 1969, and was the program chair for the second annual PMI Seminars & Symposium in St. Louis, Missouri, USA in 1970. Additionally, he was an early adopter of our Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification, becoming the 277th professional to become certified.
Russ was an award-winning professional. He became a PMI Fellow in 1989, was the recipient of the PMI Jim O'Brien Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006, and was an Honorary Fellow of the Association of Project Management (APM/IPMA-UK).
A published author and researcher, he co-authored two books, was the sole author of one, and contributed countless chapters to books. He also presented almost 90 papers at many PMI, International Project Management Association (IPMA) and other industry conferences.
He was also a longtime educator, working as an adjunct professor and lecturer on project management at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Cranfield Institute of Technology (CIT).
Russ was an icon in our community. His passion and dedication to the profession will certainly be missed.
Influence PMI's Future With Your Vote
Choose Your Candidates in the 2021–2023 Board Election
Annually, PMI's members have a chance to influence the future direction of the Institute by participating in the election of its Board of Directors.
The Board carries out the Institute's purposes and objectives. They are solely responsible and accountable for strategy direction and approval, strategy assurance and for fulfilling fiduciary responsibilities entrusted to them by PMI's membership.
The four directors selected by you, the members, will serve on PMI's Board for a three-year term and govern the Institute. They are “directors at large,” elected to serve the entire membership.
Personalized electronic ballots were emailed on 22 June. If you do not receive your ballot, please visit MyPMI to verify your preferred email address, and contact [email protected] to request one.
All completed ballots must be received by 5:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern Daylight Time (UTC –4), 3 August.
To watch a video and learn how each candidate will contribute to the vision, strategy and direction of PMI, visit bcove.video/3fReBtG.
2020 PMI Nominating Committee
The volunteers on this committee selected the Board candidates profiled on the following pages. Their selection was guided by PMI Rules of the Board 6.0.3. The 2020 PMI Nominating Committee members are (from left) Alex Siow; Margareth Carneiro, PMP; Michael Smith, PMP; Isabelle Levavasseur, PMP; and Ayodeji Ishmael, PMP, chair.
Your PMI Board of Directors Candidates
Agnieszka Maria Gasperini, ICF ACC, PMI-ACP, PMP
Agnieszka Maria Gasperini is a multicultural, passionate volunteer and leading expert in project management. Over the past 15 years, she has been teaching, advising and coaching project managers and executives around the world, with a strong expertise in European Union (EU) development projects. Her work, articles and overall contributions to the profession have been recognized with several awards, including the PMI Distinguished Contribution Award in 2012.
An active PMI volunteer for more than 18 years, Mrs. Gasperini is a PMI Poland Chapter founder (2002), and has served as both president and vice president of the chapter (2008–2012). She has held several roles that support PMI's global operations since 2013, including serving on the Board Volunteer Advisory Committee (BVAC), as a region mentor in Central Europe and as a PMIEF Community Engagement Committee (CEC) member. She is also a graduate of the PMI Leadership Institute Master Class (2012).
Mrs. Gasperini is the CEO and founder of Project Management Consulting. Formed in 2003, the firm was one of the first consulting and training firms established in Poland. She has trained and coached more than 10,000 executives and has consulted over 500 companies in gaining EU funds for their projects (over €1 billion in total). She is an active assessor of EU projects, serving the European Commission and local governments since 2007.
Mrs. Gasperini has been a speaker at forums in over 20 different countries. Since 2010, she has been part of the faculty at Warsaw University and other business schools.
She holds a master's degree from Warsaw University in economics and management, and has completed post-graduate studies in project management at George Washington University. Mrs. Gasperini was raised in Poland and lived in Italy from 2011 to 2017. She speaks Polish, English, Spanish, Italian and conversational German and Russian. Her hobbies include dancing the Argentinian tango and playing the saxophone.
Pablo Lledó, MSc, MBA, PMI-ACP, PMP
Since 1995, Pablo Lledó has guided business development projects in multinational companies, coordinated training programs for executives, started companies and helped enterprises reach their strategic objectives through projects.
After working as a financial analyst for Towers-Perrin in England, Mr. Lledó became an entrepreneur, founding six companies, ranging from retail to financial services to consulting. Today, he continues as a board director of four of those companies. His experience is not just in success but also in failure, adaptability and reinvention.
He has published 10 project management books, including his bestseller Project Manager, and has delivered training and consulting to more than 20,000 executives in 20 countries. He has written articles and been interviewed by international media (radio, magazines, blogs), including PM Network®, PMI Today® and PMI Credential Passport.
