News

Volunteer Spotlight - Finance Team

The 2021 budget is ready for approval by the Board - in record time this year.  Compiling a budget for the PMI Phoenix chapter is a complex process because it requires the Board to look into the future and come up with specific plans for providing members of the chapter with the services and support, they are looking for.  As you might guess, there are a lot of moving parts to the process and all the VPs must be in alignment on our strategy.  That alignment is reflected in the specifics of our proposed budget the 2021.  Normally the process takes us into January to complete.  But this year we are considerably ahead of schedule thanks to the leadership and skill of the Finance liaisons to the VPs on the Board.  Specifically, they are, Andy Aiyer and Mohit Goel.  Dave Casebere shared that “they have done a great job”.and the board executives (the stakeholders) echo that this project was successful.

Volunteer Spotlight - Ken Roundtree

Ken Roundtree, PMP, PMI-ACP, CSM, CSPO, ITIL

Director of Credential Study Groups

“It’s been a tremendous privilege and honor to have made such a positive difference in so many people’s personal lives. The past six plus years were the most rewarding years of my life.”
Ken Roundtree has supported more than 200 PMP/CAPMs, by contributing more than 2000 volunteer hours. The Phoenix PMI Chapter owes a huge debt of gratitude and heartfelt thanks for his gift of time. Students remember his tone of voice and often claim to have heard Ken’s voice in their head while taking the certification exam. Perhaps it was his radio DJ background, or his magnanimous personality. He will be remembered for his humorous style of learning, and RAPs to trigger a lapse in memory.
Behind every great leader is a team. In person sessions enjoyed Mama Roundtree’s delicious baked goods. His facilitator group wrote white paper to educate and capture the learnings and they established a learning website, http://www.dokboard.org  to celebrate success.
When COVID-19 struck, the chapter asked Ken to be flexible and to create a new delivery method so the study group learning could continue. Ken Roundtree rose to the challenge and the virtual study group was born by leveraging his experience as a Google trainer for the State of Arizona.
It might be the end of his journey as a lead study group facilitator, but the legacy lives on in perpetuity. The mighty volunteer facilitators group that is made up of prior students, paying it forward will continue to support future PMPs.
As Ken says, Study on, OINK OINK!

 

Board Election Results 2020

Board of Directors 2020 Elections Results:

Participation of 6.4%, 152 of 2,393 eligible members voted

 

Exiting Board Members: Thank you for your service!

Mary Ryan, Vice-President of Virtual Locations 

 

Proud to announce our recently elected Board members:

Deniese Reinhardt, Vice-President of External Relations

Joseph Brewer, Vice-President of Technology

Christopher Gentry, Vice-President of Programs

Eileen Marin, Vice-President of Virtual Locations

 

Have YOU considered a Board position?

Next year we are seeking board members for the following positions:

Vice-President of Professional Development, 2 year term

Vice-President of Finance/Treasurer, 2 year term

Vice-President of Membership, 2 year term

Vice-President of Operations, 2 year term

Vice-President Marketing, 2 year term

Nominations open May 2021!

Chapter Membership Auto Renewal Changes

 

  • Similar to a PMI Membership, when you complete a Chapter Membership purchase, your Chapter Membership will now be automatically opted-in for auto
  • If you are a current PMI Member (and enrolled in auto-renew), and you complete a purchase for a new Chapter Membership, then the Chapter Membership will automatically be enrolled in auto
  • Your Chapter Membership will move onto the same cycle as your existing PMI Membership renewal
  • If you wish to opt-out of the Chapter auto-renewal post-purchase, you must opt-out in your myPMI Please be advised that opting out of Chapter Membership auto-renew will cancel auto-renew for Chapter Membership only.
  • Opting out of auto-renew for PMI Membership will cancel auto-renew for both your Chapter Membership and PMI
  • Please note that Student and Retiree PMI Memberships require manual renewal. Auto-renew is not an
  • If you opt-out of auto-renew for your PMI Membership and later return to renew manually, the system should NOT automatically opt you in for auto-renew going forward. You will not be required to save your payment details to complete
  • Existing Chapter Memberships and PMI Memberships will continue to auto-renew in USD only (until December 2020).

