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President's Letter April 2021

President’s Letter
April 2021

The chapter has fielded some inquiries as to when we may be holding in-person meetings. Last year, we decided, based on the information available we would not hold in-person meetings until at least the late third quarter of 2021. While we have made significant strides in safety and rolling out the vaccine, we are on track with the predictions made last year.

This morning I received my 2nd Dose at State Farm Stadium. If you haven’t been and are medically eligible, I encourage you to get vaccinated.

Vaccinations started on Dec 17th in Maricopa County, and since that date, we have administered 1.5 million adults in Maricopa County. That is 40% of the eligible adults that can receive the vaccine. Out of that, 975,000 have received their second dose or the 1st dose of a one-dose series. As a state, the numbers are not as good. 1.74 million people have been vaccinated to date, making up 24% of the population of Arizona. We still have a long way to go. We will continue to monitor the progress of the pandemic in the county and state.

Putting on in-person events also takes a lot of volunteers. Our programs team will need to add volunteers to put on events once we can. If we could meet in person tomorrow, we would not have enough volunteers to make that happen. If you feel strongly about in-person events, then please volunteer and help the chapter conduct those events. If you would like to volunteer, you can complete a volunteer application here.

For information on vaccination, ADHS offers a bilingual COVID-19 Vaccine Navigation Help Desk at 844.542.8011 for those needing extra assistance with registration and answers to questions. You can also visit their website at podvaccine.azdhs.gov.

Shane Cretacci
President 
PMI Phoenix Chapter

Member Spotlight -Rafael Rios, New 2021 PMP

My name is Rafael "Tito" Vanderbilt Rios, and I didn't know that what I had been doing for the first four years of my career was agile project management, or that it could be something that I could use to differentiate myself in industry. 
 
I have been an entrepreneur and people mover since I was 18: 
I founded and grew my fraternity in college from 15 to 55 in a year when I was 19, I founded a business in the IoT tech space, developed a full beta, and was beaten to market by Monsanto when I was 20 years old, I cofounded what was almost the most disruptive company in academic publishing and proof tracing in the blockchain space when I was 21, and led automation teams to do away with outdated processes in a corporate setting when I was 23. Somewhere in there, I earned my Bachelors of Science in Economics with a focus on Data Management and Analytics from Santa Clara University. 
 
Through all of this, I was slowly honing my abilities in project management, software development and integration, stakeholder management and engagement, on-demand creativity, and how to deal wholeheartedly with great successes, and equally great failures. Through all of this, I had no idea I was turning myself into a PM. 
 
I learned about project management formally for the first time this past Fall, when I took Advanced Project Management with my now mentor, Dr. Steve Cho (inventor of the microgyroscope - he'd want me to put that in here). It was then that I realized that I actually already knew the majority of the material covered in the course, but was more introduced into the formalized processes and procedures outlined in the PMBOK. Dr. Cho had specifically geared the class towards taking the PMP, and our final exam was a past PMP. He encouraged me immediately to begin studying seriously, as he believed I could pass it. 
 
I used one book, the 10th Edition PMP Study Guide, by Kim Heldman, PMP, and read it cover to cover in the month before the exam, taking all the practice exams included with the book. The book is written for the 2021 exam, and emphasizes the variability in questions asked, as well as the focus on moving the project forward. I was scoring between 70% and 78% on the practice exams, which wasn't enough for me to be fully comfortable going into the exam on March 3. As it turns out, the full length practice exams in the study guide are significantly harder than the exam itself, which I passed on the first try with Above Target scores in all knowledge areas with an hour left in the exam period.
 
My advice for taking the exam is four-fold: 
    1. Effective studying requires discipline and categorical thinking; trying to remember things sequentially here as opposed to in terms of their situational applications will make it impossible to apply the knowledge quickly enough to finish in time.
    2. If you have the opportunity to actively apply what you're studying to an existing or theoretical project, you will better solidify the practice outside of just the concept, making the concept easier to recall. 
    3. The primary goal in every one of the questions in the 2021 PMP is moving the project forward. Many of the options are viable in each question, but which is going to immediately create momentum in the project?
    4. The 2021 PMP is adaptive based on performance on knowledge area questions; if you're continually succeeding in an area, the questions will get more difficult, and vice-versa. Maintaining momentum is critical. 
 