Mr. Lledó holds an MSc in project analysis (University of York, England); an MBA in project management (Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Spain); an MBA in international business (Universitat de Lleida, Spain); and a bachelor's degree in economics (Universidad Nacional de Cuyo – Argentina). He is also a PMI Leadership Institute Master Class graduate and holds the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)® and Project Management Professional (PMP)® certifications, in addition to participating in the Program on Negotiation (Harvard Law School) and being awarded the Role of the Director (Institute of Directors, England).
He has been selected as a speaker for several PMI global and regional conferences, and received the PMI Distinguished Contribution Award in 2012.
Moreover, Mr. Lledó served as a board director at the PMI Buenos Aires, Argentina Chapter (2009–2010) and as a founder and first president of the PMI Nuevo Cuyo Argentina Chapter (2011–2012). Both of those chapters received the PMI Chapter of the Year Award during his time of volunteer work. He is currently a PMI Educational Foundation board director (2015–2020), serving as board chair.
He is married to Marcela and is the father of three boys. He is also active in sports and volunteers as a rugby coach and in helping undernourished children.
Ike Nwankwo, PMP
Ike Nwankwo is the managing director at Distinct Management Ltd., an independent project management consultancy focusing on information technology, construction and business transformation in the United Kingdom and Africa. He is also a board member at Savant Integrated Concepts Ltd., Nigeria.
Over the years, Mr. Nwankwo has led the delivery of large-scale projects/programs, including a recent £10-million digital transformation program at FirstPort UK, a £6-million global digital makeover program, a £5-million Europe-wide digital implementation program at Avon, a £12-million digital migration program at Daily Mail group and a portfolio of varied construction projects, consisting of a Catholic church, a Marriott group hotel, an event center and a Hard Rock Café in Nigeria.
A longtime volunteer to the project management profession, he has served as vice president of finance (2013–2014) and president (2014–2016) of the PMI Nigeria Chapter, and is currently a PMI region mentor for Africa (2016–2020). He is a member of both the PMI United Kingdom Chapter and the PMI Nigeria Chapter.
A motivated speaker at varied corporate, association, governmental/nongovernmental and PMI conference events, he has presented topics focusing on the value of project management, project management awareness and leadership.
Mr. Nwankwo co-authored a new book on global leadership, Developing Global Leaders: Insights from African Case Studies, which illustrates the diversity of “new” leaders in Africa, their inspirations and ideas for a different future, and their perceptions and personal experiences in an age of transformation.
Mr. Nwankwo, who was issued a “Flying Pig” award at GlaxoSmithKline (2004) and was designated a “glittering alumni” of Middlesex University (2005), holds a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in architecture from the University of Nigeria and an MBA from Middlesex University Business School, United Kingdom. He holds several project management certifications, including a Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification (2007), and is a graduate of the PMI Leadership Institute Master Class of 2016.
Jacob Pat, PMP
Jacob Pat is a technology and business executive who has served in entrepreneurial CIO, CTO and CDO roles. He has 22 years of progressive experience driving business improvement and digital transformation in the apparel, software, consumer packaged goods (CPG), consumer electronics, manufacturing and professional services verticals. This experience includes startups, venture capitalist/private equity-funded growth firms, IPO companies and publicly traded companies.
Mr. Pat is currently principal at JXP and Co. Inc., and prior to this, served as CIO at both Champion Petfoods and Canada Goose. He earned his reputation as a trusted advisor to entrepreneurs, investors, board members and executives with his ability to shape a business-focused vision for technology, emphasizing disruptive digital transformation to create enormous business value, especially in the following areas: competitive market advantage, new market expansion and opportunity discovery; business scaling for explosive and profitable growth; customer experience optimization; and digital and mobile economy operational readiness.
Mr. Pat is an entrepreneur at heart, having launched his first business at the age of 12. Like most entrepreneurs, he has experienced astounding success and epic failures that have helped to shape the leader he is today. He has launched and sold companies, been involved in venture capital and private equity plays, mergers and acquisitions integrations and even a successful IPO. He is also an investor and board advisor for Conscia, a SaaS product firm offering AI-powered content enrichment and discovery solutions. In each of these cases, his core objective has been using emerging technologies and disruptive digital solutions to position the business for profitable, scalable growth and to prepare them for the digital/mobile economy.
Tejas Sura, MS, MBA, P. Eng., Dip IoD, PMP, PfMP
Tejas Sura, an entrepreneur from Mumbai, India, is the managing director of Cubic Turnkey Private Limited, with 25 years of construction-project experience with multinational organizations. His strategic leadership and oversight, with a strong focus on customer centricity, has ensured repeat and referral business, with over 50% shareholder ROI. Formerly, he led Conart Engineers Limited, an Indian publicly listed company, as managing director.