Chapter Membership Auto-Renewal FAQs

  • Am I able to complete a purchase without opting in for auto-renew? No, you may not complete your purchase without opting in. If you wish to opt-out of the auto-renew, you may do so in your myPMI profile after
  • Am I able to opt-out of the auto-renew after purchase? Yes, you may opt-out at any point after your purchase is complete. You can navigate to your myPMI profile and cancel the auto-renew for both Chapter and PMI
  • Can I opt-out of Chapter Membership auto-renewal but stay opted in for PMI Membership auto-renewal? Yes, in your myPMI profile you can cancel auto-renew for Chapter and keep PMI Membership auto-renew. However, if you opt-out of PMI Membership auto-renew, it will automatically opt you out of Chapter Membership auto

Chapter Membership Purchase Restrictions

To prevent a customer from buying a Chapter Membership twice or purchasing a Chapter Membership for an undesired short duration, there are new rules to restrict Chapter Membership purchases and improve the Chapter Membership experience.

  • When you attempt to purchase or renew a Chapter Membership you will be restricted from purchasing/renewing a Chapter Membership if you do not hold an active PMI Membership and/or do not have a Membership product in your
  • If you are a PMI Member who is eligible for renewal (i.e. in the last 3 months of your current membership), you must have a PMI Membership renewal product in the Cart in order to purchase any Chapter
  • If you purchase a Chapter Membership after purchasing a PMI Membership, its renewal cycle will automatically align to the PMI Membership auto-renewal

Chapter Membership Purchase Restrictions FAQs

  • I already am a member of Chapter Why am I not able to purchase a Chapter Membership for Chapter B? In order to purchase a Chapter Membership, you must be a PMI Member concurrently. If you are within the renewal period for your PMI Membership, which is the last 3 months of the term, you need to renew your PMI Membership or have a PMI Membership product in the Cart to be able to purchase a new Chapter Membership.
  • Why am I being prevented from renewing my Chapter Membership? It may be too early to renew your Chapter Membership. The renewal period for your Chapter Membership is during the last 3 months of the membership term. If this is the case, since you are a current member of the Chapter, you may not renew the Chapter Membership until your eligible renewal
  • Why did I lose the contents of the Cart when I removed a PMI Membership product? If your Cart had both a PMI Membership and a Chapter Membership and you removed the PMI Membership, your Cart may have cleared if you are in the renewal period for your PMI Membership (i.e. within the last 3 months) and are thus not eligible to purchase a Chapter Membership unless you also have a PMI Membership renewal product in your

2020 Phoenix Chapter Board of Directors Candidates

Below outlines the candidates for the upcoming 2020 Board of Directors election for the Phoenix Chapter.  The election begins on August 1, 2020. These candidates, if elected, will serve as Board members starting in 2021 through 2022. Details of roles & responsibilities can be found here in the Board of Directors Roles and Responsibilities document. 

 

Candidate for VP of External Relations

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Deniese Reinhardt - Deniese earned a B.S. Degree in Accounting from Brescia University, and continued her studies by pursuing Masters level courses at Ball State University. She obtained her PMP in 2005 and holds an ITIL V3 certificate and an Executive Leadership certificate from Cornell University.

Deniese has spent most of her career in IT project management, working on projects in Healthcare and Fortune 500 Enterprises. She has won numerous awards for Project Management Excellence and leadership at these companies and currently works as a Lead Project Manager delivering IT projects within a PMO for a Public Utility.

Deniese has been actively involved with the PMI Phoenix board since 2019. She began volunteering for PMI in Jan 2015, and she took over the AVP Corporate Relations in 2018. She currently serves as the VP of External Relations.

Deniese hopes to bring her passion and broad expertise in project and program management, including Agile methodology to the board. She is also passionate about Animal Welfare and Environmental Health. She loves learning, volunteering, and making a difference. She wants to ensure PMI continues to be a leading source of career and project management guidance.

