Results tagged “Kelley Hunsberger” from Voices on Project Management

Do you know a project manager whose achievements deserved to be honored with more than a few nice words? Do you work for an organization where innovation has contributed to the bottom line and the project profession? Or, have you recently worked on a project that went far above and beyond expectations?

Then, it's time to nominate this person, project or organization for a 2010 PMI Professional Award. (See the full list of 2009 Professional Award winners.)

The deadline for most PMI awards--which include categories for products and books as well--is 26 April 2010. For the highly coveted PMI Project of the Year award, the deadline is 1 March 2010. Nominations for both the PMI Eric Jenett Project Management Excellence Award and the PMI Distinguished Project Award are accepted all year.

You can get more information about the awards and submission process on PMI.org.

Forty-two percent of people polled think it would be "very difficult" to find a new job in today's economy, according to a survey of more than 2,5000 LinkedIn users by Right Management, the talent and career management arm of Manpower.

With those kinds of numbers, it's no surprise that the job market seems to be top of mind with just about everyone these days. Whenever I interview people for stories (or even when I'm just having a casual conversation with project managers), the topic seems to weave its way into the discussion.

It was a subject that came up a lot at the PMI global congress a couple of weeks ago. At one point I was talking to Al Zeitoun, PhD, who was representing his organizations Booz Allen Hamilton in the PMI Career Center.

He told me project managers looking for work need to make themselves relevant--to the work they're doing and the industries they're serving.

But what does that mean and how do you do it?

Mr. Zeitoun went on to explain that your experience and background have a lot to do with it, but it's also about being able to relay these experiences in an interview, to an executive, etc.

I didn't really give this second point too much thought until I started talking with Stewart Kidd from CSC and he said something very similar. He told me project managers have to be able to describe their experiences and skills--from the basic information (the number of direct reports you've had, the industries you've served) to the more thoughtful (how you've overcome challenges).

That got me wondering: How are people keeping relevant in today's job market? And then, what are some good tips for selling yourself and your experience as a project manager?

The economy has taken some pretty heavy hits, but companies also know they need good project managers--and let's face it, the congress is a good place to find them. Now they have a place to meet: the PMI Career Center.

Several organizations spanning sectors have set-up shop in the center of the exhibit hall and are looking for capable project managers. While not all of the organizations have specific roles to fill, they are here to find top talent and to lead presentations covering different career-related topics.

"We value the capable project manager," says Kevin McDevitt, a senior program manager at Siemens and chairman of PM@Siemens USA Community.

"Sixty percent of our business is through managing customer projects. The better we do at that, the more of that money we get it keep. [Project management] is a core competency."

Some of the organizations in the Career Center are leading workshops as well. Consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton led one on talent management, for example.

Al Zeitoun, PhD, PMP, senior associate at Booz Allen Hamilton and former PMI Board member, says his company is on an ongoing search for the best in the field--at every level.

"We are a firm that hires because of capability. We're growing continuously," Dr. Zeitoun said.

Software developer CSC isn't messing around. If you meet the company's criteria, it will scan your congress identification card and send the information right to its human resources department.

Stewart Kidd, head of enterprise learning and talent development, Organizational Capability Center of Excellence, CSC, said the company is looking to put the right project manager on the right project.

He says potential candidates need to be able to describe their skills and experience in very real, very convincing terms.

If you're a project manager looking to make yourself more marketable to organizations, Mr. Kidd suggests a couple of tips:

•    Be able to take your project management skills and transfer them from industry to industry
•    Get involved in local chapters
•    And network--who you know is almost as important as what you know. 

This morning, with the rest of the early risers at PMI® Global Congress 2009--North America,  I had the opportunity to attend the Monday Morning Breakfast Panel on sustainability. Moderated by PMI president and CEO Gregory Balestrero, the panel included:

Ellen Jackowski: Lead of HP Environmental Sustainability Corporate Governance process and the Environmental Sales Enablement initiatives
Anne Larilahti: Head of the Environmentally Sustainable Business program at Nokia Siemens Networks
Sandra E. Taylor: Vice president of Starbucks' corporate social responsibility (CSR) endeavors from 2003-2008 and now president and CEO of Sustainable Business International LLC

Here are some of the highlights:

•    Ms. Taylor said that more and more organizations are starting to understand the business case for CSR--it can be profitable, good for attracting and retaining employees, and more attractive to consumers interested in sustainability. CSR strengthens the supply chain, reduces operating costs and can lead to better brand reputation.