Mr. Sura is a fellow of the Institute of Directors (IoD), India, and holds a diploma from IoD, United Kingdom, a professional credential that indicates knowledge, experience and competency as a director, in addition to his extensive experience with not-for-profit boards.
An enthusiastic volunteer with PMI, Mr. Sura has been advancing the profession for over 20 years, and has served as a director on the PMI Board since 2017. He is the current chair of the strategic oversight committee, and has also volunteered as a founder, president and advisor for the PMI Mumbai Chapter, a region mentor (South Asia), and for chapter and ISO member advisory groups. He has spoken at several PMI® Leadership Institute Meetings and conferences. He has contributed to PMI's A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) and the Construction Extension to the PMBOK® Guide. He graduated from the 2010 PMI Leadership Institute Master Class and is a recipient of various PMI leadership awards.
Mr. Sura also led the Indian delegation for the ISO technical committee for project, program and portfolio management. He administers the LinkedIn group “Humor in Project Management.”
Mr. Sura holds a master's degree in civil engineering from The University of Texas – Austin, an MBA in finance, and holds both the Project Management Professional (PMP)® and Portfolio Management Professional (PfMP)® certifications. Mr. Sura enjoys a multicultural team environment, having worked on projects in North America and Asia Pacific. He is a visiting professor for leading graduate schools, is multilingual and holds memberships with ACI, ASCE, IE(I), IoD, NACD, and Rotary.
Matt Tomlinson, PMP, PgMP
Matt Tomlinson is a senior technical product manager at Indeed.com, where he focuses on improving the technology used to help millions of people around the world get jobs.
Like many entrepreneurs, Mr. Tomlinson's journey started in his parents' garage, where at the age of 16, he formed his first startup working to connect small businesses to the internet. Now, a few decades later, he is an accomplished program manager, product manager, researcher, writer and speaker in the fields of artificial intelligence and innovation.
His career has taken him from remote deployments with the U.S. Air Force, to working with senior leadership in the Pentagon, to the White House managing the “We the People” website. His tenure at Electronic Arts allowed him to run a global innovation lab. Now at Indeed.com, his mission is to help people get jobs.
Mr. Tomlinson has been an active volunteer at PMI for over 10 years, working on exam item writing, program management role-delineation studies, The Standard for Program Management – Third Edition, the Certification Governance Council and the global practice analysis.
His distinguished work has been recognized by many organizations. He was awarded the prestigious Booz Allen Hamilton “Values in Practice” award. His team also won the Stevie Award for customer service and the SQM Customer Experience Award for innovation.
He has been asked to speak at the Gartner Symposium and has been a recurring speaker for the IPsoft Digital Workforce Summit. Most recently, Mr. Tomlinson was asked to present to an exclusive gathering of chief customer officers at the Corinium Summit, where he spoke about an article that he co-authored titled “Innovation: What's the Right Amount for Your Contact Center?”
He holds a bachelor's degree in computer science from Texas Christian University and served five years in the U.S. Air Force.
J. LeRoy Ward, CSM, CSPO, PMP, PgMP, PfMP
J. LeRoy Ward, president of Ward Associates, provides consulting and advisory services to Global Fortune 500 Corporations and government agencies in project, program and portfolio management (P3M). He specializes in working with executives to facilitate their role in optimizing their P3M practices, and in developing the skills of their project and program managers.
Mr. Ward has substantive experience in the U.S. government, where he held project/program management and executive positions in four federal agencies. He was accountable for implementing agency-wide systems in multiple areas, including oil and gas, social services, facilities management, engineering, construction and law enforcement. Following federal service, he entered the corporate training industry, where he was ultimately appointed executive vice president for product strategy, responsible for all products and services for one of the world's largest providers of project management training. He oversaw professional development programs that were delivered to more than 100,000 participants annually. He has vast experience in improving project management skills and operations in all 11 sectors of the S&P 500.
A recognized authority, Mr. Ward frequently speaks on project management–related topics worldwide. He has presented at more than 24 PMI conferences and countless corporate and public events. He has authored or co-authored more than 40 articles and nine publications, including Program Management Complexity: A Competency Model and Dictionary of Project Management Terms. His former blog, WARD:WIRED, has been read by more than 50,000 professionals a year.
Mr. Ward holds bachelor's and master's degrees from Southern Connecticut State University, an MSTM degree from The American University, and project management certifications from Stanford University and George Washington University. He holds CSM, CSPO, Project Management Professional (PMP)®, Program Management Professional (PgMP)® and Portfolio Management Professional (PfMP)® certifications. He is also a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute, the U.S. government's premier program for leadership development. In 2013, he was awarded PMI's Eric Jenett Project Management Excellence Award.
