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Future City Volunteers Needed!

Description or summary

The Future City Arizona competition needs volunteers to assist with the model display and competition day. The competition is a completely volunteer organization and this is your chance to see students present their ideas for the future as well as give back to the community.

We need volunteers in the following areas for model move-in, library time Q&A, and for model move-out. If you would like to volunteer, please first register through https://futurecity.org/volunteer-registration/ and then contact Jeff Van Skike: 480-529-5444 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

Deliverables

Model Move-In

What: Volunteers will work to escort students and their models in the Burton Barr library.
Number of volunteers needed: 3-4
Special considerations: There will be physical effort to carry and move models between locations.
When: Saturday, January 13, starting at 9 AM (specifics to be provided to volunteers)
Where: Phoenix Burton Barr Central Library, 1221 N. Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85004

Library Monitors

What: During the week, volunteers to sit at the table during library hours.  Direct people to the models, answer basic questions (also provided through the Future City website, provide a presence to ensure no damage to models.
Number of volunteers needed: 8 - 10
When: Sunday, January 14; Tuesday January 16 through Thursday January 18 during library open hours (starting at 9 AM each day)
Where: Phoenix Burton Barr Central Library, 1221 N. Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85004

Model Movers
What: Volunteers will work to move the models out of the Burton Barr library and into a transport semi-trucks.
Number of volunteers needed: 8 - 10
Special considerations: There will be physical effort to carry and move models between locations.
When: Friday, January 19, starting at 11 AM (specifics to be provided to volunteers)
Where: Phoenix Burton Barr Central Library, 1221 N. Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85004
Registration Area
What: The role of the registration volunteer is to check in all participating teams and hand out the registration packets. There will be alphabetical check in for Schools A-L and Schools M-Z as well as media, judges, VIP, and volunteer check in.
Number of volunteers needed: 3
When: Saturday, January 20, 6:30 AM
Where: Casteel High School, 24901 S. Power Rd. Queen Creek, AZ 85142 - Please make sure that you contact one of the Future City leaders before attending. We need to know you are coming so that you can be properly assigned where needed.

Duties

Model Move-in

What: Volunteers will work to escort students and their models in the Burton Barr library.

Library Monitors

What: During the week, volunteers to sit at the table during library hours.  Direct people to the models, answer basic questions (also provided through the Future City website, provide a presence to ensure no damage to models.

Model Movers
What: Volunteers will work to move the models out of the Burton Barr library and into a transport semi-trucks.
Registration Area
What: The role of the registration volunteer is to check in all participating teams and hand out the registration packets.

Cultivating Psychological Safety Within a Project Team 

By Heather Cardosi

January 6th, 2024

“Cultivating psychological safety within the project team by creating trust and setting the ground rules for all the team members is critical for project success,” says Martinez Gonzalez. “It will encourage innovation, reduce risks by increasing transparency, and drive internal accountability.”1

Psychological safety refers to the ability to speak up without fear of reprimand or humiliation. Stepping forward to share ideas and potential solutions creates moments of vulnerability, and as a project manager, it is your job to cultivate that vulnerable moment. Sharing those moments enables teams to find each other's strengths, which, when used together, closes the window of team failure.

A good starting point is to ensure team members learn about each other through a team meeting. Conduct this in person if possible. Otherwise, use a virtual meeting, asking everyone to have their cameras on and all other windows closed. They need to give their full attention to the meeting. No multi-tasking allowed. Dedicate the meeting to team bonding, starting the meeting with an explanation of why you are all there, and then actually start the conversation. 

Start talking about yourself, only briefly touch on technical skills, focusing on life outside of work. Where do you come from? What family might you have? Share at least one strength and one weakness.  Be willing to be the first vulnerable person in the room. Doing so not only shows your team what you are asking them to do, it shows them you are a person too. You are a part of the team, not just its leader.  Then, ask that they do the same. Giving them your full attention shows you value their words and experiences. You see them. 