•    Ms. Larilahti said that Nokia has not had to stop any of its sustainability projects because of the economy. The company's projects have to meet organizational goals, including lowering costs, differentiating Nokia from the competition, building the brand and delivering cost savings to the customer.

•    Ms. Jackowski believes we are about to face a bigger environmental crisis than our current predicament because we don't have the tools to turn back. But at some point  we will start treating the planet as a stakeholder in our projects.

•    Five years from now, social responsibility will be an integral part of the business, not just an add-on, Ms. Taylor noted.

All three of the panelists challenged attendees to consider their organization's daily business operations. How do you actively prioritize your organization's sustainability practices?

While it might sound simple, a little operational change can reduce your company's environmental impact--and contribute to its bottom line.  

For example, both Nokia and HP hold as many meetings as possible virtually. And HP has recently challenged its offices to lower energy use. The prize? The winning office is rewarded with an ice cream party.

"It sounds small, but ice cream is a huge motivator," Ms. Jackowski said.

Sustainability, alternative energy, the environment, oil--all hot topics in the world at large and in the world of project management.

And all were topics covered by PMI® Global Congress 2009--North America keynote speaker T. Boone Pickens, entrepreneur and author.  

"The age of alternative energy must begin immediately," he said to the crowd of more than 2,000.

His address focused a lot on The Pickens Plan and on H.R. 1835, which is a U.S. House of Representatives Bill also known as The Natural Gas Act.

The bill is being considered by the U.S. Congress to help the U.S. to reduce its dependence on foreign oil.  "People want it. They want to go green. They want renewables. They want to get off foreign oil," Mr. Pickens said.

It's not just a U.S. concern, of course.

PMI President and CEO Gregory Balestrero reiterated the need to act on global sustainability, saying project, program and portfolio managers have a critical role to play.

The importance that project management will play in the future was a theme discussed by PMI Chair Ricardo Vargas in his opening remarks as well.

"It's time to show the real value of project management," he said.

Mr. Vargas challenged attendees at the opening session to go back to their organizations and offer something new, something better.

"We need to return back and deliver a very positive message," he declared.

To get there, however, we must face many challenges, (or opportunities as Mr. Vargas asked us to think of them), including:

•    A global economy in recession
•    Trillions in economic stimulus allocated by governments often without mature project management
•    The urgent need for disciplined, innovative project management

If you attended the opening session, what did you think of Mr. Pickens' address? And how can are you going to meet Mr. Vargas' call to action?

Project managers can't escape the buzz about social media, but is it really something they need to worry about? The answer is a resounding yes, according to the session "Why Should You Care About Social Media" led at congress on Sunday morning by PMI's New Media Council.

There was a lot of great information (and thankfully, some creativity and humor) packed into this hour-and-a-half session so I'll just run down some of the highlights.

First of all, they previewed a lot of good collaboration tools that you and your team can start using now:

Skype: Free calls over the internet
Vidyo: High-speed video conferencing
Vyew: Collaboration and web conferencing
Wrike: A web-based project management software good for those looking to reduce administration
Yammer: Microblogging for your organization

(For more information on these and other collaboration tools, read "Tools for Teams" on PMI.org.)

Chalyce Nollsch, PM Bistro, provided some great words of caution when entering the world of social media:

•    New media never sleeps.
•    Without business value, new media is just more noise.
•    Suddenly, everyone is an expert.
•    Not everyone wants to participate.

And Dave Garrett reminded us, "None of it matters if you don't get the right people to listen."

All of the new media council members can be found on Twitter, so be sure to look them up if you have more questions about the use of social media for project managers.

There's a lot of celebrating going on at the PMI Global Congress 2009--North America in Orlando, Florida, USA.

To mark its 40th anniversary, PMI is spending some time at congress looking back at not only the history of the association, but the history of the profession as well. At the same time, PMI Is also looking forward and celebrating the launch of a new book, Project Management Circa 2025.

But most importantly, PMI is celebrating the project professionals and members that make the profession what it is today.

It all kicked off Saturday night with the PMI Awards Ceremony, which recognized the people, projects and organizations in both the PMI component and professional worlds.

Drama was the overriding theme, from the exciting (and very flexible) Cirque Odyssey performers to the Academy Awards-styling of the ceremony (with teasers for the Project of the Year award like the Academy Awards Best Picture teasers and then the big announcement).

Everyone seemed to be having a good time--especially the award winners.

In the end, the Newmont TS Power Plant Project, led by Fluor Enterprises Inc. and Newmont Nevada Energy Investment Ltd., was named the PMI 2009 Project of the Year. And seven new PMI Fellows were named.

