Every year the PMI Phoenix Chapter holds an election for rotating offices on the Board of Directors. The PMI Phoenix Chapter Board of Directors is responsible for adhering to the chapter mission and vision.  The Board works to grow project management talent through professional development and volunteer opportunities. It also delivers quality educational and networking opportunities and maintains high quality technology through the website, newsletter, virtual access and audio/visual presentations. The Board is also responsible for marketing the Chapter to earn new members, and create strong external business and academic partnerships. Finally, the Board has the responsibility to achieve the Chapter’s financial goals as a non-profit, and conduct appropriate administration to ensure proper Chapter governance in alignment with PMI Global. 

Serving on the Board does take time and dedication but is also very rewarding. Each Board member has the opportunity to expand their own skills and professional network while also impacting the strategic direction of the Chapter.  You also will earn PDUs.

The Board positions up for election are listed below; each position requires a two year term:

• President Elect
• Vice-President of External Relations
• Vice-President of Technology 
• Vice President of Programs 
• Vice President of Remote Locations

Details of roles & responsibilities can be found here in the Board of Directors Roles and Responsibilities pdf document.

How do I know if I qualify?

In order to run in the election, a nominee must:

• Be a Chapter member in good standing at the time of the election
• Receive at least three nominations
• Agree to serve in the position for which he or she is nominated

Additional FAQs:

• Any Chapter member in good standing may nominate another member 
• A Chapter member may nominate him or herself as one of the three nominations
• Nominations are submitted by clicking Nominations Form

What is the process for 2020?

• Call for nominations starts May 1, 2020
• Nominations Committee evaluates the nominees May 1 through June 30
  • Nominee’s agreement to be on ballot
  • Resume submission
  • Leadership questionnaire to be filled/submitted
  • Panel Interview from Nomination Committee
  • Evaluation may include the following: 
• Nominations Committee confirm nominees and requests presentations June 
• Ballot announcement July 1, 2020
• Nominee's presentation by Webex in July 
• Elections open - August 1
• Elections close - September 1
• Results Presentation at September Evening Chapter Meeting
• Transition Period (Outgoing Board ===> Incoming Board) September - December

In case of any questions, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The PMI Phoenix Chapter has partnered with IIL to bring you an early bird discounted registration fee to their Agile and Scrum conference.  PMI Phoenix Chapter members will receive a 40% off by using the registration link below until April 30th.  The event goes live on June 4^th and will see Scott Ambler from PMI/Disciplined Agile as a keynote speaker. Participants can earn up to 26 PDUs and SEUs.  Attendees will also receive Free access to one of IIL's most popular on-demand courses, Virtual Agile Teams (value $850), which is particularly useful during this time.

Click here to REGISTER.

We will be migrating our website to new servers starting at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, April 8th at 8 p.m. MST.  There should only be a short window of a few minutes when the server may not be available during the migration.  This move is to improve the performance and security of the website.

Questions or concerns can be addressed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Yes, the sky has officially fallen. People all over the world have adopted a new way of living. Social distancing and remote work have become the norm within a few weeks’ time. Organizations went the distance by stress-testing their remote work capabilities and encouraging their employees to work remotely. The coronavirus was able to impact the world order in a stunning manner that no one had ever predicted.

As dwindling queues at the airport and canceled reservations at hotels signal an impending change in the fortunes for many industries, organizations are taking a fresh look at options to improve team productivity, which seems to be affected by the lack of personal interaction. Projects are built on one key aspect: people!

It’s no surprise that organizations are viewing the progress of their projects and programs with concern as their employees adopt a new working model that currently has no end date. This new model could be a long-lasting one that can bring about life-changing impacts and, at the same time, new opportunities for project teams to deliver value to organizations.

Remote Work
According to statistics released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 26 million Americans work remotely, at least part of the time. That constitutes 16% of the workforce in the United States. Between 2005 and 2015, the number of employees who worked remotely increased by 115%. That is a whopping jump indicating the confidence in remote work technologies—and a positive shift in organizational attitude toward remote work.

According to an Owl Labs State of Remote Work survey, companies that support remote work have 25% lower employee turnover than companies that do not promote remote work arrangements. Further, employees felt greater work/life balance when remote work was offered by organizations.

However, the same survey also indicates that the respondents felt that remote work made them less attached to their teams and experienced challenges in maintaining relationships at work. Remote workers with onsite managers experienced 25% less career growth conversations overall than average.

However, the takeaway from this survey is that managers did not report any substantial change in performance between remote and on-site workers. This fact alone can help organizations form decisions that will affect the current remote work guidance offered to their employees. After all, certain types of projects can still hope to achieve their results with a substantial remote workforce.

Disaster Recovery
Most organizations should rely on tapping into some part of their already established business continuity and disaster recovery plans during this difficult time when project teams are not readily available for business-critical operations.

While most of these emergency plans are built on the premise of infrastructure disruption due to unavoidable circumstances like natural calamity, the current situation offers organizations the opportunity to update the processes and remediations to address the real crisis of the workforce not being available onsite.

