A Postcard From The Cutting Edge Back To PMI Chapters

On Tuesday, March 15th 2016, history was made!

PMI Emerald Coast members glimpsed the cutting edge of professional development.

I used AnyMeeting to 'pipe' into the Egg and I restaurant virtually around lunch time and share with them How To Make Better Project Decisions More Often. This fun, interactive 60-minute workshop-styled presentation teaches them about the top 10 cognitive traps we project managers can fall into when making decisions in the R-U-T of risk, uncertainty, and time constraints. It's germane because frankly, when aren't we!

They took a quiz to benchmark their awareness and decision-making prowess. They enjoyed the results, became more aware decision-makers, and learned some easy, sure-fire ways to enhance their decision-making when in the R-U-T.

But the Chapter received so much more! Look!

Low cost access...

The members paid their normal meeting fees, networked, and enjoyed lunch because there were no travel costs or appearance fees for the speaker, me. Just a PMP advancing the profession with his peers over lunch; you know, giving back.

to high quality informative professional development content...

All project managers make decisions, and plans are the physical manifestation of those decisions. Additionally, we most often do these two fundamental tasks under risk, uncertainty, and time constraints, i.e. from the R-U-T!

However, when we do, we are susceptible to mental and emotional traps in our thinking, which can lead to poor decisions, which can negatively impact project performance. Therefore, this is a topic germane to all project management personnel, from organizational top to bottom.

to maintain their PMI credentials and enhance their effectiveness...

Not only did all attendees grow their networks and relationships, and get fed, and become more informed about their profession, but they received one-and-a-half professional development units (PDUs) for it! BOOYAH!

using technology which reduced costs significantly...

PMI Emerald Coast's Gene Waldenmaier set the whole event up around the idea he could deliver high quality professional content to his members cost effectively if he used virtual technology, i.e. get someone into the room from afar via tech! There were no speaker's fees, travel costs, venue costs, or the like! It was efficient.

and showcased cutting edge thinking and tech savvy...

And Gene did so effectively! The Chapter grew it's visibility and demonstrated it's ingenuity while maximizing fiscal resources. Hmm, sounds like project fundamentals 101 applied real-time. The feedback was fantastic! Thanks Gene! Thanks PMI Emerald Coast!

which can increase Chapter membership!

Project management is meaningful work. It's lucrative. It's engaging. You basically have super powers, consistently creating value from nothing. But we have to get the message out.

Project management, and Gene and I's collective model, demonstrates cutting edge strategic thinking, effective tactics, artful negotiation and influence, discipline to process, and uses technology to co-locate teams, manage project systems effectively and efficiently, and enhance communications.

These things can enhance the Chapter's attractiveness to potential members. Members think to themselves (and Chapter leaders can sell) "My dues are stewarded and optimized to maximize my professional development. My Chapter is playing my favorite radio station, WIFM (What's In It For Me)". PMI Chapters adopting Gene and PMI Emerald Coast's professional development model demonstrate they are committed to member development, the profession, and budgets. Like good project leaders should be.

Contact myself, Eric Wright, at eric@vets2pm.com or Gene Waldenmaier of PMI Emerald Coast at gwaldenmaier@gmail.com today to discuss lessons learned and topics available for your Chapter meetings. You can start sending postcards back from the cutting edge too!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please 'Like' and ‘Share’ this post liberally if you are a Veteran, project management professional, PMI Chapter member/leader, or if you found it helpful. Additionally, please email any questions or inquiries you may have to me at eric@vets2pm.com. I'm here to help, and I thank you! Warmest regards, Eric.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eric Wright is a two-service, two-era Military Veteran; Co-Founder and CEO of Vets2PM; an experienced, credentialed project manager and mentor; and an entertaining instructor/public speaker on project management, PMI’s PMP and CAPM exams, and on project manager development. He helps Military Veterans become Project Managers through inspiration, training, preparation, and presentation to the PM hiring community.