As team members hear what each other has to say, they will start to understand who their team member is as a person. What have they gone through, and why they might react in a certain way. Seeing each other as people and not just skill sets or task assignments. 

Your ability to lead the team will also grow. A better understanding of your team's people will help you craft ground rules and identify better communication strategies. What may have seemed as intentionally obstructive behavior prior may now be realized as someone who has trouble handling change and needs a little additional help. Maybe you were saying something they were taking the wrong way and feeling defensive.  

These are all possibilities that wouldn't be noticed if everyone hadn't taken the time to be vulnerable. Learning from each other that it is OK to be seen and heard. That together, with your guidance, the team is safe, strong, and capable.

References

Letter From the Board Chair - December 2023

Dear PMI Phoenix Chapter Members, 

Happy holidays! Since last I wrote, we were selected by PMI as Chapter of the Year in Category III (>1500 members)! That’s out of the 300 PMI Chapters around the world! I am honored to be part of this incredible Chapter. The PMI Chapter of the Year Awards program recognizes and celebrates those chapters that have made significant contributions to members, the project management profession, and Project Management Institute. Our Chapter builds opportunities for all our members to engage, learn, grow, network, give back, and support each other in our project management journey. Thank you for being part of this journey with us. It is all of us together that has made this a truly special Chapter that PMI has recognized.  

Help me welcome Heather Cardosi, Aaron Jang, and Sean Ryan to our Board of Directors. These three outstanding individuals have committed their time and energy to our Chapter to help support the vision and mission and ensure we continue to execute our strategic objectives to continue to carry our chapter forward. 

I want to once again thank our corporate partner, Nextiva, for providing space in their beautiful training facility for the PMI Phoenix Board of Directors to meet during day-long strategy sessions. Their hospitality and partnership have been invaluable to allow us to plan and move forward on many initiatives this past year. 

As I look back over 2023, our Chapter has held many programs and events: 

Our monthly virtual breakfast meeting, hosted by Paul Bartal, on the last Friday of each month (with adjustments for holidays) is regularly attended by 100+ participants. The breakfast meetings are speaker events to address current topics and trends in project management, but so much more: They provide a forum for networking, recognition of certification achievement, and a place to share if they are looking for jobs or have jobs opportunities to fill. It’s a community of project managers and project management professionals coming together to network and grow. 
We’ve launched monthly Phoenix Fusion Networking for new members to join and connect with existing chapter members. These lively evening events are rotated around the valley in different locations, and are designed for those who've recently joined, those who've been with us for a while, and those curious about our community. These new events average 40-50 attendees each month. 
Our Social Good Team just completed a full year of events, with five events this year. In addition, during our 45th Anniversary Celebration picnic the Social Good Team organized building hygiene kits to distribute to local non-profit groups serving the homeless. 
The PMI Phoenix Chapter participates in two collaborative chapter meeting programs that bring different content and viewpoints outside the Phoenix Metro Area:  
We are in our third year of participating in the PMI Chapter Xchange Program and were only the second US-based chapter when we entered the program. The PMI Chapter Xchange has grown to include 26 chapters and provides a unique, diverse, and worldview experience to our chapter members.  
We began collaborating with the PMI Los Angeles multi-chapter meetings in 2022. These meetings currently include eight chapters and are offered monthly to our members. These meetings offer differing regional views and are very popular with members who travel between chapter cities. 
Watch our newsletter, Facebook page, Instagram, LinkedIn, and website for details on all these programs and events, along with much more. If you are interested in volunteering, click here. 

To stay up to date on everything your membership provides you, keep an eye on our monthly calendar, as we add new speakers and events throughout the month. 

Thank you for joining the PMI Phoenix Chapter. You are a valued member, and I want you to get as much benefit from your membership as you can.  