PMI China News
Telecommuting Is the New Norm: PMI Webinar With Microsoft
Working remotely is not uncommon for many of us, but when the duration extends to weeks or even months, the risk of declines in productivity and team collaboration begin to surface. In collaboration with Microsoft China, we successfully held our first online project management webinar of the year on 3 March. The event topic focused on “Remote Working and Project Collaboration,” and proved to be highly appreciated by our audience during this COVID-19 global pandemic. The two-hour event attracted over 1,100 attendees from more than 900 organizations.
The meeting started with greetings from Microsoft and PMI China, which both emphasized the current gap between strategy and execution. Just like the latest Pulse of the Profession® report stated, 11.4% of investments are wasted due to poor project management capability, and organizations are still having trouble looking for the right mix of “finding the right projects, and doing the projects right.” With the theme being set, the content of this event was divided into two parts.
First, we sought to explore what some of the practices and mindsets are that can help us work from home more effectively. Our guest speakers began sewing the pieces together by providing real-life examples, such as communicating with family to lay some ground rules during office hours. These practices can include setting up a dedicated workstation to avoid distractions, and the Pomodoro Technique to help you better manage time and become more productive. Many of the ideas presented are simple and easy-to-apply ways that we can adopt and develop to benefit not just our current work, but throughout our professional careers as well.
PMI online webinar: “Remote Working and Project Collaboration”
The second part focused more on the mechanisms and tools that we can use to boost efficiency and productivity. We learned some great tips, starting with knowing the dynamics of our team members, like letting people who like to work alone take on tasks that can be done individually, and forming smaller groups for people who want to communicate frequently and collaborate. Other good approaches include bite-sizing the work breakdown structure (WBS) and milestones to allow smaller teams or individuals to complete tasks more easily; the “bounty hunter” mechanism to drive productivity; and last, but not least, choosing the right technology and tools to greatly improve cross-functional collaboration. There are many well-established products on the market; you should pick the ones that suit your organization's work style. These mindsets, best practices and skills are essential for project teams to maintain value delivery capability, and we can trigger some really nice synchronization and a smooth workflow across the whole team!
This virtual event was well received, and there will be two more sessions that we are cohosting with Microsoft in the second quarter. We extend our special thanks to DiDi, Schneider Electronics, Microsoft, Beijing Highfarinfo Technology and Shanghai Fore-sighted Management Consulting Co.Ltd for sponsoring the event. We are very grateful to have such an enthusiastic community to support the advancement of the profession, and we will continue to utilize technology to keep our stakeholders engaged.
LIMC 2020–Leadership Moments During a Time of Disruption
By Lydia Liberio, PMP LIMC 2020 Member
The Leadership Institute Master Class (LIMC) of 2020 started its wonderful journey with 32 global class members connecting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, coinciding with PMI's 50th anniversary. And although the master class had looked forward to meeting again in March, as you can guess, that meeting was canceled. But it did not dampen our spirits or our commitment to the program and each other.
The Leadership Institute Master Class is a yearlong program for PMI volunteers that helps participants to hone the skills they already possess and provides the knowledge needed to become more effective leaders. LIMC has a 500-strong alumni group, many of whom are still actively engaged with PMI. The current program is designed to enhance the skills of PMI chapter leaders. Participants meet in person three times and have monthly webinars, group assignments and individual work throughout the year.
Everyone has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the LIMC 2020 was no exception. The March meeting was scheduled to include four days of classes and a social good project.
Although surprised by unforeseen health developments globally, LIMC 2020 members and faculty rose to the challenge, finding ways to virtually present sessions. And while the program always had a virtual component, the class embraced the opportunity to use their leadership skills to support their communities, chapters and each other.
The most exciting developments really came from innovative approaches to connecting with other members of the represented chapters, including virtual meetings and social gatherings, virtual project sharing, virtual speaker sharing and virtual professional and social support networks. Virtual movie nights and mixers worked well as networking social hours because they could be simulated at any PMI chapter event to help people connect with new project management members and reconnect with existing friends.
Mei Lin and the PMI Dallas Chapter Mask Initiative
LIMC members also helped bring meaningful content to classmates' chapters by cohosting events for chapters thousands of miles away. Bhanu Viswanadha (PMI Silicon Valley, CA Chapter) and Parash Sharma (PMI Los Angeles Chapter) were interviewed online for Kinga Winiarska's PMI Western Michigan Chapter; Lydia Liberio (PMI Orange County Chapter) presented a professional development unit (PDU) session on risk management and COVID-19 for Shivani Gupta's PMI South Florida Chapter; and Duncan McLaren (PMI Western Australia Chapter) and Kimberly Smolter (PMI East Tennessee Chapter) are working on project management TED Talks.