 

Candidate for VP of Technology

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Joseph Brewer - Joseph has a rich 30-year history in Technology and Project Management.  He holds an MBA from George Fox University, and dual B.S. degrees in Project Management and Leadership & Organizational Design.  

He presently works as a Sr. Business Consultant for a company supporting Infrastructure and IT projects for a Global Company with teams in the US, London, Dubai, India and Asia.  

He brings extensive technical resource knowledge to the chapter including video conferencing, streaming, Office365 management, and more.  In his free time, you can find Joseph usually doing something with his two children and wife, or fulfilling this extensive travel bug and bucket list Internationally.

 

Candidates for VP of Programs

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Christopher Gentry - Christopher is a career, 14-year project program management professional, and PMP instructor. Over his career, Christopher has been a multi-industry senior project manager, senior program manager, PMO creator and leader, and consultant for top 500 fortune companies and governmental agencies. 

He brings a wealth of program knowledge coming from PMI Austin, where he served a term as Director of Programs. 

Christopher is currently pursuing a Doctor of Business Administration in Project Management from Northcentral University. He plans to continue to teach and educate the next generation of project managers combining his academic and professional accolades in the classroom.

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Ejiro (EJ) Obayomi - Ejiro Obayomi (EJ), is an experienced Enterprise Project Manager who is skilled in directing the flawless delivery of large-scale enterprise solutions while providing stellar leadership in leading teams and expediting technology-based products to a diverse client base.

EJ has over 10 years of experience in the healthcare industry both as a direct patient care clinician and a project manager. EJ has been strategic in the successful implementation of several organizational systems and ambulatory clinic builds at HonorHealth.

With a Master of Science Degree in Healthcare Informatics, EJ is also a Project Management Professional (PMP), a Certified Professional in Health Information Management Systems (CPHIMS), and a Certified Scrum Master (CSM). Over the course of her career, EJ has been able to use her expertise in project management to help small to medium size companies establish a project management framework.

EJ’s passion for project management and dedication to excellence drives her to consistently deliver unmatched value to all her customers and clients.

 

Candidates for VP of Virtual Locations

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Eileen Marin - Eileen is a New York native, hailing from wonderful Brooklyn, NY. It will be 10 years this October that she has lived here in Arizona. Eileen graduated from Fordham University with a Bachelor's in Information Systems. 

Prior to moving to Arizona, she held a position with a company where she worked for almost 10 years; with the last five years being a Director of Client Services. Eileen has been a Phoenix Chapter member since 2017. Eileen obtained her PMP certification in 2018. She currently holds the position of Senior Project Manager at a company where she has been for the last nine years. 

Off hours, Eileen spends time with her family. She has a 5-year-old little boy and they conduct dinosaur experiments almost daily. These experiments really consist of digging up the backyard and sandbox. Eileen also loves to cook and bake and her son is her Sous Chef in the kitchen. She makes sure he knows how to be independent. 

Eileen loves working with people and believes this position will allow her to help be a voice for the members as well as participate in the Chapter's future goals. She is grateful to be nominated for the VP of Virtual Locations position.

 

PMI Phoenix and Sensei Project Solutions continue our partnership!

PMI Phoenix and Sensei Project Solutions have established a continuing partnership for 2020 and 2021. Sensei Project Solutions partners with PMI Phoenix to provide Microsoft Project Portfolio Management training webinars at select PMI Phoenix events promoting PMI’s mission and vision.

Sponsor/Partner Announcements – Paradigm Technology

We are excited to announce Paradigm Technology as a PMI Phoenix Sponsor for 2020!  Paradigm Technology is an award-winning professional services organization. They are a leader in digital and business transformation with 25 years of experience working with Fortune 500 companies. Paradigm Technology provides 360 engagement, data governance, risk & compliance, analytics, cloud, and digital product engineering to deliver measurable value and impact through expertise, strategic partnerships, and innovative solutions. We are excited to welcome Paradigm Technology as a Sponsor.