As I finish out my Master's of Science in Innovation and Venture Development, I'm actively seeking positions in technical project management and innovation-focused roles. If there are hard problems to be solved, I'll be the first one into the fray. 
 
For additional exam questions, Tito has agreed to be contacted at l: (707) 738-9996 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Volunteer Spotlight - Abhijit Ganguly

His journey started when he attended a chapter evening meeting in 2016 and asked a volunteer, how can I could get involved? His goal was the thought of increasing his network. The volunteer guided him through the volunteer application process and he became a volunteer. Abhijit has been serving the Volunteer Management team since day 1.

How does the volunteer application process work? Once a volunteer submits an application, their credentials are validated and they are assessed for the best fit and connected with the teams of their choice and in some cases they are helped in choosing a team based on the applicant's interest and skills. The placement team interviews them and conveys the tasks that are most in need at the time. If the role is of interest to the applicant they are onboarded. Once onboarded they receive access to the Chapter tools needed to complete their duties and an email address which they use to conduct correspondence for Chapter business.

Abhijit Ganguly is most passionate about learning and adapting to stay relevant until the last day. His inspiration is doing the right thing and helping others in need. He is an honest and amiable person, one whom I have had the pleasure of being acquainted with for many years at American Express and the Chapter. Abhijit loves international travel and hopes to sky dive one day. His proudest moment, his son has his pick of military academies and settled on the Naval Academy. A proud Dad moment and its no surprise that he was a role model in paying humanity forward, even when no one is watching. You will see him in the community as he often supports veteran events and childhood cancer.

What has been rewarding about your volunteer service? Abhijit Ganguly shared, "I have an oppor-tunity to help volunteers onboard and set a connection with the Phoenix Chapter. I have made some great friends, increased my professional network, opportunity to learn from other PMPs, earned PDUs to manage my three PMI credentials and access to PMI Global Leadership forum. I feel I have developed and sharpened skills like leadership, collaboration and team-building." What would you say to new members or others considering volunteer work for the Chapter? Abhijit conveyed, "knowledge shared is knowledge gained, volunteering for the chapter is a great way to share and learn from fellow Project Managers. You not only get the required PDUs but have access to great resources like morning breakfast sessions, evening sessions, opportunity to build professional networking. There are various groups in the chapter to volunteer for catering to individual preferences."

Risk Doctor Briefing

The benefits of using an external risk consultant should include the following:

· They bring guaranteed expertise

· They can draw on proven solutions from other engagements

· Cross-fertilisation is possible, with the consultant bringing ideas from other industries

· They can offer creativity, innovation, and fresh thinking

· There’s no “start-up” time, the consultant is ready to work on day one, without training

· Consultants offer access to leading-edge thinking and practice

· Consultants should be familiar with all current tools and techniques

· They are able to perform specialist techniques, such as risk simulation

· Using a consultant allows hands-on training for own staff by shadowing or observing

· You can turn on and turn off the consultancy resource when required

· Using consultants allows cost-effective use of limited resources or funding

· You only need to use consultants for specific tasks with clear scope

· There are no overhead costs for your organisation

 

There are however a number of risks to consider when using an external risk consultant, including:

· The consultant may not understand your business or the specific risk challenge

· They may lack specific knowledge of your project or organisation or industry sector

· They may offer a “one-size-fits-all” solution, not tailored to your need

· Prerequisite information may not be in place to support the engagement

· You may need to share confidential information to get them started

· You need to manage knowledge transfer to own staff in order to avoid becoming dependent

· The initial engagement may reveal a need for further assistance from the consultant

· They may be more expensive than you expect, especially if follow-on work is needed

· They may not leave a solution that can be operated by your staff or organisation

· The consultant may use tools or techniques that you don’t have available after they leave

· Your underlying processes may be deficient, prejudicing results

· Consultants may poach your own staff or tempt them away

· Your proprietary information may be at risk

· The reality may not match the offer (many consultants over-promise and under-deliver)

· Senior risk consultant staff may sell the work but then junior staff may be used to deliver it

· The consultant may not be available when you need or want them

 

In addition to performing a benefit-risk analysis, the following criteria might be useful when selecting a risk consultant:

· Proven track record of successful delivery in similar situations

· Recognised and relevant risk qualifications

· Extensive client base in similar sector or industry or project types

· Good reputation

· Personal recommendation

· Demonstrable expertise

· Availability when required

· Affordable within budget

 

If you can find external risk consultants who meet all the selection criteria, and who offer all the benefits with none of the risks, you should engage them immediately!! 