I got a chance to speak with a couple of the honored recipients; here is what they had to say:

"I have aspired to that recognition for as long as I can remember. But knowing who else had already been named [PMI Fellows], I gave myself little chance.

-Lee R. Lambert, who was named a PMI Fellow during the awards ceremony

"I feel so proud. I'm happy, we never expected it. I was driving between Miami and Orlando to take my kids to the parks when I heard about [winning the award] and I almost crashed the car because I was so excited about it."

-Roberto Toledo, managing director of Alpha Consultoria, which was presented the award for PMI Continuing Professional Education Product of the Year Award (Individual/Business Provider Category)

"It's just a fantastic experience. A really, really special moment."

-Iain Fraser, group managing director (CEO) at Project Plus in New Zealand, who was named a PMI Fellow during the awards ceremony

Look for more awards coverage--including the full list of winners--on PMI.org.

Project managers have to express authority, legendary oil and gas executive T. Boone Pickens said in an exclusive interview in the September issue of PMI's member publication PMI Today.

Founder and chairman of BP Capital Management and author of The First Billion of the Hardest, Mr. Pickens will serve as the keynote speaker for the PMI Global Congress 2009--North America next month in Orlando, Florida, USA.

In the PMI Today interview, Mr. Pickens discusses everything from innovation to leadership.

Here are some highlights:

On his predictions for growth in the alternative energy sector--and the chance of a bust like the dot-com industry:
Sure, you could have a runaway for awhile, but I think renewable energy is here to stay. There is an opportunity to make money and develop new products in the sector. If we get 200,000 megawatts going in the Great Plains, it is unbelievable what it would do for the economy, jobs and taxes in the small and mid-sized communities, which have lost population over the past several decades. It can all be done with the right leadership.

On what advice he has for project managers:
You have to express authority. You can't just tell everyone to go do their best and then sit back. You are in a role where you can direct. ...

On what project managers thinking of turning to consulting should keep in mind:
Hang out your own shingle. Don't figure out what you are making by the hour because it will make you cry. Go out on your own, double your time, work harder and make it your own. Suck it up and know you are able to accomplish what you want to do. ...

PMI members can read the full interview in the digital edition of PMI Today on PMI.org. And congress attendees can see Mr. Pickens live on Sunday afternoon at PMI's North America global congress.

Here's the number one thing I've learned by attending the Agile 2009 Conference: The agile community is an excited and engaged one.

I'm a first-time conference attendee and fairly new to the subject of agile, so while I can't say for sure this engagement is not an anomaly, my guess would be no.  

Whether it was Alistair Cockburn's keynote address or Programming With the Stars or just casual conversations, everyone I've come in contact with seems to be having a good time and to be passionate about the topic.

I've had the opportunity to attend several sessions, including two experience reports (also known as case studies): Jesse Fewell's session, "Marriott's Agile Turnaround," and Philip Abernathy's session "Hook, Line and Sinker--The Role of Line Management in Relation to Agile Teams."

Even to a novice, both were great. Both speakers were animated. Both were ready for whatever questions were thrown their way--and there were several of them.

Audience members weren't shy about interrupting (politely for the most part) with questions and follow-up. They weren't afraid to engage their fellow attendees in discussion. They weren't sitting in the back of the room playing on their iPhones.

When the conference ends, I will still be an agile novice, but I will have a better understanding of the roles within the agile community and the important role it is playing in organizations around the world.

Escorted on stage by a bagpipe rendition of Amazing Grace, Alistair Cockburn, Ph.D., began his keynote address for the Agile 2009 Conference by waxing Shakespearean on the death of agile as we know it:
 
I come to bury agile, not to praise it;

The evil methods do lives after them,
The good is oft interred with their bones,
So let it be with agile.

The noble Waterfall
Hath told you agile was ambitious:
If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath agile answered it.

(Adapted from Julius Caesar, Act 3, Scene 2. You can read Alistair's full monologue here.)

Melodramatic (in a good way) to be sure.

But Alistair, an IT strategist and co-author of the Agile Manifesto, doesn't really believe agile has "met its maker" as the saying goes. Instead, he said agile is in transition--it's not the agile of the 1990s. The landscape has changed. It's grown beyond small organizations and is being applied to much richer, much more complex concepts and projects.

Agile shouldn't be "new news," he said. "We're focusing so heavily on things that are 15 years old, I want to start focusing on things that are current."

