.5 PDU Ways of Working and .5 PDU Business Acumen

At the beginning of the year we look for changes to make in our lives whether that be our diet, our relationships and perhaps even the way we work.  To help us transform the way we work with projects, we’re going to examine some data from industry research to be informed with what changes to make.  Let’s not go off gut instincts, rather let’s rely on some of the data collected to show us what to transform.

“I am in way over my head.” 

“I have no business doing this job”

“There is no way I’m qualified for this” 

Have you ever told this to yourself? If so, you may be infected with Imposter Syndrome! But that’s OK, all highly capable people, especially project managers, find themselves with this affliction at one time or another - and again and again :-) 

Not only can Imposter Syndrome take the fun and motivation out of your job, it holds many capable professionals back from their potential. So, get treatment today! 

In this episode, Kate and Kim share their experience dealing with their own Imposter Syndrome, and share how we dealt with it, and how we coach our mentees to shine in spite of self-doubt. Get after it! 

Whether addressing projects, programs or portfolios we all believe that we are considering our options and choosing. Or guiding teams to choose. Actually, we typically ‘decide’ and seldom choose. This is also true in our personal lives. Without choice, we cannot meet either individual or social human potential. Human physiology is programmed toward bias. Society and cultural frameworks reinforce bias without our awareness. (Bias is not prejudice, which is an incorrect association.) Bias is neither good nor bad. It just is. Bias is a subconscious reaction to sensory input. Subconscious means unaware. Lacking awareness, you cannot truly choose. Changing biases can be a worthwhile, lifelong effort, yet does not meet immediate needs. In our world of sensory overload, biases are triggered at a rate that overwhelms our neural systems beyond their recovery capacity. Overwhelm prevents cognitive processes - reflection. Tools and techniques may guide decisions, not choice. Simplified, the cognitive process requires a focused cycle of awareness, alternative identification, reflection, choice, and action. Reflection requires significant physical and neural energy, and can only occur through awareness and careful preparation. Action (and more often repeated action to overcome bias) is necessary to enable and reinforce choice. Join us as we help you to explore bias and to offer you awareness, the first step toward truly choosing.

Frequently we hear from clients, “We’d like you to help us mature our PMO, can you get us there in the next 3 – 6 months?” Why is it that organizations think they can fit maturity into their desired duration? This session will discuss the Project Management Journey and walk through the challenges and experiences every organization faces over time as their project delivery function matures.

Join us for our closure event of season 2, a collaborative event of 20-way collaboration between the PMI Chapters of; Mumbai, Czech Republic, Netherlands, South Africa, South Florida, United Kingdom, Sri Lanka, Phoenix, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Indonesia, Gujarat, Lima Peru, Southern Alberta, Sao Paulo, Kenya, Ghana, Greece, Puget Sound, and Poland, while we explore “Emotional Intelligence In  Project Management”!

Increasingly, customer experience design is becoming a hot topic in a number of field, including IT.  This presentation will introduce a model based on game design, but which can be used in any field.  We will look at customer experience design in a variety of project settings, including traditional methodologies, how the evolution of agile fits with this model, and how it can be used in the latest post-agile areas, such as Empowered Product Teams.

Project Management is much more than balancing the triple constraint. It deals with handling people and managing them towards the deliverables. People-related challenges are at times more complex than technology or business challenges. Even with the same set of processes, some projects are able to exceed expectations, and some fail. It is because, at the end of the day, those processes are executed by people.

Recent global events have turned the business environment upside down in a hurry. Conferences have been canceled, events have been delayed, and face‐to‐face meetings are non‐existent. People are working from home en masse and being urged to practice social distancing.

As humans, we have the need to be connected. It’s part of our DNA. But, how do we do that when our circumstances are keeping us isolated, alone, and lost?

Thankfully, technology can fill the void. Better yet, it can help your business grow, career advance or project move forward during these tough times…if you know how to use it.

Successful project management is 80% about the people and 20% about the process. Building relationships in a technology‐driven environment requires a new mindset, an innovative approach, and unique skills

Change appetites vary, and changes can be hard. But they don’t have to be. Equipped with a few simple concepts, PMs can help enable change in their organizations.

This engaging look at the processes many people go through around change and the messages that help them move forward will help you look at change a little differently, with the end goal of improving your own ability to help others through the transition process – regardless of the magnitude of the change or the change appetite of those facing it.

During this webinar, Dr. Elise Delchambre, Risk & Opportunity Officer at ITER Organization (IO), will tell us about the ITER project, an international scientific project that brings together 35 countries, located in the South of France.

