The Critical Path

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!

Hello, everyone! I (Laura) would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself as the newest Engagement Specialist on the Digital Communities team at PMI. I’ll be helping out around the community to facilitate productive, enjoyable, and valuable participation for our members.

Coming from the international development sector, I was very excited to see the global reach of the community here at ProjectManagement.com! So many countries and cultures are represented, lending diversity of experience, perspective, and expertise. Organizations and populations around the world are truly benefiting from the work of Project Managers!

For me, an important component of serving an international community is providing content in languages other than English. On ProjectManagement.com, you can find webinars conducted in Arabic, Spanish, and French, and a Russian language webinar is being offered in February. As 2019 progresses, we seek to continue to expand the non-English language content available on ProjectManagement.com.

After all, language is key to how we connect with and interact with each other, and we recognize that members may be more comfortable in their native language. Where possible, we hope to improve access to information for non-English speakers so that they may participate in the conversation and benefit from community members’ great knowledge and insights.

On a daily basis, interacting with this international community allows me to refine my cross-cultural communication skills – which are indispensable as it becomes increasingly common to work on global teams and projects. I hope that many of you are finding the same! I am looking forward to connecting with you, supporting you, and continuing to learn through my interactions with all of you.