Sponsor/Partner Announcements – Kanban Zone

PMI Phoenix and Kanban Zone have established a continuing partnership for 2020! Kanban Zone partners with PMI Phoenix to provide Kanban methodology webinars and other events and activities that promote PMI's mission and vision.

Sponsor/Partner Announcements –International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA)

We are pleased to announce our partnership with the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) Phoenix Chapter. IIBA Phoenix and PMI Phoenix are developing joint events for PMI members and providing reciprocal membership pricing for individual chapter members.

Sponsor/Partner Announcements – University of Phoenix

The University of Phoenix and PMI Phoenix have partnered for 2020! The University of Phoenix partners with PMI Phoenix for the advancement and promotion of project management as a venue for PMI events.

PMI introduces a New eCommerce System

PMI has introduced a new eCommerce system that will offer PMI products to customers more seamlessly, Some impacts include the following:

Members will no longer be prompted to renew Chapter membership with their membership auto-renewal. They will need to manually add chapter membership to their cart. Existing chapter members also have to go through this purchase flow if their membership expires.

Additionally, we suggest members renew before their expiration date! If a member's membership expires, you are no longer considered a member by system logic and if you choose to renew your membership the system will recognize you as a new member and you will be charged a $10 application fee.

PMI Certification Application Redesign

PMI will soon be launching a new and redesigned format for all of its current certification applications (PMP, CAPM, PgMP, PfMP, PMI-ACP, PMI-PBA, PMI-RMP, and PMI-SP). They are planning to launch during the second half of June 2020.

The changes were made based on user feedback and the new application is designed to be more straightforward and easier for certification candidates to complete. For example:

  • PMI streamlined the application by decreasing the number of screens.
  • PMI is not changing eligibility requirements (years of work experience, hours of training required), but are changing the format in which applicants submit this information. For example, candidates can now enter months of experience instead of hours, which is much easier to track.
  • Where possible, they eliminated free text fields and included more drop-down type selection fields. Being able to select an answer from a drop-down makes it clear to applicants what the question is asking and is thus easier to answer.

PMI has a “Quick Reference Guide” PDF and an online demo that illustrates and previews the changes. For those of you interested in viewing the demo, the video is available via this link.

For candidates with open/pending applications, PMI is encouraging you to submit applications by 15 June 2020. If they are unable, our team will do their best to transfer over as much of the application data as possible into the new application. We are also directly contacting candidates with open/pending applications.

PMI is excited to unveil a new era of our certification application process. If you or any candidate in your network have any questions about our application changes, please feel free to contact PMI’s Customer Care team.

Corporate Ambassador Program Get Involved today!

The Corporate Ambassador Program is an opportunity to be a part of the PMI Phoenix Chapter and act as your organization’s voice! Bring ideas, share experiences, and become an integral part of the Phoenix Chapter on behalf of your organization. The program also allows you to help improve and streamline the flow of information between PMI and the corporations in our area and allow those organizations to help contribute to the success of the chapter. The role of the Corporate Ambassador is to utilize PMI’s Global Methodology and resources to help their organization become better at applying project management tools, techniques, and methods to reach the organization's strategic objectives. 

Contact  Patty Suiter at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  or Manish Arora at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you are ready to volunteer.

Arizona Project of the Year Award Submission Deadline

Projects throughout the state of Arizona make a difference in this world and improve people’s lives. Whether it is constructing buildings, designing advanced power plants, launching rockets, or developing vaccines - the ways in which project management affects the communities around them are boundless. A new program hopes to recognize that.
The Arizona Project of the Year program raises the visibility of organizations and teams supporting the very best projects throughout the state. Projects of all sorts are considered eligible for this award. Regardless of whether it is a public or private project; and regardless of industry, your project could be considered. We anticipate that companies like APS, Intel, or Banner Health would have an interest in competing; as well as leaders in state and local government organizations.
Don’t wait - the Deadline is on 5/31/2020.

Call for Nominations to the PMI Phoenix Chapter Board of Directors

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.

IIL Agile and Scrum Conference 2020

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 4th 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.

Website Server Migration

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..