The #1 way to improve the success probability of your project is to nail stakeholder buy-in - but how do you do that?

The #1 way to nail stakeholder buy-in is to give them uncomplicated visual project updates so they actually understand your project - but how do you do that?

Join Peter 'The Lazy Project Manager' Taylor to explore the world of project reporting, and communication, along with effective stakeholder engagement – it is all about making people actually care and understand about your projects

After all, 'reporting is not communicating...'

If you are thinking about teaching or taking the PMP exam in 2021 and would like to understand, what is changing and how to best be ready for the changes, then this session will bring you up to speed.

Outside workplace PM, most people fall into the role of project managers and coaches, exploring and improving processes on a daily basis. However, a repeated issue is strategic mindfulness of competing priorities, and a little help and documentation. Understanding and practicing the beauty and value of the common PM flow supports us to GET more DONE, and HAVE more FUN in all areas of life. PM/PI language can bridge personal as well as global solutions to confirm stakeholders are engaged in their STEPs to JOY, and Purpose Communities.

You have probably heard of Positive Reinforcement training or ‘Clicker’ Training for your pets.  Believe it or not, those methods also work on wild animals such as lions, tigers, gorillas, alligators, elephants, and even birds of prey. What’s even more unbelievable is they work on people too. Learn a little bit about training animals while you learn how to deal with your difficult stakeholders.

Have you ever found yourself in this position? You're a rock-star project manager, and your project was successful. But within the year, the project's deliverables lie abandoned and the organization is already spinning up another project to solve the same business problem. What happened? How did everything go off the rails after you wrapped up the project? Projects are agents of change and, by nature, people resist change. As project managers, are we doing the things necessary in our projects to help prepare our stakeholders for change? Do our projects truly deliver business benefits, or do they just create deliverables? And what's the project manager's role in preparing the organization for change?

As the COVID-19 crisis spread to a global pandemic many businesses were forced to make a shift to a purely virtual landscape. This unprecedented mass shift forced leaders to scramble in an attempt to find solutions to the new challenges in communicating with their employees, keeping them engaged, and holding them accountable to ensure the business could continue as usual. Natalie Steck, CEO of Viewpath, is a natural leader and has navigated challenging roles in large and small firms with a focus on sales, marketing, talent management, and leadership. In this webinar, she shares her experience, challenges, best practices, and helpful tips on how to best lead virtual teams. 

The Scaled Agile Framework® (SAFe) was recently named the most widely used method for Scaling Agile from a team level to a Program and then Enterprise level, making the value of holding a SAFe Certification greater now more than ever before. With over 70% of the US Fortune 100 companies and government agencies like the DOD using SAFe; the demand for SAFe certified professionals is growing at an exponential rate. Many employers are seeking professional candidates who bring credentials that demonstrate their ability to work within a SAFe environment, as displayed and verified through a SAFe Certification.

The PMI Chapter Exchange is an 8 chapter collaborative group dedicated to holding multi-chapter events to promote diversity and project management values on a global stage.  This month we are joined by 3 panelists that review three books on digital transformation.

Project and Portfolio Management (PPM) tools can enable your organization by providing transparency, governance and the ability to manage work across remote, distributed teams.  But, how much do these tools cost? What functionality is going to cost us the most, and how can I ensure I maximize the value of our organization’s investment?

In this talk, Kim Essendrup of Kolme Group walks through the typical costs you can expect when implementing a PPM tool, and provides actionable advice on how to maximize the value of your PPM solution – whether you are looking for a tool now, or already have one implemented in your organization.

This is a presentation by Kevin Jacobs at the August 2020 Virtual Breakfast Meeting.

'I am a Project Manager.' 'I am a Business Analyst.' This is how you used to answer when asked 'What do you do?'  In today’s professional world, the line drawn between these two professions is increasingly blurry, and in some cases, non-existent, so answering this question has become much harder. Have you ever been asked to take on a hybrid project manager/business analyst role? Are you doing it now? Come join us as a panel of PMs and BAs discuss how these two professions are becoming increasingly more blended. If you can relate, please come and engage in the discussion and share your stories!

In this pandemic, portfolio risk management is no longer an option. In order to protect portfolio value, companies need to manage portfolio level risks as well as manage the risk tolerance in the portfolio. This presentation will cover both of these foundational aspects of portfolio risk management and leverage the recent experience of a financial services organization.

This presentation is an introduction of Kanban key concepts and a look at how these concepts play out in real-world applications.  Attendees should come away with an understanding of where it may fit in their organization and how to get started experimenting with implementing kanban.

