News

PMI-DVC: 2008 Announcement for Board of Director Nominations

This fall, the chapter will have 7 Board of Director positions on the election ballot. Considering candidacy? Read what some of our current board members say about participating on the PMI-DVC board:

“For me, being on the board serves a number of benefits. I get to lend influence to an entire community of professional project managers by providing content, guidance and opportunities. I am able to work along side of some dedicated, passionate and experienced project managers who take an active ownership in providing to the membership as well as the rest of the board members. And most of all, I am able to use the experiences I get on the board to make myself a better project manager. The benefits I get from this opportunity, for me, far outweigh the time required to fill the position.” – Rob Beane, PMP

 “I have learned throughout my career that if you surround yourself with good people in a positive environment, you will grow and succeed and for me the PMI DVC board has been a big part of that environment. Sitting on the board with talented leaders in their own organizations and all focused on the common goal of growing the PMI DVC chapter and caring for its members makes you feel part of a very special organization.” - Leo Connolly, PMP

“I was appointed to the board at the beginning of this year as a voting member. I have been extremely happy to have been a part of the chapter board. Also, I have had the pleasure of working with a fine group of people on the board who have worked hard in making this a banner year for accomplishments, continued growth, and the development of new initiatives. I have enjoyed my work in developing the chapter's volunteer process. The chapter's volunteer program has enjoyed its best year. There are over 20 project initiatives with a 100+ volunteers total. I feel I have contributed to the continued success of the chapter and I enjoy being part of the Delaware Valley Chapter's bright future.” – William C. Grigg, PMP

“I have been a member of the Delaware Valley Chapter Board of Directors since the start of 2008, and am serving as the VP of Education.  I have found the work to be very interesting and directly related to the opportunities we offer to meet our members' educational needs. However, more importantly, I have the opportunity to work with and to get to know other members of the project management profession who are active in the chapter's board or attend chapter events. This helps to keep my passion for project management alive and well!!” – RuthAnne Guerrero, PMP

“As one of the newest Board members, I would like to say that it has been a very enjoyable experience so far to work with so many people who are interested in the project management discipline. All of the Board members share a vision to grow the chapter and to provide value to its members. One of the benefits I personally have experienced is the networking with such smart, easy going people who all share some of the same ideals as myself for 1 common cause...being one of the leading organizations promoting Project Management in the Delaware Valley. Sometimes, this feels more like a job than a "volunteer' opportunity but I firmly believe that you get out of the experience what you put in.” - Fred D. Hammond, PMP

“I've seen PMI change many lives for the better. Attending chapter meetings is just the tip of the iceberg. It is only when you get more involved that you come to realize the enormous resources and friendships that PMI has to offer. Any effort you put into PMI helps many others and comes back to you heavily leveraged. I owe many great friendships, my partner in my first business, two successful companies and many clients to PMI, and I met Linda through PMI. I know I need to get a life but my life has been so much richer since I volunteered at the PMI Puget Sound Chapter 25 years ago. My colleagues on the DVC Board are fantastic. What's not to like?” – Frank Walker

To be eligible for candidacy, you must:

• Be a member in good standing with PMI and PMI-DVC.
• Have actively participated in chapter activities within the last year, such as volunteer projects, committees and board memberships.

If you are interested in running for one of the board positions, please submit the following materials to Vdir@pmi-dvc.org by August 21, 2008:

• A biography of NO MORE than 250 words
• A vision statement for the chapter of NO MORE than 250 words
• A description of the project or activities you have participated in and a description of your contribution.
• A digital facial photo (for posting on the website during elections)
• A signed statement acknowledging that you have read and agree to the Chapter’s conflict of interest policy.

***Information must be sent to Vdir@pmi-dvc.org NO LATER THAN August 21, 2008.

See relevant articles from our chapter by-laws:

Article VI Nomination and Election of Directors: Section 1, 2, 3 and 4

Critical Chain Management Demystified at Monthly Meeting

Dr. Joel Adler wants you to beware of false gods – before you sacrifice your project in their name.

At the June PMI-DVC Chapter meeting Dr. Adler, a teacher in the Organizational Dynamics Program at the University of Pennsylvania, explained how the quest for project control can turn to a ‘false god’ - worshipped with actions that seem to help, but don’t.

For starters, he asked, ”How many of you ‘fake it’ on estimates by adding a time contingency?’ Many hands went up.

When we pad our estimates, said Adler, we are more comfortable to set milestones and use them to measure progress.  It all gives us the illusion of control, he said, until the unexpected happens – as it almost always does.  Then our detailed control systems turn from friend to foe – leading to micromanagement of each task and goal, and supporting the blame game, as teams that met their milestones blame the ones that didn’t meet theirs.

An alternative, he said, is the Critical Chain Management (CCM) approach pioneered by Dr. Elihu Goldratt. Instead of taking the worst-case, highest confidence, most padded time estimates for tasks, CCM says you should instead take the most likely outcomes, which are usually between the best and worst cases, string them together for a shorter ‘critical chain’, then add contingency at the end as a ‘project buffer’, usually pegged at 30-50% of the critical chain.

With this and many other ‘buffers’ for resources and feeder tasks, said Adler, CCM shifts control from the micro to the macro level.  Instead of scrutinizing tasks and agonizing over milestones, teams and managers are watching the buffers, that reflect how the project overall is doing – with delays in one area often balanced by better than expected results in others along the chain. If team members get incentives for less buffer use, they may all be motivated to work together in finding efficiencies.

It all sounds good, but requires a big cultural shift. “The team side is clearly the easier sell”, noted Ted Bredikin, PMP – “but management will say ‘Who needs that buffer, let’s take that away!’”

Despite the cultural barriers, and the required investment in new software and training for the technique, CCM has been gaining traction at a number of companies, Adler noted.  The converts include Texas Instruments, Seagate and Lucent.  And who knows – with an open mind on the part of your team and management, it could be coming soon to a workplace near you.

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New PMI-DVC Membership Referral Program 

How Does the Program Work?     

The first 5 members who refer one or more persons (member or non-member) to a dinner meeting will receive a coupon valid for a free subsequent dinner meeting.

Who Is Eligible? 

All PMI-DVC members

How Do I Get Involved?

When registering for a dinner meeting, the person(s) you are referring should complete 2 new questions on the form:

Were you referred to this meeting by a PMI member?   If so, please provide that person’s first and last name. This will ensure that you receive the credit for the referral.    

**When a winner is ready to redeem the free dinner, he or she must notify Pat Brown by email (e.g., “I’d like to attend the July 17 dinner meeting using my free dinner coupon").**

For additional information, please contact lnichol2@psmus.jnj.com or Pabrown240@aol.com