The Critical Path

We are excited to announce the ProjectManagement.com June book club! The book club provides an opportunity to participate in webinars and discussions around selected books relevant to the overall practice of project management. The book club occurs in three parts:

1. Opening pre-recorded webinar which will be used to introduce the book. During this 30 minute pre-recorded webinar, the author will provide a high level overview of the concepts in his/her book, familiarizing participants with the information.
2. Discussion thread on ProjectManagement.com with input from the book club host and author. During the last week of the discussion, questions will be collected to present to the author in the closing webinar.
3. Closing Q&A live webinar with the author responding to questions submitted both through the online book club discussion thread and during the webinar. The webinar will be a panel style discussion with open dialogue between the moderator and the author.

The first 25 PMI members registered for the closing book club webinar will receive a complimentary copy of the book and will be notified via email. Additional participants will have the opportunity to purchase a copy of the book at their own expense. 

All community members will be able to view the book club opening webinar and participate in the discussion forum. We will evaluate the content of each opening and closing book club webinar to determine the eligibility and breakdown for PDUs.   

Our book club book for June is The Practitioner's Guide to Program Management by Irene Didinsky

Early in her career, Irene Didinsky recognized that project and program management was her passion. She accepted roles of increasing complexity and responsibility in a broad range of industries, including healthcare, energy, utilities, food and beverages, power tools, and hospitality. Ms. Didinsky led global cross cultural projects at Deloitte. She delivered programs that implemented value-based care solutions for large healthcare systems at Evolent Health, a healthcare consulting firm, and she has influenced the delivery of millions of dollars of capital investment through project and program management at Kaiser Permanente. As there are very few books written about program management, Ms. Didinsky became a writer by night while working as a program manager. Her enthusiasm for helping people in all aspects of program management flows through in the expert program management knowledge that she has shared in this book.
 

About the book:

Programs serve as a crucial link between strategy and the execution of business results and organizations implement them to achieve strategic goals. Although the practice of program management has evolved in lockstep with the project management profession, the root causes of program failure remain.

In this step-by-step guide, Irene Didinsky offers a standardized approach to program management, closing the knowledge gaps and variations that currently exist across organizations and industries. For the first time, The Practitioner's Guide to Program Management walks the reader through all the key components of effective program management. Using a case study example of an actual process improvement program, Didinsky discusses the qualities of excellence in program leadership, the importance of organizational strategy alignment throughout the program life cycle, how a program realizes benefits, and how to manage conflicting priorities of stakeholders.

This comprehensive resource also includes an historical overview of the professionalization of the field, outlines the logistics of forming a program management community of practice, and concludes with a glossary of terms. With this desktop manual in their hands, practitioners can expect to thrive and guarantee the success of their programs.

Our June book club host is Tolitha Lewis, PMP. Tolitha has been a PMI Volunteer Leader since 2008.  She was elected as a Director to the PMI Information Systems Specific Interest Group (PMI-ISSIG) in 2008 and served until the completion of the transition to a Community of Practice (CoP) in 2011. In 2012, Tolitha was appointed to the Leadership Team of the Consulting CoP, now referred to as the Consulting practice area, and has been a leader in the webinar program ever since. Based in Indianapolis, Indiana, Tolitha is a Sr. Project Manager.

To register for the closing live book club webinar, please visit the webinar page on ProjectManagement.com, find the book club closing webinar and click on the “Register for this webinar” link.

Please visit the book club information and discussion on the Project Management.com books page. 

For additional questions, please visit the ProjectManagement.com Book Club FAQ page.

We are officially 6 months into 2018! Summer begins in 2 1/2 weeks in our part of the world and that means things will start to slow down a little. Do you have any breaks in your work coming up? Are you taking some time off to relax with your family? Tell us in the comments below how you plan to recharge midyear. In the meantime, here's what's going on in the community:

PMI Talent and Technology Symposium 2018 - How will the future of technology affect the way you prepare for projects? What skills will you need to ensure your projects are a success as the technological landscape shifts? Find out at the upcoming virtual PMI Talent and Technology Symposium 2018, happening on 13 June from 9am - 5pm EDT. You still have a week left to register. Don't miss out!