Easing Project Skyfall

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  was originally published on ProjectManagement.com. on

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.

Digital Offerings from PMI – New Resources for Your Toolbox in the Months Ahead

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.

What Does This Make Possible? Surviving and Thriving in Tough Times

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!


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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 TeamsThe 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.

Arizona Future City Award Winners

PMI Phoenix specifically supports and works with Future City to provide feedback and judge four deliverables required for each team: Project Goals, Project Schedule, Project Status/Check-in, Project Reflection. Arizona Future City is slightly different from the national organization in that we require the Goals, Schedule, and Check-in documentation in advance of the competition deadline. With that documentation, we have a team of volunteers who review and provide written feedback to each team on their submissions. This allows the teams to improve their materials and to get a "real-life" perspective on their submissions.  Additionally, we have also provided the teachers with materials (both written and video based) to help them with additional resources in building these items.

Thank you to John Chico, Ronnie Watley, Jakub Marciniak, and Srinivas Kandela for being the judges during the course of the year and also for the day of competition.  Thanks especially goes to Trevor Stasik for his amazing management support and also being a competition day judge.

On the competition day, we also interview and award a Project Manager Award to a deserving individual who has led their team and demonstrated project management principles.  This year we awarded the Project Manager Award to Amyah Clark Martinez from Maricopa Wells Middle School.  Her teacher was Janell Hudson.  Janell wrote about Amyah: "She has gone above and beyond in her role as the project manager. She was willing to step in for group members when they were absent from school. She was present for all team meetings and played an important role in keeping the group on track. Amyah worked with the group to research the topic, build buildings, design the moving parts, and helped in designing the solutions to the threat. Her teammates speak highly of her and were eager to say that their "project manager is the best!" Amyah is considered as not only an outstanding project manager but an outstanding teammate as well."

(Picture from left to right: Steve Poessnecker, Amyah Clark Martinez, Janell Hudson)

Kanbanzone Offer for PMI Phoenix Chapter Members

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Kanbanzone has an exclusive offer for PMI Phoenix Chapter members.

 

Study Group Calendar for 2020

The PMI Phoenix Chapter Study Group program is a 9-week course given several times throughout the year at three locations throughout the valley.  This is provided a benefit to our members at no cost.

The program is driven by a core team of approximately 14 Volunteers that give 4 hours of their Saturday to the chapter and the membership that participate in the study group program.

The study group calendar for 2020 has been finalized.  The start and end dates for each session are located below.  Please check the chapter website event calendar for specific dates and locations.

PMI Phoenix Chapter

Study Group Schedule for 2020

  • 1/11 – 3/7 North Valley
  • 1/11 – 3/7 South Valley
  • 3/21 – 5/16 Central Valley
  • 5/2 – 7/11 North Valley
  • 5/2 – 7/11 South Valley
  • 7/18 – 9/19 Central Valley
  • 9/12 – 11/7 North Valley
  • 9/19 – 11/9 South Valley

Future Cities and PMI Team up for the Annual Competition

In each competition, students participate in a challenge unique to that year. For 2019-2020, the problem is: "Choose a threat to your city’s water supply and design a resilient system to maintain a reliable supply of clean water." Our local PMI Phoenix volunteers, led by Steve Poessnecker, have provided expert guidance in project management processes to help kids in putting together their solutions. Our volunteers of Ronnie Watley, John Chico, Jakub Marciniak, and Srinivas Kandala are currently reviewing, judging, and providing written feedback to (currently) 67 student team submissions.  Teams will display their models at the Phoenix Library starting on January 18.  We invite all members to come out to see the amazing and innovative ideas for our future.

Toys for Tots Drive at the November Evening Chapter Meeting

Members of the PMI Phoenix Chapter are pleased to donate to Toys For Tots for the 2019 Holiday Season. Toys For Tots is a successful program run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve. Each year they collect and then distribute toys to children whose parents cannot afford to buy them gifts during the holidays. During our recent evening meeting, with your generosity, the Chapter collected 25 toys to help brighten this time of the year for area youth. Thank you to our members; way to pay it forward!