May
2019

PRESIDENT'S CORNER

Chapter President Titu Hariharan, PMP, CSM

May is a joyous time of the year here in the Pacific Northwest as the rain subsides and the sun shines. I’m suddenly inspired to spend more time outside to experience the revival of the trees, grass, and flowers, which is only possible because of the prior months’ relentless rain. Without nature’s individual elements preparing the right conditions, we might not see the lush beauty of spring. Just the same, without the individuals volunteering their time and talent, we wouldn’t enjoy our Chapter’s valuable amenities like the Annual Conference, Chapter meetings, military liaison services, and more.

Like the cycles of nature, our inspiration and that of others are often interdependent. Inspiring others to do what they do - and to do it well - rewards us with our own inspiration. When we set a vision and enable teams to achieve goals, we empower them and energize ourselves.

Our Chapter is run by volunteers, and to see the progress that is made towards common overarching goals of Chapter improvement, positive membership experience, and project management education is personally inspiring. The teams that plan and execute the events for our Chapter are people like you and me; they have been given a goal, along with encouragement to do their best to achieve it.

This year marks the 18th PMI Portland Chapter Annual Conference, which will be hosted on September 20 with the theme of TIME: Talent, Inspiration, Motivation and Emotional Intelligence. The vision has been shared and now our volunteers are working hard to ensure the conference is the premier educational experience that Portland-area project managers have come to expect.

With that in mind, think about volunteering your time and expertise to make the Chapter even better. Check out the Volunteer Relationship Management System (VRMS) for open opportunities across all portfolios including the Annual Conference team. You can make a difference in our project manager community and inspire yourself and others along the way.

"You have the power to motivate and inspire. Let your enthusiasm shine." – JD Crighton

Sincerely,

Titu Hariharan
President, PMI Portland Chapter

ARTICLES

Annual Conference Prep Launched

Finding Inspiration

By: Reni Towns, PMP

It’s inevitable. At some point in your project management career, you will be assigned a project that does not generate excitement. Have you managed a project where you dread attending meetings? Perhaps it is a project related to implementing some sort of required regulation or maybe it involves a change that will result in job eliminations. When working on a project that you don’t find engaging, it is important to seek inspiration in other ways.

If the subject matter of an initiative does not inspire you, there could be skill development opportunities that will spark your interest. You can learn a new technology or tool during the project, such as Microsoft Project or JIRA. You can grow your expertise through training key project members. Or maybe you can create an opportunity to provide regular status updates to leaders to grow your communication abilities.

Additionally, new assignments can provide a chance to work with different team members and learn about other areas of your company. Building relationships can lead to unique and better projects in the future. Each new project you manage is an opportunity to grow your network and learn about work in other departments that might be more in alignment with your career goals.

A change of scenery can also be instrumental in finding inspiration. Take a break from your desk: go work in a coffee shop for a few hours or take a day to work from home. If there are colleagues working on the project in another location, perhaps there is a budget to travel to meet with them in person. Take advantage of the warm spring weather; if you have a one-on-one meeting, take the conversation outside and go for a walk to get some fresh air.

Focus on your personal wellness since burnout is related to decreased inspiration. Drink lots of water and eat a healthy lunch to help keep your energy level naturally high. Avoid sitting in front of your computer for long periods of time; stand up and stretch or take a short walk. Also, be sure to take advantage of vacation time. Getting time away from work can go a long way to help you refresh and recharge. You may return to work with renewed inspiration.

It can also be inspiring to connect with other project managers. Some of your co-workers may have valuable words of wisdom, but it can also be beneficial to reach out beyond your company as well. Learn about new trends in the industry and meet other project management professionals by attending a local chapter meeting or event, such as the PMI Portland Annual Conference.

Finding inspiration is very personal, so leverage the strategy that resonates most with you. Whether it's developing new skills or gaining energy with new wellness habits, you can actively avoid meeting aversion. As a project leader, you are also able to guide the inspiration of your teammates. Share details about what works for you and provide other suggestions; your inspiration may end up inspiring others.

Succeeding with Lean Management

By: James K. Hudson, CEO, Knowledge Strategies International, LLC

Lean management has been around for decades. The term “Lean” was coined in the late 1980s, but many of its key principles existed long before then. Since the emergence of Lean as a formal management methodology, most implementations have occurred in companies with a lot of resources to expend, usually involving high-fee consultants. Because many of these large-scale implementations failed, two very incorrect assumptions have come to be associated with Lean.

Myth 1: Lean is very hard to achieve.

Myth 2: Lean is all about efficiency.

Neither one of these myths is true. In fact, it is precisely when Lean implementation is done based on these assumptions that its execution fails. Many companies have assumed that Lean would make them efficient without having to change much about themselves, ultimately leading to failure at sustaining Lean.

Whether you work in a small business or are part of a very large corporation, if you can shake these two assumptions off as the myths that they are, you’re in an excellent position to benefit greatly.

As a professional project manager, you are in an especially auspicious position to benefit due to your grasp of the bigger picture. With your capabilities to manage large projects, you are uniquely qualified to be much more successful at implementing Lean than many who have tried in vain. And you do not have to spend a lot of money to take the following steps:

Learn the basics of Lean management. You do not need to be an expert. You only need to know a few principles of Lean thinking and recognize which techniques exist to deal with the most common business problems. However, you must learn it yourself. Do not delegate the understanding of Lean to someone else.

Have a step-by-step plan. Choose one that works for you and your situation. Pick an easy problem to solve and stack the deck with the right people — people you’re sure will adopt the new way quickly. For example, identify the informal influencers in the group and make sure they participate early on.