Some LIMC 2020 class members participated in sharing experiences for PMI's youth initiative, and some are supporting the PMIstandards+™ project. Twelve members have formed a virtual PMI Program Management Professional (PgMP)® certification study group, and Matt Harris (PMI New Zealand Chapter) and German Martinez (PMI Nuevo Cuyo Argentina Chapter) have joined the vanguard of early Disciplined Agile™ (DA) hybrid micro-certifications. Shivani Gupta's PMI South Florida Chapter created a “Survive and Thrive” series to motivate and support members, while Rabia Saleem's PMI Pakistan Chapter runs a “#WeAreStrongerTogether” series to support members working remotely, juggling isolation and family distractions at work. Of particular note, Mei Lin (PMI Dallas Chapter) has inspired her family to join her in making 8,000 homemade face masks for frontline medical staff.
LIMC Conference, November 2019
Risky times can also be opportunity-spotting times. We can turn lemons into lemonade, like the beverage distillers that are shifting production to manufacture hand sanitizer. These pivots help remind us of what makes project managers different in systematically overcoming obstacles. In this sense, many adaptations can be used at any chapter, including virtual social hours, inviting sister chapter leaders to guest speak, hosting virtual study groups and offering an array of individual and/or group social projects.
The LIMC program has taught each of its members to be servant leaders, to enable others, to challenge processes and to pave the way. In this time of disruption and learning new ways of working, supporting those around us is paramount, and for that we must learn to lead with our hearts.
Events Calendar
PMI Virtual Events
Are you ready for a virtual experience like no other? Get ready for the Virtual Experience Series: Delivering Value, Creating Change & Advancing the World™. This series of virtual experiences will engage, inspire and ignite you as the world recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. Join us for a series of monthly virtual experiences through December. More information is available at PMI.org/events.
SeminarsWorld® Virtual Events
Join us for interactive, instructor-led online learning. Experience one-to-one collaboration with your instructor and classmates in a deep-dive, hands-on workshop format from the comfort of your home or office.
Meet virtually with our subject matter experts as they share their experience and vast knowledge on a variety of topics. Whether you are looking to build your leadership skills, work on soft skills such as communications and collaboration, or learn the basics of agile, these live virtual meetings provide unique opportunities to learn and connect with your peers and earn PDUs. Visit PMI.org/events/seminarsworld to learn more.
Live Webinars From ProjectManagement.com
As a valued member of the ProjectManagement.com community, you can access webinars that provide insight from the industry's most respected voices on the most relevant and important topics today—and earn PDUs.
14 JULY 2020 • 12:00 P.M. EDT (UTC-4)
The Project Manager's Role in Virtual Learning
The COVID-19 global pandemic has forced the world to digitize everything from doctor's appointments to grocery shopping. While the current times come with many challenges that alter our way of living, project managers can find new opportunities in the realm of online education, virtual training and digital course development. Attend this webinar to learn the end-to-end processes of online training delivery and identify how project managers can successfully lead teams through the course development process.
23 JULY 2020 • 12:00 P.M. EDT (UTC-4)
Project Management 3.0: The New Project Management for the New World
After years of having the writing on the wall, it is time to increase the value that project managers produce and reach our full promise and potential. With the world evolving during the post-COVID-19 era, organizations and individuals are looking for more return on their investments. And when it comes to project management, a more integrated approach that focuses less on methodologies and more on creating an all-around approach for project managers can help grow and improve our organizations. Sitting through a “traditional” project management class for a number of days has been proven to hone in on certain skills, but it can also exacerbate the problem of “siloed specialty”—where project managers and other professionals become experts in an aspect of their work, while their specialty is still “locked” within the silo. The result is little to no value creation for the organization.
This session touches on this exact challenge by engaging experienced project managers and turning them into centers of excellence who add value wherever they go in the organization. This value is based on actual needs, as opposed to attempting to augment reality so that it fits into an off-the-shelf methodology. The session does not go “back to basics,” but it provides an overview of key concepts, ideas, skills and techniques for project managers and those who work with them. This move to the next level can truly increase their effectiveness and efficiency in value creation. We will not address hard skills, but rather those skills that are “in between:” interactions, handling situations, “owning” the process around communication, working with other silos and subsequently breaking these silos down and adding value.
For more information and to register, visit ProjectManagement.com/Webinars.