He also shared three pillars of 21st century software development:

•    Software development is a craft: Developers must pay attention to their skills and to the medium--they must relearn every few years.
•    Software development is a cooperative game of invention and communication: It relies on teamwork, communication and strategies.
•    Software development should use lean processes: That means small queues, cross-trained people and varied processes.

Hosted by the Agile Alliance, the conference has pulled in 1,400 attendees from more than 38 countries. You can follow all of the conference happenings on Twitter.

Did you attend Alistair's keynote address? What did you think?

More to come. 

We've just about reached the six-month countdown to the start of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. And while most projects are wrapped up--or well on their way--it seems as if some members of the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) are just muddling through.

The economic crisis is much to blame of course. What should be an exciting time for this city has given way to constant concern over the budget. Rob Mickleburgh recently wrote a story for the Globe and Mail describing this problem:

In a somber, reflective assessment yesterday, VANOC head John Furlong acknowledged the changed circumstances. "We thought this year would be all about executing and delivering services the way they were planned. But it's not as simple as it used to be," he said.

"We will probably not spend a day between now and the end of the Olympics when we are not evaluating a decision against the costs of delivery ... and the ground is always moving. It's an element we really hadn't thought we'd be dealing with today."

It got me thinking: What happens to a team when a highly visible and exciting project gets overwhelmed with challenges? How do project leaders keep team members motivated?

Project managers can pick up tips on everything from cross-cultural teams to the fine art of using Twitter at PMI Global Congress 2009--North America, 10-13 October in Orlando.

And this year, attendees will have even more learning opportunities with the addition of Sunday morning presentations. One of the sessions--Why Should You Care about Social Media?--will be hosted by PMI's own New Media Council. Be prepared to discuss all things Twitter, Yammer and LinkedIn.

Congress-goers can also attend presentations by PMI's Project of the Year finalists and others on agile, communication, the economic crisis and innovation.

"You get to see presentations that you can apply to your [PMI] community or your job," says Teresa Colon, PMP--a member of the PMI Congress Project Action Team (CoPAT). A veteran congress-attendee since 2004, Ms. Colon says she keeps going back for the networking and the learning opportunities.

Advanced registration saves you money.

Author Fredrik Härén is promising a provocative look at innovation at his breakfast session at PMI Global Congress 2009--North America, coming to Orlando, Florida on 10-13 October.

Founder of The Interesting Organization and author of The Idea Book, Singapore-based Mr. Härén took the time to answer a few questions about creativity and preview his session, "The Developing World: The Need for Innovation in a Rapidly Developing World":

Why is creativity important to project management?

Project management is about being able to guide a project from an idea to a reality and doing this while a myriad of problems is doing its best to ruin it for you.

No project has ever been done exactly as planned from the start. And creativity is the ability to identify and adapt to problems. In my talk, I will talk about how we can become better at handling quick and unplanned change.

What else will you cover in your session?

I have spent the better of three years interviewing more than 200 people in more than 15 developing countries. I will share what I have learned and why I believe it is crucial that the developed world learns from the developing world--and what role the developing world will play in the future when it comes to innovation. It will be a provocative yet inspiring talk I hope.

Why should attendees get up early to come see your session?

A morning talk should wake--and shake--you up. It should force you to think differently about something. If [congress participants] want a talk that will challenge the way the look at the world, they should come and listen.

The games will go on--and now the athletes will have somewhere to live during the big event.

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, host to the 2010 Winter Olympics, just secured approval to borrow more than CA$450 million to complete the main athletes' village. U.S.-based Fortress Investment Group cut the project's funding last year--midway through construction--over concerns about cost overruns and the weak economy.

You can read more about the 2010 Winter Olympics at PMI.org/features.

PM Network just released its third annual trend report with in-depth coverage of five business issues altering the project landscape. As you might have guessed, most of them center on the current economic climate:

•    Hyper Efficiency
•    Total Transparency
•    Power Alliances
•    Big Job Cuts
•    Ultra-Nearsourcing

Do you agree? What trends would you add to the list?

Amidst all the talk about the value of project management offices (PMOs), maybe organizations should be looking at size.
 
"PMOs do not have to be big", says Ardi Ghorashy, PMP, PgMP, a partner with 80/20 Consulting Inc., Markham, Ontario, Canada, told me in a recent interview.

"The biggest mistake I think that companies make is that they create a monster organization with a lot of overhead and they also bring all the project managers to report into a PMO. That creates a big lump sum of cost sink that becomes very visible at the executive level every year when you review your finances.