To provide feedback on this Briefing Note, or for more details on how to develop effective risk management, contact the Risk Doctor (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), or visit the Risk Doctor website (www.risk-doctor.com).

PMI Pulse of the Profession® 2021 (2021)Report

As organizations reimagine the post-pandemic future, they and their project leaders must embrace new ways of working. Yet not all organizations are faring equally. Amidst such massive change, Pulse of the Profession® research reveals the emergence of what we call gymnastic enterprises: Those that have learned to flex and pivot—wherever and whenever needed—while maintaining structure, form, and governance. Gymnastic enterprises select the very best ways of working from a landscape of possibilities and focus on their people, knowing that organizational performance is a well-choreographed dance of individual performances.

What sets them apart? Compared to traditional enterprises, gymnastic enterprises were more likely to have high levels of organizational agility (48 percent versus 27 percent) and were more likely to frequently use standardized risk management practices (68 percent versus 64 percent). Both traits were significant drivers of project success across the entire respondent base.

Gymnastic enterprises are leading the way by empowering their people to master new ways of working, emphasizing the human element, and understanding the central role that organizational culture plays in enabling all of these capabilities.

The payoff is broad and significant. Gymnastic enterprises are leading the way in The Project Economy—focused squarely on delivering financial value and positive social impact, no matter what it takes.

READ THE REPORT ON PMI.ORG

DOWNLOAD THE APPENDIX 

 

Member Spotlight -Sarabeth Urech, New 2021 PMP

One of her heros, her mom, Linda Urech introduced her to project management and advised her to get the PMP. Like many of us she needed a wake up call to heed the advice. Her employer, Accenture was reorganizing and provided training to obtain the PMP precertification training requirement through the recorded sessions by Barb Waters, on Skillsoft. They were gracious enough to provide three months to find another role internally or to exit. Her external job search quickly revealed that employers were looking for certifications on her resume. So Sarabeth quickly went to work in devising a plan to find her next role. She started asking others what they knew about the PMP, job seeking and how to pass the exam.

Changing her mindset was instrumental in her success. Sarabeth created a study plan and attacked it, taking advantage of her downtime to complete the PMP training. Be a chameleon and absorb the knowledge around you. Sarabeth Urech attended the New Member Orientation, and liked the warm reception on the call. "Members asked how they could help with the test and she got a couple of people to talk to, they provided her with resources to practice tests and everyone started to link up." Sarabeth said she received a warm welcome and collaborative support congratulating her on persoanl PMP journey. Support came from PMI LinkedIn connections around the world.

Sarabeth considers herself to be a generalist and a jack of all trades. Her hidden talent is mind reading when conversing with others. The skill comes from being an active listener and to being fully present, even on video calls. As you aborb and take the knowledge, give it back. She tries to mentor others to build her network and considers herself to be an extrovert. The PMP allows me to focus, manage stakeholders, problem solve and to connect people and technology. Sarabeth feels that good project managers have emotional intelligence and are an expert at asking good questions. She is now mentoring her work peers to help bring back the generalist, as well as how to build a network and is aiding others to build these skills.

Her advice for the exam? Sarabeth focused on the terms, taking copius notes and working equation examples. She then wrote it all out creating flashcards, watching YouTube on the concepts. "Use all the resources and look into all the resources that people tell you about. I respected their experience, I trusted other people's experience and learned from it and the chapter." On the new exam know the PMBOK processes and order. If taking the exam from your home office, move your personal cell phone out of the room to prevent distraction.

All of her hard work paid off. Sarabeth found an internal position with the help of a mentor, a new role within Accenture. They took note of her mindset change and her determination to pass the PMP. She is now working on a vendor project and is using it as a pilot for the PMBOK process. The learning journey continues and she shares the knowledge she obtains.

Sarabeth has a new ten year life plan with goals and beleieves, "when there are challenging circumstances look for the opportunities."