PMI Global Insights

It's been a week since PMIEMEA19 and since I've been back at work, I've had the chance to really let the conference sink in. I think it's really important that after any conference or intense knowledge gathering, that you allow yourself time to process all of the knowledge that you've received and see what what you can learn from in your daily life.

I've been really fortunate to be part of a great group of correspondents who really have shown such different sides to the conference which I really hope the online audience has found useful.

Here are some of my key takeaways from the conference.

1. Everyone is a potential ally. The first session with Pat Lucey and Norma Lynch gave me some of the biggest takeaways from the conference with regards to influencing potential stakeholders. Since the conference, I've been trying to see how I can really influence those around me and in what ways would be the most beneficial to my projects. The slight shift in mentality has really affected how I talk to people and look at them from a more positive mindset.
2. Seize every opportunity when it happens: This was something that came up during both the TEDTalks but also the offsite experience at the Teeling Whiskey Distillery. During the TEDTalks we were inspired with tales of human perseverence and endurance, whereas The Teeling Distillery we learned about utilising the opportunities that appear in your industry. For me, this has really hit home about changing my outlook towards any opportunity that could appear (both positive and negative!).
3. Understand the impact of your network: There are great things that can be achieved with utilising and understanding your network and it's capabilities. After listening to some of the talks and attending the different networking events that were available, it's really made me appreciate how valuable the contacts are in my network and who I could really call on for advice/support. During one of the lunches, we were having a discussion about issue resolution and it was a 'live' coaching session with some of the most experienced Project Managers I know. You couldn't buy this sort of knowledge! It also highlighted to me that there are networking opportunities available everywhere! During lunch, at the coffee machine, walking to the bus etc. You can really use this to your advantage in furthering my first point: Everyone is a potential ally.
4. What can you do to simplify your life? On the last day, Dan Lefsky presented his topic on which technology we can use as Project Managers to reduce down the complexity of our communications and to make our lives easier.

Since the Conference, this has really been on my mind and I've been talking to my colleagues about how we can be more effective and efficient in our communications both externally and internally. This has started some really positive discussions and I'm really pleased that I'm working in a team where this behaviour is encouraged.

If you've not already had a look, I can recommend the videos that I have uploaded sharing my perspective of the conference. Please comment below if they are the sort of videos that you like to see or if you'd like to see anything else.

Perhaps the most important thing for me coming from this conference was just how inspiring a profession I am a member of! This was made very clear during the closing keynote when we were told that PMI has surpassed the initial plan of 50,000 hours of volunteering. If you want to read more about the Global Celebration of Service - please check out this website and see how you can contribute.

What's next?

This conference has given me a new appreciation to share ideas and experiences that we have in our projects and daily lives. Since the conference, I've already looked at the 1% of change that I can make to become a better Project Manager.

If you're looking for a similar development opportunity, then I can highly recommend the PMI Global Conference. This conference will not only build on the great networking opportunities but also fantastic knowledge sessions that you can participate in to develop your skills as a Project Management Professional. This year's conference is being held in the home of the Project Management Institute; Philadelphia. Make sure that you're there to take part in the networking, knowledge and support over the three days.

Signing off from an amazing 3 days and a wonderful experience!

It's been a week since PMIEMEA19 and since I've been back at work, I've had the chance to really let the conference sink in. I think it's really important that after any conference or intense knowledge gathering, that you allow yourself time to process all of the knowledge that you've received and see what what you can learn from in your daily life.

I've been really fortunate to be part of a great group of correspondents who really have shown such different sides to the conference which I really hope the online audience has found useful.

Here are some of my key takeaways from the conference.

1. Everyone is a potential ally. The first session with Pat Lucey and Norma Lynch gave me some of the biggest takeaways from the conference with regards to influencing potential stakeholders. Since the conference, I've been trying to see how I can really influence those around me and in what ways would be the most beneficial to my projects. The slight shift in mentality has really affected how I talk to people and look at them from a more positive mindset.
2. Seize every opportunity when it happens: This was something that came up during both the TEDTalks but also the offsite experience at the Teeling Whiskey Distillery. During the TEDTalks we were inspired with tales of human perseverence and endurance, whereas The Teeling Distillery we learned about utilising the opportunities that appear in your industry. For me, this has really hit home about changing my outlook towards any opportunity that could appear (both positive and negative!).
3. Understand the impact of your network: There are great things that can be achieved with utilising and understanding your network and it's capabilities. After listening to some of the talks and attending the different networking events that were available, it's really made me appreciate how valuable the contacts are in my network and who I could really call on for advice/support. During one of the lunches, we were having a discussion about issue resolution and it was a 'live' coaching session with some of the most experienced Project Managers I know. You couldn't buy this sort of knowledge! It also highlighted to me that there are networking opportunities available everywhere! During lunch, at the coffee machine, walking to the bus etc. You can really use this to your advantage in furthering my first point: Everyone is a potential ally.
4. What can you do to simplify your life? On the last day, Dan Lefsky presented his topic on which technology we can use as Project Managers to reduce down the complexity of our communications and to make our lives easier.