Then the question will always get asked, 'What's the return value on this investment.' And project management has traditionally been very difficult and notorious at quantifying its ROI.

... By its nature, a PMO has such an encompassing impact on the organization that it affects a lot of things. You can't really measure it very easily. .... These days we say PMOs need to be implemented extremely thinly. [Thin] PMOs will demonstrate the value very, very easily."  

What do you think? Are "thin" PMOs the way to go?

If you haven't already, be sure to checkout PMI's new resource Project Management and the Economy. The goal is to help project managers and the profession thrive during these tough times. Visit often because the content will be ever-changing.

You can also share your perspective on the economy and how project management is holding up by sending an e-mail to economy@pmi.org. Thoughts from you and your colleagues will be featured in an upcoming comments section.

Green IT projects may be in for a big push in the United States thanks to the country's newly appointed CTO.

In May 2008 Aneesh Chopra, then the secretary of technology for the state of Virginia, USA, told Government Technology magazine:

"Data centers are the energy hogs of the 21st century, and if we all believe we need to have renewable energy and energy independence in this country, those of us in the IT community must step up and acknowledge that we are net consumers in a significant way."

Sounds good--but will he really get people to hear the message?

Sivasailam (Siva) Sankar, PMP, president of the PMI Government Specific Interest Group, says U.S. President Barack Obama has made the creation of a transparent and connected democracy one of the key agenda items.

"The administration has already defined several key priorities, like the use of cutting-edge technologies to create a new level of transparency and improve the exchange of information between federal government and citizens, protect [networks], deploy broadband in every community, lower healthcare costs by investing in electronic information technology systems ... just to name a few."

Siva says the CTO's role is to promote technological innovation and develop national strategies for using advanced technologies to transform economy and society.

"There will be many technology projects initiated to satisfy the administration's core initiatives. Effective project management is vital for the success of the projects to ensure they're completed on time, on budget as well as utilizing public funds in an appropriate manner. I expect that the federal government would place a large emphasis on project management processes. I would also hope that effective portfolio management and governance processes will be implemented as well."

Siva says the appointment of Mr. Chopra is fitting because he has provided significant leadership as secretary of technology for Virginia in many forward-looking initiatives.

"He has practical experience in championing and providing high-level leadership to several high-tech projects."
 
 

The Richmond Oval is already open for pre-Olympic events. The project came in under budget and on time--and it's already attracting attention.

Greg Scott, director of the City of Richmond, British Columbia, Canada's major projects office, said that the accomplishment, while phenomenal, has been taxing.

"[Information] we've been able to put on the Internet has certainly slowed down [requests]--or given media a thirst for more, I'm not sure which."

The team is now trying to solidify plans for what will become of the CAD$178 million facility after the games. The current thinking is that the site should be transformed into a multi-use facility for events including track, badminton, volleyball, basketball, gymnastics, special events and more.

Mr. Scott encourages project managers working on Olympic venues to keep the community's post-games needs in mind.

"If you do that and say that the Olympics--while very important--are the secondary function of the facility, you'll come out on a very successful note," he says.

Editor's Note: For more on the Richmond Oval and other 2010 Winter Olympics projects, visit PMI.org/features. And look for our next installment of the Project to Watch series in May.

This week Olympic officials from around the world convened in Denver, Colorado, USA. What did they talk about? Apparently, the recession was the No. 1 topic of conversation--just as it is in every other corner of the globe.

Sebastian Coe, chairman of the organizing committee for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England, was one of the key players in attendance. According to the International Herald Tribune, Mr. Coe was on hand to assuage any fears that projects for the Games were off-track.

"We are not perfect, nor are we complacent," he said in an Associated Press interview. "No one says this is a risk-free process. But halfway through this project, we are absolutely--in everything we are doing--where we want to be."

This is partially true, since the project to build the main stadium for the games is ahead of schedule. But there's another side to the story. The global economic situation has forced the British Government to release more than US$650 million in backup funding due to a shortfall in private financing.

Mr. Coe, however, seems to have no misconceptions about the massive undertaking that still lies ahead. In January he said, "This is the biggest piece of project management a city undertakes, and it is against an immovable deadline. It is a tough time for the economy, but I remain upbeat about the potency of the Olympics to deliver an economic stimulus."

So, here is my question to all of the project leaders out there: How do you balance the success and failures of a large-scale project? And how do you grapple with factors beyond your control--like the economy--when they affect everything you do?

Editor's Note: Read more coverage on Olympics projects.