The Agile mindset exists in all organizations and all aspects of work, making it relevant to college students. With Agile's penetration into all facets of a company, hiring managers now screen their new hires on the principles needed to be successful early in their careers.  Following feedback from industry advisory boards at universities and partnership with hiring organizations, project management, and agile concepts now populate course competencies and specific benchmarks across all disciplines.

Through this presentation, you will understand how Grand Canyon University's College of Science, Engineering, and Technology (CSET) has embedded Agile tools and knowledge into deliverables, lessons, and projects. You will see examples of the Agile artifacts the students create and the lesson plans used within a full project management class. As part of GCU's marketing to high school students, there are even Agile lessons designed to initiate students before they begin college. The collaborative presentation will include an opportunity to share your ideas for what else is needed and ask questions about the information presented.

Tired of sticky notes and whiteboard sessions? Mind Mapping is used in requirements gathering sessions and the construction of the WBS. Mind mapping has traditionally been presented as a tool for planning and organization, an effective way to develop, organize, and present multiple facets of the project plan. Primarily used for the construction of the WBS, advanced uses of this technique also simplify the complex process of communicating the project plan. When Mind Mapping is coupled with technology it simplifies the process and enhances communication. During this presentation, I will explain the mind mapping theory and how that theory can be applied to BAs and PMs. I will also demonstrate best practice techniques in mind mapping and how it relates to technology. Participants will learn how to simplify the project life cycle and improve the communication of a project plan.

This interactive talk explores the strategic importance of corporate culture for organizational moves towards Innovation. It shows which factors contribute to the success of Organizational Change towards Adaptability and Readiness, in a way that is thought-provoking, entertaining, and inspiring.

This was recorded at the June 2020 Virtual Breakfast Meeting (COVID Restrictions)

Presentation Title/Topic:

Panel Discussion on Project Management Books and Resources

Speakers: Panel

This is a self claim PDU Meeting. 

A Historic 50 Year Look at PMI.  We will view a previously recorded presentation by Jim Snyder a founder of the PMI Institute and then John Baley will conduct a Q&A after the presentation.

Presentation Title/Topic: Best Known Methods for managing Scope, Schedule, Risk, and Budget.Speaker: Sara Cowan, Program Manager

This is a recording of the presentation to the Chandler Breakfast Meeting on 4/24/2020.

Turnover, stress-related illness & disengagement are signs of a problematic workplace and often result from the mismanaged change. Gallup State of the American workplace reports nearly 70% of employees are unhappy or disengaged at work. This presentation provides humorous insights into the 7 Habits of Negativity with strategies and tactics to stop gossip, increase camaraderie, and develop positive workplace practices. Learn techniques for getting along with others and strategies to attain the many benefits of a positive and engaged workforce.

Participants will learn how conversations are constructed and deconstructed in our minds, the emotional and psychological impact of words, and how to create a deeper level of trust while reducing stress, anxiety, and conflict. These are tools that every Project Manager, and every leader, needs to develop.

Cybersecurity: Military Program Law

A quick overview of the French and European cybersecurity policies

Author John C. Maxwell has a famous quote, “A leader is great not because of his or her power, but because of his or her ability to empower others.” During this session, we will explore the benefits of Empowering People and review successful examples of organizations that are empowering their people. We will also review small steps that you can take within your organization to begin the cultural transformation necessary to Empower People to Deliver Results!

In this valuable power-training session, You’ll learn the essential knowledge you need to optimize your profile and grow your connections across the most visible and trusted online business community.

As Agile is more accepted as the way to develop software in organizations, some software teams and groups within IT are also becoming Agile, but with using Kanban as their chosen Agile methodology. By leveraging Kanban in addition to Scrum, other groups in the organization like marketing, legal, finance, sales, etc... are also embracing Agile by using Kanban boards to improve the way their business processes flow across the organization. Dimitri shares his vast experience to illustrate how organizations have introduced Kanban across levels and functions of their organizations. You will learn Kanban and walk away with real examples/techniques that you can implement immediately within your organization.

Learn how to create an online Portfolio Kanban system to manage multiple projects across your organization

Visualize work using a Kanban board

Improve quality with clear acceptance criteria

Track dependencies with linked Kanban cards

Measure your flow of work to set clear expectations

Review common issues with telecommuting and their resolutions.  Keith will cover his personal and corporate experiences with taking his PMO at Plexus to a work at home solution.

Speaker Paul Gladden shares his plan and tips on preparing for the exam and his experience taking and successfully passing the PMI-ACP exam.