Current disaster recovery plans can be viewed from the angle of assessing what key aspects of business are affected due to worker unavailability or due to quarantine procedures mandated by the local government bodies. That may involve distributing protection apparel and implementing safety-handling procedures to help employees execute their tasks without fear of contracting infections.

Business continuity plans help organizations keep the operations going in the event of a disaster. Organizations will be able to execute their current plans with some modifications to keep the business operations intact. The challenge will be the dependency on remote locations to keep the lights on when most locations will probably be equally affected by the health situation.

New Initiatives
Project teams are entrusted to deliver new capabilities that enhance the business operations of organizations. A disruption from the norm affects many organizations’ capability to effectively reach time to market.

While a total incapacitation may not be brought about by the current situation, project governance bodies will find it challenging to project capacity, quality and timeline. When many critical projects are affected by onsite worker unavailability, capability projections need to be re-evaluated so that realistic expectations can be communicated to stakeholders and leadership.

It’s tempting to offer guidance to not start any new initiatives that require onsite worker presence. However, even during this new norm, businesses cannot hope to survive if new projects are not initiated. The need of the hour is to settle on a “middle ground” approach where business priority planning needs to occur with a view of the new reality.

It’s even possible to increase productivity in certain types of projects where unessential site work can be substituted with remote tasks, thereby offering enhanced business capabilities in some areas.

Team Health
Even during dire conditions, successful organizations pay attention to overall employee health, both psychological and physical. The current pandemic health situation offers opportunities for organizations to promote project team health—thus ensuring successful recovery plan executions, leading to prioritized business results.

Project governance and execution teams should partner to assess team health while projecting project capacity and deliverables. While employees’ physical well-being will be challenged during a health hazard, it is also paramount to pay attention to the psychological aspect of employee health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), depression and anxiety have a significant economic impact—and the estimated cost to the global economy is US$1 trillion per year in lost productivity.

It’s no surprise if the productivity loss gravitates to higher plains during the current stressful times. A recent WHO-led study estimated that for every US$1 put into scaled-up treatment for common mental disorders, there is a return of US$4 in improved health and productivity. A proactive approach to address psychological and physical health during times of distress can be a productive plan for organizations.

Difficult times offer the most challenging phases to organizations and people in general. As the English Poet Robert Frost wrote, “Even in difficult times, one thing remains true-life still goes on.” Projects, programs, and organizations must find innovative ways to tread forward. That may require a peek into the past—as well as the willingness to be outrageously creative.

This article by Jiju Nair was originally published on ProjectManagement.com. on April 1, 2020

Jiju is a project manager who takes on projects that need help. He likes a challenge put in front of him to be solved in a fixed amount of time. Because of this trait, he was fortunate enough to be called upon for completing projects in distress. Through detailed analysis and designing mitigation strategies, he is able to turn distressed projects into successful ones.

Originally published on Linkedin on March 24, 2020
by Sunil Prashara, President & CEO at Project Management Institute

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, sacrifices and 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 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 these. For most of us, the challenges we are experiencing remind us 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 continue advancing your professional development from wherever you may be.

Here are examples of our current and upcoming digital products that can benefit you:

PMP Online Proctor Testing

We are targeting mid-April for exam candidates to have the option to take the Project Management Professional (PMP) exam online from their office or home. More details will follow.

As a reminder, the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (ACP) and Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) certifications can already be taken online. 

Brightline Digital Learning and Micro-Certification

Beginning in early May, you can benefit from this online course on digital transformation and help to differentiate yourself with new knowledge. For existing PMI certification holders, this course will also be eligible for professional development units (PDUs). Stay tuned for more information.

Project Management for Beginners

Made available for free during these uncertain times, Project Management for Beginners is an introductory course which provides the foundational knowledge necessary to join a project team and can serve 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 PMO director, walking you through a series of scenarios designed to improve your project management office's performance using agile principles and processes.

Business Continuity

Currently being offered at no-cost, this course 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.

To ensure the safety and health of their workforce, while facilitating business continuity, organizations must adapt in real-time to ensure remote teams are engaged, virtual collaboration is productive, and necessary compliance standards are met.

The Business Continuity course is here to help. We’ve pulled together fan favorites to help leaders and their employees adapt during this difficult time.

Disciplined Agile Basics

This April, gain an introduction to Disciplined Agile and new ways of working (while earning PDUs) with this comprehensive online course. More info coming soon.

Navigator- Beta

Available at no-charge now, 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

Offers candidates a sneak peek into new PMP exam resources. Offering includes outlines of exam content, daily practice questions, tips from experts, and resources for preparing for the exam.

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 PMXPO on 26 March, our largest virtual event of the year (available on-demand following the event), and SeminarsWorld®, offering small group discussions and hands-on learning across a range of subject areas. Take advantage of these opportunities to learn, network, and engage from home.