Since the Conference, this has really been on my mind and I've been talking to my colleagues about how we can be more effective and efficient in our communications both externally and internally. This has started some really positive discussions and I'm really pleased that I'm working in a team where this behaviour is encouraged.

If you've not already had a look, I can recommend the videos that I have uploaded sharing my perspective of the conference. Please comment below if they are the sort of videos that you like to see or if you'd like to see anything else.

Perhaps the most important thing for me coming from this conference was just how inspiring a profession I am a member of! This was made very clear during the closing keynote when we were told that PMI has surpassed the initial plan of 50,000 hours of volunteering. If you want to read more about the Global Celebration of Service - please check out this website and see how you can contribute.

What's next?

This conference has given me a new appreciation to share ideas and experiences that we have in our projects and daily lives. Since the conference, I've already looked at the 1% of change that I can make to become a better Project Manager.

If you're looking for a similar development opportunity, then I can highly recommend the PMI Global Conference. This conference will not only build on the great networking opportunities but also fantastic knowledge sessions that you can participate in to develop your skills as a Project Management Professional. This year's conference is being held in the home of the Project Management Institute; Philadelphia. Make sure that you're there to take part in the networking, knowledge and support over the three days.

Signing off from an amazing 3 days and a wonderful experience!

Hi everyone, thanks for following me all through the Congress and reading my blogs and Tweets about the Congress. It really has been a privilege to be Community Correspondent for the #PMIEMEA19.

It is a lot of fun, but also hard work. During all sessions you attend, you listen, take notes, tweet and keep your Social Media Updates going. That takes a lot of concentration. Even during the Networking events, you take notes and keep track of who you meet and what you do. Then in the evening when everyone orders their second beer in the Pub of choice for the day, you go back to your hotel room to write a blog about your day.

What an experience! I thoroughly enjoyed it. Especially tweeting on Twitter was a new experience for me. I only opened an account successfully about 1 month ago.

What an eventful few days it has been!

I was privileged to listen to Jamil Qureshi twice, once during the PMI LIMC Alumni Workshop on Sunday and then on Monday again during the Keynote. So much information in such a short time! Then during the Opening Session to hear from Jim Snyder, that his best memories are all about the people. Not the Mega Milestones and achievements, no, the people! Yes his best memories are about you and me. I actually agree with him. Yes in PMI events I have always learned a lot, but the best has always been the people. And you keep meeting again at events. For me they are also the go to Network when I need advice or help.

Meeting Sunil Pashara and seeing him attending sessions, mingling with people and freely networking with delegates was special. Knowing that he is a true citizen of the world, born & raised in Kenya, worked in almost every continent, living in London, working in Philadelphia. When we talk to him, he can relate.

Every session I attended, even then one I felt lost in, since the discussions used a Scrum Vocabulary, that is Greek to me, I took important lessons from. They are all in my notebook, but if I share them all, this will be a book.

So what are my 3 biggest lessons:

1. We need to identify and dismantle belief systems that hold us back. Jamil Qureshi talked about it, but it came up in several other sessions as well. What really hampers innovation and progress is belief systems. Things like “It can not be done”, “It has never been done”, “this is not how we do it here” and “It will never work” to name just a few, is often what holds us back. We need to figure out what our own belief systems are and those in our team. Then we need to identify the rogue monkey, whose urge to succeed is bigger than the belief system and is willing to try. If we work together with the rogue monkey and achieve even only this 1 degree change, we will succeed.

2. The future in Project Management in my eyes lies in hybrid projects and virtual teams. We will all handle be involved in hybrid projects and projects with virtual teams at one point or another. When I reflected on it some time back, I realized a lot of my projects ended up using agile elements due to the unique project needs. Often we had at least one Technical Expert who was not in the country (see the virtual team right there). Volunteering with PMI you often end up in a virtual team.

    For both hybrid projects & virtual teams you need to scale your                        communication up a notch. Hence I will concentrate on improving my communication skills and my EQ skills, both will come in handy for both environments. I want to become a Project Motivator and of course I bought the book by Ruth Pearce during the Congress.