Chapter Links
NEWS | PEOPLE | PROJECTS
PMI Panama Chapter pmi-panama.org
The PMI Panama Chapter Hosts Future-Focused Workshop for Youth
Today's youth urgently need to become a generation with leadership skills and a proactive mindset in order to transform the world around them so they can make their way through today's challenges. Through our workshops, young people acquire a critical vision of their reality and are motivated by the desire to become positive agents of change.
Due to all the aspects that can generate uncertainty in the life of a teenager, it is easy to understand that they can sometimes feel overwhelmed. On top of that, teenagers must think about and plan their futures, which can be stressful. As such, they require help to determine and prioritize the important things in their lives. This is done by helping them set short-, medium- and long-term goals, and developing realistic and feasible plans to achieve them. When you achieve order in different areas of your life, it is easy to see the future with optimism, responsibility and awareness. Teenagers who don't have a plan and goals usually perceive their immediate and distant futures with fear and insecurity.
LEGO activity where students ask: “Who am I?” and “What can I offer to others?”
Volunteers from Dell Panama and PMI with Marianella Musso, the PMI Panama Chapter liason to PMIEF, and Massiel Vallarino, the executive director of Fundader
It is of the utmost importance to strengthen their leadership qualities so that they can self-recognize their potential, overcome challenges and develop their sense of purpose and execution. By doing this, they can then be prepared to raise awareness for the common good and make their unique talents available to society by executing innovative projects that allow them to proactively explore their skills.
Additionally, we provide them with the necessary tools to build their “life project” through methods that guide them to arouse social interest, creativity, self-confidence and proactivity. We also accompany them in the self-discovery of their talents and passions, and in the personal self-realization process.
On 17–18 February, we carried out a volunteer activity at Fundader (Fundación para el Desarrollo Integral de la Mujer y la Familia), a nonprofit organization based in the city of Panama Oeste, Panama.
This activity was aimed at a group of young people and, thanks to its success, we were able to talk about the tools and good practices in project management that they could use in their own lives. We used PMIEF materials and, in a didactic way, used LEGOs to teach them through different dynamics, orienting them to build their life project through self-knowledge and development of their life plan. We focused on motivating them to act and take the right steps to make it happen by showing them that there are tools that can help them monitor their progress through validation to achieve the expected results.
The teenagers had a beautiful experience and learned the different project management Process Groups and Knowledge Areas in an active and fun way.
The group of participating volunteers was made up of collaborators from the Dell Panama Company, such as Diviel Arévalo, as well as other volunteer members of the PMI Panama Chapter, such as Vielsa Gómez, Cinthia Ortega, María Alejandra Jurado, the President of the PMI Panama Chapter Ada Avila and the PMI Panama Chapter Liaison to PMIEF Marianella Musso.
PMI Hampton Roads Chapter pmihr.org
The PMI Hampton Roads Chapter Pivots to Provide Virtual Events
The PMI Hampton Roads Chapter (PMIHR) in Norfolk, Virginia, USA, has always worked tirelessly to schedule a great lineup of events that bring value to its membership. For example, they have previously arranged a dinner and show at a local comedy club, where they were allowed early entry and participated in a Q&A with the owner/manager regarding how project management fits into the day-to-day operations of the club.
Each month, the chapter also held a “Pints and PDUs” event at different breweries within its seven-city territory. The cost was US$10 for members and included a free drink (not to mention a PDU). These events provided access to the owners or operations managers to learn more about how they mitigated risks, dealt with budgets and planned events (all things that a project manager does every day).
These events have always been very popular networking events for members. For the remainder of 2020, the chapter had scheduled several events such as a dinner cruise, “skydiving” at iFly (where you actually experience the feeling of skydiving inside a building over a rather large fan), PMI Night with a local semi-pro baseball team for the whole family and, last but not least, a free members and families picnic at a local beach park.
But then the bottom fell out, and the chapter members found themselves practicing social distancing and staying in place. While they agreed that it was the right thing to do, it presented a unique challenge to their group meetings and networking events.
Enter a new standard: the virtual chapter meeting! In past years, the chapter had toyed with the idea of streaming its functions and hosting virtual meetings, but there was no impetus to do that … until now!
The PMIHR board came together to plan how a virtual meeting would become a reality. And it was quite the benefit that they had access to some great project managers to see to the details.
As the chapter was being confronted with some tactical challenges that they needed to push through, there was a particular challenge in obtaining a great speaker with a timely message who could be as technically perfect as possible, while remaining free.
- Make it free. Check. There was no overhead for venue, meals, etc.
- Get a great speaker. Check. The chapter was overjoyed to be able to book a thought-provoking host of a local NPR (WHRO) radio show, aptly named “HearSay.” Cathy Lewis (cathylewis.com) even accommodated the chapter with a free presentation.
