The Critical Path

If you're new to the community, welcome! If you're not new to the community, great to see you again! We've got some updates and information for you to make sure you have a great experience as you spend some time with us.

We've recently made some updates to our user guidelines that you'll want to know about and we've outlined the major updates below. You can also revisit this post which gives some really great information as to why we have them in place:

Links - We continue to ask that you not post unsolicited links or anything that can be considered promotional in areas of conversation within the community. This includes links to outside blogs, personal websites, courses you offer, etc. We have lots of opportunities for you to share your expertise and exchange knowledge with others, but putting a link in the middle of a discussion post is not the way to get anyone's attention. However, we think it's important for you to highlight your accomplishments. To do that, we ask that any links to a personal website or blog be added to the information section of your profile. This allows members to quickly find out more about you and your expertise. The update to the user guidelines provides more information around how to go about that in a productive way.

Privacy - Conversations in the community are always incredibly robust. There is so much that we get from talking to one another and you may have some very specific questions you want to ask someone, but you'd like to take that conversation offline. We get it - sometimes a phone call or an e-mail will allow you to provide more context around information. However, we ask that you not post your e-mail address (or any other sensitive contact information such as a phone number) in the areas of conversation within the community. If you want to reach out to someone, please use the private inbox feature right here within the community to continue the conversation. 

We encourage you to take some time and familiarize yourself with the updated user guidelines, which can be found here and at the bottom of every page.

As always, if you ever have any questions as to whether or not something is okay, just ask a Community Engagement Specialist! Just send us a message through the private inbox system and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

Until then, we'll see you around the community!

Happy August...even though we're already halfway through the month! My how time flies! Soon we'll be saying goodbye to summer here in North America and cooler weather will be settling in. That also means that we've got some great programming coming up for you over the next couple of months. For now, here's a look at what's coming up in the immediate future and a question that one of your fellow community members needs help with:

PMI® Organizational Agility Conference 2018: For project managers, it is imperative to remain agile in an ever-changing business landscape and all organizations, whether small or large, need individuals who understand how important and impactful adaptability and agility are to overall success. That's why we're bringing you the PMI Organizational Agility Conference on 12 September 2018 from 9am-5pm EDT. This a virtual event and is FREE to PMI members. Register now and allow us to provide you with the tools and knowledge you need in order to lead through transformation. You won't want to miss this event!

Be a Champion of Change: Join us for PMI Global Conference, 6-8 October 2018 in beautiful Los Angeles, CA, USA! You'll join thousands of other Change Champions for three days of learning and fun! You'll also have the opportunity to schedule time with experts from right here in the community for a one-on-one session! For more information, or to register for the conference, visit https://www.pmi.org/global-conference. We hope to see you there!

Project Management for Social Good®: As a practitioner, you are no doubt committed to continuing your project management education in both formal and informal ways. But did you know that PMI’s philanthropic arm, the PMI Educational Foundation (PMIEF), also focuses on project management education? Find out some of the ways you can leverage PMIEF resources and programs for your personal use—or to give back in your community.

Evaluating Project Management Tools: Fellow community member, Dinah Young, is currently evaluating PM tools and needs your help! If you've had any experience with any of the tools she has shortlisted, join the conversation and provide your feedback!

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!

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!

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!

Welcome to May! The start of a new month means new community updates just for you! There's some exciting things to cover, so I won't delay it any longer than needed. Onward we go!

• Follow the community team in Berlin, Germany: If you're not heading to PMI® EMEA Congress 2018, you're missing out. There, I said it. But don't worry, the ProjectManagement.com Community team has you covered! Find out how you can follow along with the event as the team updates you through the PMI Global Insights blog right here in the community. It will feel like you were right there! You can also find out how to follow along on social media through Kristin's recent post. 
• PMI Talent and Technology Symposium 2018: Registration is now open for the virtual PMI Talent & Technology Symposium 2018, taking place on Wednesday, 13 June 2018. This event is the fusion of two prior events, the Information Systems & Technology 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. This is a PMI member-only event. Visit the event page for more information or to get registered. 
• Don’t Worry, Be Agile! This is the rallying cry of Bryan Campbell, who has written an article calling agile project management the key to accelerating business value.  While disruptions are here to stay, projects are even more important to companies. Project managers just have to evolve. This article is one of many you’ll find at PM Port, where you can see what’s happening now in the world of project management.
• Work out loud with us: We would love to know what you're working on this week! If you would like to share some of the work you're doing, or connect with someone who might be facing similar challenges on their projects, visit this week's discussion thread and let your peers know what you're working on!

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!