The Critical Path

With the cold and snow too recent in our memories, we at PMI headquarters are ready for spring! We’re looking forward to all of the changes that March will bring – to the weather (fingers crossed!) and beyond. Here’s a rundown of what’s happening around the community in your March News You can Use:

Welcome PMI’s New President & CEO: Sunil Prashara has been announced as the new President & CEO of PMI. Get to know Sunil here!

2019 Virtual Events: Mark your calendar! The dates for ProjectManagement.com’s 2019 virtual events are as follows:

PMXPO – 21 March 2019

PMI Talent & Technology Symposium – 12 June 2019

PMI Organizational Agility Conference – 12 September 2019

PMI Business Analysis Virtual Conference – 13 November 2019

PMXPO is right around the corner! Earn 6.5 PDUs from the comfort of your home or office with six exciting speakers. If you have not yet registered, view the event agenda, and sign-up today!

Projectified™ with PMI Podcast: Have you subscribed to PMI’s project management podcast, Projectified™ with PMI? The podcast features experts on the latest trends and technologies impacting the project management profession from talent management to digital transformation to innovation. The latest podcast addresses “Transformation – Artificial Intelligence.” Listen today for free!

PMI EMEA Congress 2019: Registration is open for PMI EMEA Congress 2019 in Dublin, Ireland! This year’s event will explore Technology Made Possible by a Project Manager. 

Global Celebration of Service: PMI will commemorate its 50^th anniversary all year long with a global celebration of service! Through their expertise, passion, and skills, Project Managers truly make a difference for organizations, communities, and industries around the world. In a commitment to advancing the United Nations’ 17 sustainable development goals, PMI is asking members of the community to pledge their time and knowledge to making the world a better place for all. Share your volunteer stories with us!

Stay tuned for more updates in this exciting time for PMI and the project management profession! If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to the Community Engagement team.

Are you attending PMI^® Global Conference 2019 taking place right here in Philadelphia 5-7 October, 2019? If yes, why don't you consider placing your toastmaster practices into action!?

PMI is now accepting presentation proposals from active and PM credentialed project, program and portfolio professionals. All proposals must be submitted online by the deadline of 6 March 2019. Late proposals will not be accepted. Learn more and submit your proposal.

We hope to see you there!

Well, we have surpassed the first month of the New Year, and suddenly it’s February! Does that mean Spring is right around the corner? Is it me, or is time flying at warp speed? As with seasonal change, new activities and initiatives here at PMI are constantly evolving. Whether fully engaged in projects or cramming to meet deadlines, we hope you can take a moment to read about new and exciting activities taking place here on ProjectManagement.com!

Growing a stellar career. A blog post linked from the PM Port news service provides interesting details about a project that made a good leader a great leader. The project, with a budget almost four times the biggest this project manager ever handled before, aimed to use lean techniques and appropriate technologies to improve customer service and reduce costs. The project manager spent almost half his time on stakeholder conversations. He found a way to get the support and involvement of his organization’s sales and operations staff. Stakeholder satisfaction was exemplary. Check out PM Port for absorbing reads and trends news you can use.

Well, have you registered for the first Virtual Conference of the year taking place on 21 March 2019, PMXPO? If not, I urge you to take a sneak peek of our Keynote Speaker selected to open the event explaining his story of how hardship can transform the livelihood of humanity. The final schedule of speakers and corresponding sessions will soon be posted. Get EXCITED!

PMI Engages Global Industry Leaders in Davos – Davos has attracted global leaders from governments and corporations for almost 50 years and this year was no different. Apple CEO Tim Cook, Alibaba Chairman Jack Ma and Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg were among some star CEOs that attended sessions around this year’s theme, “Globalization 4.0: Shaping a Global Architecture in the Age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.” PMI was the only association in Davos, which is a testimony to the value our Institute brings, as well as our ability for building strong business relationships.

PMI Executives kicked off a panel discussion titled "Humans 2.0." The Brightline^™ Initiative, PMI and the Boston Consulting Group hosted The Economist Events panel discussion. It addressed how business leaders can sharpen their ability to respond to the inevitable challenges that will arise as a result of disruptive technologies. Watch the entire discussion here.

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF COMMITMENT T0 PROJECT MANAGEMENT. While we celebrate our 50th anniversary, we want to focus special attention on the professionals—PMI members, credential holders, volunteers and all those who consider project, program and portfolio management their profession—for their great accomplishments in not just delivering successful outcomes, but in making a difference. Join us in our Celebration of Service. 2019 will be more than a celebration of our 50th Anniversary. It will be the start of a project management Global Celebration of Service that will go on throughout 2019 and beyond. PMI is leading this effort to address important issues and causes in local communities that will help ensure a better future for all. LEARN HOW TO PLEDGE!

That's all for now! If you have any questions about community events, user guidelines, or any other community happenings, feel free to reach out to any member of the Community Engagement team. We love hearing from you and always happy to help! Enjoy your day!

The PMI Sponsored Research Program awards grants of up to US$50,000 per project to support research whose themes and perspectives have direct application to theory and/or practice of project management. PMI invites proposals from individuals as well as multi-disciplinary teams both within and outside the field of project management.

The 2020 call for proposals is now open through 25 April 2019.

We encourage proposals on research involving multi-disciplinary teams of investigators or teams consisting of academics and practitioners who bring new ways of thinking and related bodies of literature to the field.

To learn more about the program, including eligibility criteria, submission guidelines, key dates, and more, visit https://www.pmi.org/learning/academic-research/sponsored. You will also find published research from past PMI Sponsored Research Program-funded projects.

Proposals can be submitted directly at https://pmi.submittable.com/submit.

For those who attended last year welcome back, and for those who did not, we’re thrilled to have you on board this year. As the first PMI virtual event of 2019, PMXPO is ringing in the New Year in style. We’re kicking off the 12th edition of our annual virtual conference and exhibition with some spectacular speakers and game-changing sessions. Last year we set yet another record-breaking attendance, and we hope to do the same this year. To find out why your peers believe that attending this conference is extremely important, register today.

We are proud to announce that this year’s keynote speaker is Derreck Kayongo! Derreck is the founder of the Global Soap Project. He has built a multi-million dollar venture which takes recycled soap and distributes it through global health programs to people who lack access to it around the world.  He is also the former CEO of the Center for Civil and Human Rights. Derreck is truly a business visionary. He shares his remarkable story of transformation to illustrate the power of creativity and observation to solve any challenge.

Along with our keynote speaker Derreck Kayongo, PMXPO 2019 will bring you five more sessions packed with informative project management viewpoints from experts around the world who are leaders of their industry. Stay tuned for updated information regarding final agenda and speakers.

Who will be attending?

Everyone who has a thirst for knowledge and wants to remain ahead in their career!

Whether you’re a seasoned PM or new to the field, this is an excellent opportunity to learn, network, earn PDUs, and broaden your perspective on project management. Attend this virtual event from the comfort of your own home or office, and the best part is everyone attends for free with absolutely no cost to you or your peers. Register now, save the date, and tell your friends and colleges you will see them at PMXPO 2019!