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.