3. There is evidence of successful project management everywhere, just look for it. The seeming side shows of the Congress, like Networking events, including the tours through the host city and off site learning sessions, as well as your own trips exploring the city and surroundings are full of successful projects, with lessons for us to learn.
   1. During Networking Sessions you get to know new people and make new friends. In your exchange with them you hear about their project successes, but also the failures. And you learn right there
   2. Think about the Host Chapter together with the Congress Organizing Team and the PMI Staff involved. Think about how much work they put into the Congress Project. Finding and recruiting the right entertainers, finding and recruiting the right caterers etc, all that are major deliverables in this project. Recruiting and organizing all the volunteers who worked so hard in making us feel welcome, takes a lot of PM skills.

Hat’s off to the Host Chapter, the PMI Ireland Chapter for a job well done.

3. When we were taking the Teeling Distillery Tour and heard how the Teeling Family, after selling off their old distillery, that had moved out of town, worked on building a new – but old style – distillery in Dublin, I was thinking about the enormity of the project they were undertaking. While the guide was telling us about the history, he did touch on a lot of points from their project planning and some of the risks they encountered. What a project!  
4. Dublin is full of successful projects. Look at Christ Church Cathedral, which dates back to the time of the Vikings. Look at Guiness Brewery, but also look at the City’s history, where the different centuries can be seen in the different parts of town. Look at the history of the Irish people – in Epic Center you could find more of it, see where Irish Emigrants settled, what they achieved and you could also trace your family if you have Irish roots. Look at the successful city expansion in Dublin into the docklands & quays – recovering land, that was previously thought of as not inhabitable. Look at the Famine Boats – that helped evacuate thousands of starving Irish people into other countries for a better future. There are museums and statues that remind of it everywhere. Imagine the logistical nightmare. And did you know that Landlords paid for their starving squatters to emigrate? Next time you go through your city look for the historical epic projects and think about the risks and unknown unknowns they faced. That puts your own projects in perspective.

It was also very exciting to see and be inspired by live TED Talks. I am looking forward to seeing more of the new engagement between PMI & TED. Karthik had shared the links to all the original TED Talks, so you can watch them yourself.

This was for me the first time attending the PMI EMEA Congress. I had previously only attended PMI Africa Conferences, the first day of 2 PMI Global Conferences and a host of Leadership Institute Meetings (LIM, RLIM). What they said is true. Each Conference / Congress has its own character. In Africa it is all about Networking and the social events are attended by all, it is like a big carnival with learning sessions. In the US it is more about Business, and the Conference is so big (up to 5000 people), that you are happy to see your Network Friends. However it is fun, and somehow you do meet your friends. The EMEA Congress I had been told is all about the Learning and the PDUs. But in Dublin I saw that the fun counts as well in Europe and the parties were great. I think each has its big positive sites and I will definitely attend any of them again.

See you at the next Congress:

One thing that I asked the community before the conference was what would like they to see during the conference? What was the best way to share the conference with you all? The feedback and answer that came from several of you was that you wanted to see various points of the conference via video. To be able to have this in a format that could be watched by everyone, I have uploaded to Youtube all of the videos and would really appreciate your feedback.

Are these the videos that you wanted to see? Would you want to see any others/different ones?

• Interview with a first time attendee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-v9zlmVBBo
• Interview with a first time attendee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pyrDyM5nls
• Interview with Presenter Pat Lucey and Norma Lynch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csLf03KfFVI
• What to expect: Networking opportunities: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7D6LYbPWys
• Offsite Visit to Teeling Distillery: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-kkRyCR-Zk
• Offsite Visit: Review of Teeling Distillery: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Qs8Bfi8L8s
• Interview with Dan Lefsky: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coIFN7XkZIg
• Interview with Laurel Sim: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPDiNqdtTUE
• The closing keynote finale: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMTHI3oRELw

- Emily.

One thing that I asked the community before the conference was what would like they to see during the conference? What was the best way to share the conference with you all? The feedback and answer that came from several of you was that you wanted to see various points of the conference via video. To be able to have this in a format that could be watched by everyone, I have uploaded to Youtube all of the videos and would really appreciate your feedback.

Are these the videos that you wanted to see? Would you want to see any others/different ones?

• Interview with a first time attendee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-v9zlmVBBo
• Interview with a first time attendee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pyrDyM5nls
• Interview with Presenter Pat Lucey and Norma Lynch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csLf03KfFVI
• What to expect: Networking opportunities: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7D6LYbPWys
• Offsite Visit to Teeling Distillery: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-kkRyCR-Zk
• Offsite Visit: Review of Teeling Distillery: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Qs8Bfi8L8s
• Interview with Dan Lefsky: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coIFN7XkZIg
• Interview with Laurel Sim: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPDiNqdtTUE
• The closing keynote finale: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMTHI3oRELw

- Emily.