The world has changed.  What we knew as “normal” is gone.  But you still need to deliver your projects and satisfy your clients. If you don’t you will not be ready when Covid-19 requirements lift.  When your clients and the economy recovers, you will be outbid and overrun by your competition.

Wouldn’t it be great to have a GPS to navigate the most direct route to your ultimate destination, to successful project delivery?  The good news is that do.

Project managers are busier than ever. We need smart tactics for workload management and different ways to think about the work we do to prevent overwhelm and boost productivity.

In this webinar, Elizabeth Harrin will discuss practical strategies to help you manage all the things on your To-Do list.

You’ll learn how to reframe your work as your personal portfolio, tactics for using your time efficiently, and how to use the 80/20 Pareto Principle to focus on what’s really driving your personal and project successes.

She’ll also share some tried-and-tested techniques for engaging virtual teams and keeping the work going while based apart.

Controlling project scope is one of the most important things we can do as project managers, but nearly all of us are guilty of letting it slip at one time or another. Don’t Let Scope Creep sneak up on you! In this presentation, Kim and Kate, co-hosts of the Project Management Happy Hour podcast bring this fun and slightly salty presentation to PMI Phoenix, sharing some tough-learned lessons, practical tips, and maybe a couple of horror stories about scope creep.

Strategic Success. What the hell does project management have to do with it? Just EVERYTHING!. Let Lee tell you why project management professionals are on the Critical Path of corporate profitability.

Presenter: Kevin Bradbury

30+ year practitioner of Continuous Improvement, Program and Project Management

PMP since 2009, Blackbelt, Six Sigma Trainer

Past major employers include Ping, Allied Signal and Honeywell

Currently engaged in transforming and integrating a large US-based Wealth Management company acquisition

3rd Generation Arizona Native

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinbradbury/

Small Business Owner…..”Intelligent Business Transformation Services, LLC”, ibts.llc.az@gmail.com

This webinar will offer a high-level tour of Disciplined agile.  You will discover how it provides straightforward guidance to help teams make better choices for their “Ways of Working” in a context-sensitive manner, providing a solid foundation for business agility.

Even though we know the official definition of Program Management, many project managers hold the title of program manager, or are managing a “program”. There are a number of activities that are part Program Management that should be considered by every project manager, regardless of the effort they are managing. These activities and concepts will be presented to help expand the knowledge and skills that can be applied to help deliver a successful result.

When something is simple or easy to accomplish we often say it’s a piece of cake or it’s as easy as pie.  With Project Management we’ve seemingly gone in the opposite direction.  We unnecessarily complicate project delivery.  We can all learn a lesson or two from the experience of making a pizza.   In this session, PMO Joe will compare and contrast delivering a project with making a pizza to help us all learn how to simplify and successfully deliver projects, with pepperoni or not!

I always wanted to be a project manager. Now that I have my big break, how do I make sure I don’t blow it? How do I transition from individual contributor to being a leader among my peers? How do I convince my team to listen to a shiny new project manager, and how do I get my sponsors and stakeholders to trust that I will deliver? In this 50 - 55 min presentation followed by a 25 - 30 min panel discussion, our hosts will share their experience and specific techniques that can help you with a successful transition from your old role to that of a project leader.

Learning to 'speak risk' is a significant undertaking in some organizations.  But it's also an amazing opportunity.  By becoming the resident risk linguist, we as project managers can assume a mantle of authority without asking for it.  We have the ability to build a shared understanding of terms of art, and thus become the internal resident experts on the topic. This presentation affords us the ability to start down the road toward a new risk language.

How good are you in dealing with change? Change is constant and as a leader you need to lead your team through it by enabling them. How can you be more adept in influencing those over whom you have little or no authority? What are the key skills that are needed for a successful leader? Knowing how to influence and lead others—often without direct authority—is critical in successfully leading a change. Most of us aren't natural leaders, the good news is that leadership skills can be learnt. Learn the 3 BIG principles of leadership to be an effective leader and enjoy this journey of personal leadership development.  

Today's competition is brutal and numbers drive everything. The pressure to perform can be suffocating. What are you doing to stay ahead and keep from burning out?

Join Scott Welle, #1 Best Selling Author and Founder of Outperform The Norm, as he shares the peak performance strategies used by high achievers to take your “game” to the next level:

Shift ONE word in your vocabulary that can lead to 30% more happiness and fulfillment

Establish a peak performance routine by utilizing the “Vital 4%”

3 ways that world-class performers thrive through change and adversity, personally and professionally

Challenge limiting beliefs about your performance standards that may be holding you back

This dynamic, high-energy presentation will help you raise your personal standard of excellence and give you an effortless action plan to put into place immediately.