Stephanie Hanko 

2023 PMI Phoenix Chapter Board Chair

Volunteer Spotlight August 2023 - Brendan Elliott

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Brendan grew up in Arizona, he graduated from Collins College in Tempe with a BA in Film and HDTV, after which he had an existing 15-year journey as a producer- shooting, producing and delivering films and content. His interest in Project Management was kindled during a lunch and learn session about PMO’s and how the PMO’s work – he was intrigued and spoke with the VP of PMO who said start here , and gave him a book - “Effective Project Management" by Robert Wysocki,  , he really liked the book and the Project Management space and got his PMP a year later. He accepted his first job as a marketing project manager with a construction company where he manages multiple projects, within the marketing department of about ~18+ people. His work involves managing projects for marketing of various construction equipment and other materials. He is now expanding in process and workflow streamlining with the senior executives like CEO, COO within his organization.

When asked about challenges he faced when he moved into the PM role – he says the key challenges were about getting into the field and learning the lingo which team members speak (what we called the PM Jargon!)  which he found quite new and challenging as his professional background had been mainly in film and content production till now, but once he learned the vocabulary it became so much easier to connect and march ahead in the existing realm of Project Management.

He really enjoys solving problems using processes and workflows. He loves creating solutions to problems, like simplification of a complex task and process or improving the efficiency of repetitive processes in a team’s day to day work.

He became a PMI Phoenix chapter volunteer during summer of 2023 , as he was seeking avenues to learn and experience new professional connections and was looking for networking opportunities , so he decided to apply and got the volunteer role in the marketing team , he got through the interview process with Cynthia Ford , who helped him explain the exciting opportunity and volunteer position . His key volunteer assignment was to organize the 45th anniversary celebration, which he projects managed – including aspects like the organization of the event, staffing and marketing amongst other activities. He loved the connection, experience, and camaraderie which came from managing the big event. It was a successful event, and everyone had a blast. As he was managing that project, he was connected with Danielle Lee, the marketing board member, who was looking for some help on her team – and he eventually ended up getting the role of Marketing Director in Danielle’s team.

His advice to new members is that volunteering is a great opportunity to learn other disciplines and aspects within Project Management, you can dip your toes in marketing, events, social good, accounting and will provide you flavor of each of these aspects. PMI is always looks for great people to volunteer! but also about finance, marketing, organization, event management and will provide you flavor of each of these aspects.

On the personal front, he has a fiancé, 4 dogs, and 2 birds! He also loves playing ice hockey - He says “Yes!  there is hockey in the desert.”  

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Home Alone for the Holidays!

 

The thought of being alone during the holiday season often brings to mind a sense of isolation and sadness but it doesn't have to. Whether you're alone for personal choice or life has hit some bumps along the way, there are ways to help you navigate the holiday hazards, and maybe even enjoy a few of them. 

Accept the facts.

Avoiding the facts won't help but setting some expectations for yourself can go a long way. If you need to tell yourself "Holidays are going to be rough, and I probably won't enjoy them, but I will make it through" then do so. Despite what all the marketing and holiday hype tells us, it is okay to hate every minute of the holiday. 1

Redefine your expectations.

Watching TV, shopping, even just a trip to the corner store for a gallon of milk can be an emotional roller-coaster. All around us are depictions of holiday cultural expectations. But remember, there is no ONE way to celebrate. Don't lock yourself into one set of expectations that you must meet to be happy.  

In fact, just think for a moment about all the ways people spend this time all over the world. Not all cultures involve family gatherings, presents, and similar rituals. People have found other ways to commemorate these dates. Looking at the holiday season from a different angle may help you remove the emotional pressure. Reassessing your expectations for how the season will go instead of how it should go can help.2

Make your own happy.

Giving your time to others can be a great way to support your local community and provide the social interaction you may not realize you need. Volunteering can make you feel good about yourself and can also help you build relationships with others. 

If you don't feel comfortable with strangers, be willing to speak up at work or school. Let people know you will be on your own during the holiday and find out if there are others who may be as well. You can adopt each other for the season and celebrate together.

Treat yourself; you matter.