Right sized content just for you - Do you ever find yourself wishing you could take 15-30 minutes to get some learning in during your busy day? We have a solution for you! Check out Projectified with PMI, hosted by Stephen Maye! This podcast series dives into leadership challenges, digital transformations, and mindset shifts that will help you take your project - and your organization - to the next level. Listen to Projectified with PMI!

Speaking of podcasts - We have great selection of podcasts for you to choose from that are hosted by your fellow community members right here on ProjectManagement.com! Visit the Podcasts page to find bite-sized, valuable content that you can listen to at your convenience.

Thinking About Security Project Management? - This can be an exciting and challenging career. There are some common missteps for projects in this field, such as not knowing the full scope before planning begins, allowing project schedules to control you instead of vice-versa, and creating a careful plan for communications. Learn more in this article that is linked from PM Port. PM Port is a news service that helps you see what’s happening in the world of project management.

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're happy to help!

The complete speakers & sessions roster for the PMI Talent & Technology Symposium 2018 is now available for viewing on the event registration page. This symposium will focus on the intersection of emerging technologies and your career as a project manager.

An overview of the schedule is as follows:

• Keynote: Project Manage Your Professional Career and Prepare Yourself for Your Future Challenges - Presented by Olivier Lazar.
• Session 1: Preparing Project Managers in Driving Industry Innovation through Digital Transformation - Presented by Christopher Bolick
• Session 2:  Cyber Security is Not Just for the Big Boys and Girls - Presented by Jim Smith & Rudy Watson
• Session 3: Are Project Managers Ready for an AI Takeover? - Presented by Oliver Yarbrough
• Session 4: Drones! Coming to a Project near You! - Presented by Kevin Coleman
• Session 5: Under the Hood of Blockchain - Beyond the Basics - Presented by Tareq Shaheen

Be sure to register and invite your peers & colleagues to join you for this exciting day of information. Don’t forget, registrants will have the ability to watch archives of the sessions for 90 days after the event. If you aren’t able to attend be sure to register for this member benefit!

You are a part of a global community! Is that me stating the obvious?

Let's try that again...

As a member of a global community, you know the impact of being able to speak with other practitioners that may be facing the same challenges as you thousands of miles away. You're not limited by geography, and that's part of what makes this community so amazing!

We also want to make sure that we are taking our global community into consideration when content is developed on the site. You may have noticed that some content has been produced in or translated to different languages here within the community. While PMI Global Headquarters (or GHQ) is North America based, we want to make sure that members who live abroad are able to enjoy content, as well. For this reason, we have content available on the site in the following languages:

• English
• French
• Portuguese
• Spanish
• Japanese

And coming soon, we will have translated content available in Korean!

To find this content, simply use the Advanced Search option at the top right of the screen and select Languages when you are searching for content.

As we continue to work with our partners around the world, you will begin to see more offerings in languages that support you.

Thank you for making our community so robust! Your participation and dedication to the profession is, quite literally, worldwide and we couldn't be more appreciative of our members!

Initial speakers have been announced for the PMI Talent & Technology Symposium 2018! 

This new symposium is the fusion of two prior events, the Internet Systems & Technologies Symposium, and the Talent Management Conference. The new event will focus on the impact of rapidly changing technologies on the project management discipline and careers. Participants will better understand how emerging technologies affect their career and skills progression, as well as the evolving needs of hiring managers as they seek out top project management talent. 

We are excited to announce our first two speakers for this event!

Keynote Presentation - Project Manage Your Professional Career and Prepare Yourself for Your Future Challenges

Presented by Olivier Lazar, Msc., MBA, PfMP, PgMP, PMP, PBA, RMP, SP, ACP

What will our future as PM professionals look like? What will be the skills and competences to develop? How do I future-proof myself as a PM Professional?

Are Project Managers Ready for an AI Takeover?

Presented by Oliver Yarbrough, M.S., PMP

AI is a game changer.  Find out what you can do right now to prepare for the changes that are coming.  This way, you won’t get left behind.

Register Now for the PMI Talent & Technology Symposium 2018 to attend these sessions, and more!