Set the expectations up front. There are some things that are very different about Lean when compared to traditional management, and that can lead to fear of the unknown. People need to know that they will not be fired or that they will not have to work harder, which often is the assumption with Lean efficiency.

Make the commitment to see the change all the way through. People watch leaders more closely than leaders may know. They listen to what you say. They also listen to what you do not say. Take a “burn the boats” approach and do what it takes to become a Lean company. That alone is 90% of the battle. Give people reasons to believe that this change will be good for them in the long run and assure them that you will not yank the carpet out from under them later.

Communicate all successes loudly. Let everyone know that there is a cause and effect between the new way of doing things and the better results you are experiencing. Like a snowball, you are trying to gain mass and momentum around this shift. The more success you get, the easier it becomes. Capitalize on early wins.

People can accept new challenges when a leader knows what is possible and can show them how to get there. When properly utilized, Lean management can help you beat your competition, grow your customer base and expand your business.

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EVENTS

Chapter Meetings

“Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow.” – Anthony J. D'Angelo

Join us for our monthly Chapter meetings, open to non-members and members alike. Enjoy an evening of learning with exciting topics, networking with others, and a keynote presentation with a wonderful dinner served at your table. And yes, dessert is included! Click on the dates below to find out more and register.

May 21, 2019

Workshops

Workshop – “Workplace Conflict...A Deeper Look. Having Difficult Conversations." Presented by Cole Chatterton.
Friday, May 31, 2019, from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm at the 2WTC Building, Portland World Trade Center located 25 SW Salmon, Portland, OR, 97204. Late Fee for registrations after 5/23/2019. Registration closes 5/31/2019. Click here to find out more or download flyer.

Workshop – “The Science of Persuasion, Influence and Negotiation for Project Managers: Improve your ability to communicate and obtain your needs in the world." Presented by Martin Medeiros.
Friday, June 21, 2019, from 8:30 am - 5:00 pm at the 2WTC Building, Portland World Trade Center located 25 SW Salmon, Portland, OR, 97204. Late Fee for registrations after 6/12/2019. Click here to find out more or download flyer.

The PMI Portland Chapter offers certification prep courses for project leaders ready to become Project Management Professionals (PMP), individuals looking to establish credibility in the application of project management processes as a Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM), and Agile professionals looking for formal recognition with the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) credential.

PMP/CAPM 4-Day Exam Prep Bootcamp
Monday-Thursday, July 15-18, 2019, from 7:00 am - 5:30 pm. Prepare for PMP or CAPM certification through the Portland Chapter of the Project Management Institute. Click here to find out more.

Portland Chapter’s 2019 Annual Conference will be here before you know it. September 20, 2019, is just around the corner! This year’s conference, held at the Oregon Convention Center, is shaping up in exciting ways.

The PMI Portland Annual Conference has provided premier educational experiences for Project Management in the Portland region for the past 18 years. This year, with a theme focusing on TIME: Talent, Motivation, Inspiration and Emotional Intelligence, we’re looking to bring the best and brightest in the profession together to expand our knowledge, make connections, and elevate our industry to new heights.

Attendees will walk away from this unparalleled gathering feeling energized from sharing innovative strategic ideas with more than 400 professionals in the field and connecting with vendors whose products and services can enhance our trade.

Find out more by going to our Project Management Conference 2019 home page. See below for links to the individual and group registrations and details. Save and sign up early! Individual Registration | Group Registration

Roundtables

PMI hosts various roundtables across the metro area. Roundtables are a great way to get connect, earn PDUs and guidance on project issues from fellow PMs. Click here  to learn more about roundtables and find the one closest you.

Chapter Event Calendar 

COMMUNITY

Military Appreciation and PMI Portland Discounts

In recognition of National Military Appreciation Month this May, the PMI Portland Chapter honors those who have served. For this year’s Annual Conference on September 20, 2019, the Chapter will extend a special registration discount to military personnel and veterans. This is one of the many ways that PMI Portland celebrates the sacrifices of our military personnel and veterans.

For more information about our commitment to this community - and to obtain a military or veteran’s discount for the upcoming Annual Conference, please contact our Director of Military Liaison, military_liaison@pmi-Portland.org. Thank you for your service.

ACT-W: Achieving Equity

Looking to go beyond the 101-level diversity talks and workshops to better enact real, measurable change at your organization? ACT-W: Achieving Equity is for you! Join us at Achieving Equity, a conference from June 26-27, 2019 in Portland, Oregon. Learn more and register at https://achievingequity.act-w.org.

Seeking Volunteers for Annual Conference Speaker Team

Here is a great chance to volunteer with the Portland Chapter and help plan the annual conference. The Speaker Team is forming, as speaker proposals are being submitted. This is an opportunity to help select presenters for the annual conference and interact with people from the great state of Oregon and across this country. Are you up for the challenge? If yes, contact Tim Booher, AC Speaker Lead, ac-speaker@pmi-portland.org.

Annual Conference "Call for Speakers" Deadline Extended

The PMI Portland Chapter 18th Annual Conference is extending the deadline date to June 1, 2019. Here is your opportunity to share your knowledge and experiences with fellow professionals. The following categories have openings waiting for you:

• Leadership
• Strategy
• Program and Portfolio Management
• Tools and Techniques for Project Coordinators, Managers, Analysts and Consultants

Do not let this chance pass you by. Submit a session proposal in one or more of the above tracks. Visit our Call for Speakers page on PMI-Portland.org/2019-ac-home for more details. If you have any questions, please email the AC Speaker Lead, ac-speaker@pmi-portland.org.

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