Nutrition, hydration, sleep, and movement have a huge impact on your mental health. When those things go off the rails, all the negative emotions we’re already dealing with can feel even worse. When that happens, staying up on self-care feels even more impossible. It’s a hard cycle to be trapped in. To the best of your ability, try to tend to your basic needs so your cruddy holiday can at least exist on top of a sturdy foundation. It won’t fix everything, but it will help. 

Give yourself permission to buy that one thing you have wanted but didn't really need. Take yourself to the spa, sports game or a movie, whatever brings you joy. You deserve a treat too. And of course, practice a ton of self-compassion if and when these practices don’t come easily to you, or you can’t manage them on certain days.1

Review time.

While there are many reasons and causes for being alone during the holiday season, it can be hard and that’s okay. Be willing to redefine your expectations, and don't hesitate to reach out to others. Togetherness, through volunteering or a shared holiday celebration, will help redefine what the season means to you. Take care of yourself, body and mind, and don’t forget that special fun treat. And finally, most important, YOU matter. 

References

  1. "9 Self-Care Tips for Anyone Spending the Holidays Alone". Anna Borges. Self.com, December 11, 2020. <https://www.self.com/story/holidays-alone-self-care>
  1. "Reframe your expectations". PsychCentral, November 18, 2021. <https://psychcentral.com/health/spending-holidays-alone-coping-tips>
  1. "Single and Alone for the Holidays? 6 Strategies for Surviving and Even Thriving the Holidays Alone". Sally Connolly. Mentalhelp.net, December 19, 2011. <https://www.mentalhelp.net/blogs/single-and-alone-for-the-holidays-6-strategies-for-surviving-and-even-thriving-the-holidays-alone/
 

Volunteer Spotlight September 2023 - Alex Green

Alex started his professional career in healthcare in Houston as an intern, where he got to be part of a big project at a large oncology practice and interacted with Doctors, Administrators, Nurses, and other cross functional teams. This ultimately led to a job there as a Contracting and Credentialing Coordinator. He moved from Houston to Phoenix and got an opportunity with a government subcontractor in the healthcare space. There he helped the organization oversee program compliance for a national hospital patient satisfaction survey. He moved from being coordinator to a Project Manager and wanted to get the formal certification. He had a colleague who had recently got her PMP certification and helped him connect with the PMI PHX study group. He earned his PMP certification in July 2021.

The certification helped him land a new project management job with a tech start up in Scottsdale in early 2022. He credits the PMP certification for removing barriers to entry for such a role and believes it helped him to get the job he is currently at. He is grateful for the support provided by Marrisa Atkins, Bob Gates, and Conrad “Skye” Sandoval for helping him in his PMP preparation. The knowledge of budgeting, scheduling, and Agile Project Management which he learned during PMP exam preparation helped him in his new job and positioned him to stay on top of project activities.

He became a volunteer at PMI Phoenix in 2021, as he was thankful for the support he received from the organization and wanted to give back and get involved. One initiative he volunteered for was the 2023 PMI Phoenix Chapter Arizona Project Management Summit. He liked the idea of meeting and working with other project managers of all professional backgrounds to discuss timely industry topics and share and learn from each other’s experience. It was lot of work, but it was quite rewarding for Alex, and he definitely recommends other chapter members to volunteer at events like these to learn new skills and expose themselves to challenges and rewards.

He is an enthusiastic fantasy football player, a Houston Astros fan and likes traveling and weightlifting in his spare time.

He believes PM skills are relevant to any kind of goal setting, whether it’s saving for a trip or getting in shape – all goals are more likely to be obtained using some PM skills. He feels this is a fantastic way to practice PM skills daily.

 His advice for chapter members who are thinking about volunteering is “There are a myriad of opportunities throughout the chapter. Whether you have an area of expertise you are looking to work in or want to branch out and try something new, you can find what you are looking for at PMI PHX.”

His favorite destination to travel is New Orleans, as it has a great combination of food, culture, history and fun and is like Paris. According to Alex it has the best food in the country.