Standards+ - Beta

If you’re a project professional looking for reliable resources to complement the PMBOK® Guide 6th edition, you can benefit from digitized tools, templates and case studies in late-April. Try out our Beta version now.  

Snippets - Beta

Available for a free trial today, Snippets offers bite-sized learning for professionals seeking quick, reliable, and relevant project learnings.

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. The game teaches participants to consider time, cost, quality, and risk. The game can be used as an ‘ice breaker’, a stand-alone exercise or as part of a class. Available in 17 languages.

Micro-certifications

Access specialized learning and assessment tools to help you differentiate yourself and gain new skills. Look out for more of these opportunities this summer.

Each digital offering in our ecosystem reinforces the others while offering 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 navigating change.

We are ready. Ready to support each step of the way with offerings like these and with more to come in the future.

The best leaders use challenges to make them better, not bitter. Every obstacle that you and I face provides us with an opportunity to grow. When you shift your perspective from seeing obstacles as things that are standing in your way to things that are going to challenge you to grow, it changes your mindset. The shift in perspective allows you to welcome the challenge. You can welcome a crisis because you know, in the end, it’s going to serve its purpose by helping you develop and grow.

It doesn’t mean that the crises we face aren’t real or they aren’t hard. It simply means that we can choose to see purpose behind them and use them as opportunities to grow. It’s possible to end up better and stronger on the other side. You might be in the middle of a crazy storm of a crisis, but as long as you keep water out of your boat, you won’t sink. The best navigators know how to guide their ships. The waves can be high, and it can be really scary. I totally get it, but you’ve got to stay focused on what you can control. Keep the water out of your boat. That's the goal. The storm is a reality. You can’t change it, but you can keep the water out. At the center of every hurricane is the eye where there’s total calmness. I want you to think about it as if you're in the middle of a hurricane today. Don't get inside of the waves and don't get out of your boat. The reality is that you control you and as a result, you can choose to remain calm. Confidence is something that comes from the inside. Let what’s inside come out.

People are attracted to confidence. You know what you’re doing, and you can do this. When you’re confident, you can collaborate with people to create amazing results. I want to encourage you that you don’t have to just spin your wheels and survive today. You can actually move your life forward through the crisis. You can live in a sense of peace no matter what circumstances life throws your way. You can choose to be creative instead of complaining. You can be a responsive and effective navigator. You just have to shift your mindsets because your mindsets determine your method.

3 Mindsets to Develop When You’re Going Through a Challenging Time

1. Things/circumstances don’t happen to you.

They happen for you. There is value in every circumstance- every crisis, every challenge. A way to not waste the crisis is to ask yourself, “What does this make possible?” If you don’t take the time to look at the situation from a different perspective, you’ll never see the opportunities.

2. You’re a hero, not a victim.

Victims ask, “Why is this happening?” Heroes ask, “What else can I do?”

Victims believe there’s nothing they can do. A hero realizes there’s always something they can do.

3. You are ridiculously in charge of you.

E + R = O Events + Your Response = Outcome

Political things happen, circumstances happen, but they don’t control the final outcome.

You do. When you and I respond through confidence and clarity, we have a direct effect on the outcomes we experience.

2 Ways To Manage Those Mindsets

1. Manage the questions that you ask yourself

Questions create open loops in your brain. Manage the questions you’re asking and you’ll manage your thoughts.

Don’t ask why. Use the Drama Free Question Matrix - ask How or What paired with an action verb. Here are a few examples: What else can I do? How can I make this better? What is my very next step? How can I still make things happen?

2. Manage your energy

Exercise- endorphins are the best drugs.

Eat clean- fight the temptation to comfort yourself with sugar. You can feel better in the moment, but you’ll feel worse long term.

Sleep- tired eyes don’t see well. The best decision you might make today is to take a nap so you can wake up with clarity.

Practice thankfulness- whatever you’re thankful for always increases. Even in a challenge. There are good things going on. Focus on them.

If you develop and continue to cultivate these 3 mindsets, not only will you survive this, you’ll grow from it. It’s about progress- not perfection.

If it’s to be, it’s up to me. That’s great news. You can choose to use whatever challenge you’re facing today to make yourself better!

Dennis McIntee, a gifted keynote speaker and author, travels across the US speaking at leadership summits, management training events and healthcare conferences. So many people already know Dennis as “The Drama Free Guy.” This is because Dennis understands that if you eliminate of unhealthy drama in the workplace, your teams will thrive and succeed. In addition to being a keynote speaker, he is also a leadership consultant passionate about helping leaders create high-trust, high-performance cultures.

Dennis is also the author of The 8 Qualities of Drama Free Teams, The Power of Pursuit,  Drama Free Teams in Healthcare, Drama Free Productivity, Drama Free Relationships.

He has been married to his wife, Lisa, for 27 years and together they have four children. Whenever he isn’t writing, traveling or speaking, Dennis is an avid runner and enjoys training for races and watching soccer.