- Be technically perfect. Check. While the chapter members had all used a wide variety of collaborative software in their work lives, they decided to use a member's personal 100-user Cisco WebEx account to host the event.
Once all the boxes were checked, they were set to go. Their rehearsal was excellent, and they were feeling pretty good about the plan. The next step was to open the event to members and guests. PMIHR posted the event to its website and waited to see if they would meet the goal of 75 attendees.
Just days before the event, registrations climbed to well over 125 (the final count was 147). Great news, right?
Not exactly, because they only had a 100-user license and the cost to upgrade to a 200-user license was cost prohibitive. What now? Enter Sarah Maxwell, PMI chapter partner; she made arrangements for the chapter to use PMI's 1,000-user WebEx license! Typically, PMI requires a two-week lead time to set up the WebEx, but PMI is dedicating more resources to help chapters have virtual options during the COVID-19 pandemic, and was able to get the event set up within 24 hours!
The night of the event went pretty much as planned. Everyone was able to connect, Ms. Lewis gave a fantastic presentation that was not only interactive, but extremely well received, and the feedback from attendees over the next few days confirmed that the event was a great success.
Due to the COVID-19 virus, the chapter has moved all of its Q2 and Q3 events to a virtual format. The number of attendees has soared, and they are feeling pretty good about bringing value to their members.
The PMIHR Professional Development Conference (PDC), tentatively scheduled for 22 September, is right around the corner. The chapter will likely be offering a “hybrid” type of PDC, where there will be in-person presentations and workshops, as well as virtual streaming of the content. It may be presented as a “pay-per-view” event. Please check PMIHR Chapter communications for updates on this as they continue to develop their plans.
The PMIHR Chapter wishes to extend its heartfelt thanks to the PMI support team, including Sarah Maxwell, Jennifer Baker, Mike Liddy and AJ Filipas, who really stepped up and provided spectacular support.
PMI South Africa Chapter pmi.org.za
Progressing Up Toward the Chief Level
Rising Up to Drive The Project Economy
By: Taka Sande, PMP, and Carel Van Zyl, PMP
Traditionally, project management is viewed as a technical skill that is separate from strategic and business management skills. As a result, project managers may have been seen as not “qualified” enough to be placed in strategic, business management and leadership roles. The C-suite usually has members with a non-project management background.
On the other hand, as a project professional progresses on the career ladder, a point is reached where technical project management skills become a lesser component of their everyday duties. This tends to create frustration for many project professionals, having come all that way to find out that there is no seat for them at the top. Instead of progressing to the corporate level, most project professionals turn into consultants.
In this discussion, we uncap the career path of project professionals into the corporate level—high organizational levels that have not traditionally been reserved for project professionals.
There are a few questions that we should ask ourselves about our career progression:
- What is the furthest we can go up the career ladder?
- How easy is it for a project professional to end up in a C-level (chief) position?
- Are project management skills actually required in the C-suite?
- Are project management skills enough to perform at the C-level?
The normal career progression is from junior/assistant project manager to project manager, senior project manager to program manager, and then moving on to portfolio manager. From here, what is next? Are we prepared to perform in roles beyond this? If you are lucky, there will be a project director position in the organization, but for most organizations, this position does not currently exist. The executive-level titles usually do not have a title that looks like project manager. Does this mean there is no project management at that level? This calls for a look beyond the traditional project management role.
Perhaps it's time for career guidance that focuses on helping someone to perform beyond project management, helping them to reach the C-suite.
Transition Into an Executive
Project professionals must evolve into executive management by developing a portfolio management perspective and an even wider view of the organization by focusing on the overall strategic and business goals of the organization. There is a call for project professionals to be broad-minded and strategic in their approach to projects. Experience in managing enterprise-level projects gives project professionals an added advantage.
In order to improve the chances of climbing up the corporate ladder, project professionals must develop extra skills. These include the ability to have a company-wide perspective and the capacity to deliver business results by maximizing shareholders' value, which is measured in terms of economic value added (EVA).
Although fewer project managers become CEOs, they often have the skills to become better CEOs. Actually, project management experience is a must for chief executives.
Let's think again:
- Are there skills that project professionals exclusively bring to the table at the C-level that others don't?
- Are there organizations or industries where C-level executives use more project management skills than others?
- Does the above depend on the organization and their corporate culture, for example, industries that are project based, like construction, IT, etc.?
The transition from a typical project manager role to an executive is possible, and executive coaching has been found to be a good way to achieve this. However, not all project professionals are cut out for the C-level.
Powering The Project Economy™
The PMI Talent Triangle® splits the project manager's skill set into: (1) technical project management skills, (2) leadership capabilities, and (3) strategic and business management expertise. Digital skills are also being included as one of the essential skills.
In the current, fast-changing market, agile skills and digital, leadership, and strategic and business management skills are becoming a necessity within project management. This includes C-level and corporate governance skills.
This shows that project managers are actually the CEOs of projects. The future will most likely see more and more CEOs being drawn from the project professional as organizations look for innovative skills to drive performance and, at the same time, stay relevant.
There is room for project professionals in the C-suite. Our skill set has to evolve with the current trends in order to reach the highest levels in our organizations.
You can read the full version of the article series, including Linking Project Management and Corporate Governance, and Effective Corporate Governance in the Management of PMI Chapters, on PMtips.com.
PMI Lithuania Chapter pmi-lithuania.org
The PMI Lithuania Chapter Holds the First Project Management Awards Ceremony in Lithuania
On 4 February, the PMI Lithuania Chapter organized the first Project Management Awards Ceremony in Lithuania. Three projects were announced as winners in the following categories: Private Sector, Public Sector and the Social Good Project of the Year. This was a unique event to recognize organizations and professionals for meeting the highest level of quality standards in the project management field, and to share their success stories with the project management community in Lithuania.
The ceremony, held in 2020, began with a call for applications that was announced in early 2019. It was a great motivation and experience for the PMI Lithuania Chapter volunteers to introduce something totally new in Lithuania while PMI was celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Facing Challenges and Using Best Practices From Other Chapters
Remembering the great words from Plato that “Every beginning is the most important part of the work,” the PMI Lithuania Chapter volunteers are appreciative of the strong support from leaders of other PMI chapters and PMI Fellows from the very beginning of the project. The chapter wishes to extend its thanks to PMI Budapest Chapter President Laszlo J. Kremmer, Past President and Director of the PMI Ireland Chapter Pat Lucey and Americo Pinto, a winner of the PMI Distinguished Contribution Award. The best practices they shared and their inspiring experiences helped the chapter to build a great start and face new challenges!
The PMI Lithuania Chapter volunteers and the moderator of the awards ceremony
The PMI Lithuania Chapter board members shared their deep gratitude to their PMI friends during the ceremony. It was a great example of PMI chapters collaborating; by acting together, we can achieve so much more! Mr. Kremmer, Mr. Lucey and Mr. Pinto also had a chance to learn more about Lithuanian projects, as they were invited to be the international judging committee members for the awards.
Even with such great encouragement and support, the main challenge for the PMI Lithuania Chapter volunteers was to get enough applications for the awards to take place. After proactive encouragement and communication with multiple organizations in Lithuania, continuous posts to social media and in-person communication, 15 great projects were nominated as candidates for the best projects of the year. It was hard work for the judging committee to select the winners! This story shows that every beginning is not easy, but even a small team of volunteers can do great work when they are working together toward one goal!
The Awards Ceremony and Winners
The PMI Lithuania Chapter wanted to make the day of the awards ceremony special for all the participants and awardees. The winners of all categories were able to share their success stories in short, 10-minute project presentations.
The Social Good Project of the Year was a “Bully Box” project represented by Invest Lithuania (Create Lithuania program) with the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport. As commented by Mr. Kremmer, “Cyberbullying is a hot topic, and very often kept under the lid. Our children need care and support from us.” This unique project showed that project management skills are critical for achieving great results.
The Public Sector Project of the Year was the “GovTech Lab Project” by Invest Lithuania (Create Lithuania program), together with the Ministry of Economy and Innovation. The project focused on creating the model for the GovTech Lab in Lithuania, establishing the lab itself and starting the pilot of GovTech lab initiatives.
The PMI Lithuania Award Winners
The Private Project of the Year was the “NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance” project by UAB “Elsis,” together with the subsidiary, UAB “Elsis PRO.” As mentioned by Vytautas Mielkus, its project and program manager, “The project is very unique in many aspects, but it is best described by the word “multi”: multimillion-euro value, multiyear duration (62 months), multieffort/work (>660 man months), multidevelopment teams (almost 30 people during peak times), multinational, multilocations, etc.”
The first PMI Lithuania Awards Ceremony helped to recognize the organizations that bring the greatest value, not only for their customers but also for the whole country and its citizens. The participants of the ceremony shared their wish that these PMI Lithuania Awards become a great tradition in Lithuania. There are many success stories in Lithuanian organizations, and the PMI Lithuania Chapter helps to recognize these projects and show that small countries can achieve truly challenging goals using project management best practices!