Please join us for the PMI Delaware Valley Chapter Professional Development Day!

When: Saturday, June, 12 2021, 8:30 am - 12:30 pm
Where: Via Zoom 
Credit: 4 PDUs (1 Leadership, 1 Strategic, 2 Technical)
Registration fee: PMI-DVC Members: Complimentary (We will be verifying all chapter members who register)

Non-members*: $50

*If you are a PMI Member and not a PMI-DVC Member you can join the chapter for $25 via PMI, then attend complimentary. Please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. prior to registering so you do not incur any costs.

Topic: Project Everest: Reaching New Heights in Project Management

Speaker: Alan Mallory

Abstract and Focus Areas:

Alan’s dynamic program is built around the two years of planning and two months of climbing that went into making the project of reaching the summit of Mount Everest a reality and world record for Alan and three members of his immediate family. Alan puts specific emphasis on adopting an agile mentality so that we are not too rigid in our thinking, reframing activities to focus on outcomes rather than tasks, developing professional relationships, gaining project alignment and commitment, maintaining mental health, recognizing strengths, managing schedule and risks, adopting an iterative approach which incorporates immediate feedback, and effectively working together to achieve strategic goals. It is a blend of personal analogies combined with actionable strategies and tools that project managers can use in their own projects, organizations and throughout life. Alan’s message is about the passion, commitment and resilience that are needed to reach new heights in all that we do.

Overview:

Climbing Mount Everest is considered one of humanity’s greatest feats of physical, mental and emotional endurance. The exciting expedition to the top of the world’s highest peak is a project filled with unparalleled challenges and some of the roughest, most extreme conditions imaginable. Alan Mallory took on the challenge and set a world record when he, along with three other members of his immediate family, successfully reached the summit. Alan’s dynamic presentation focuses on the importance of project management planning as well as making diligent and proactive adjustments throughout the execution. In additional to highlighting conventional knowledge areas, Alan touches on agile thinking and methodologies as well as comparing and contrasting these elements to a more traditional waterfall approach. The combination of personal analogies and technical strategies make the program an engaging visual and educational journey from beginning to end. The real story is much more than the climb; it is about a purpose-driven team that set an ambitious goal, committed to the planning and preparation, persevered with passion and achieved success. The powerful strategies and skills that contributed to this achievement, especially during the intense and at many times critical situations, can be applied to all projects. Alan highlights various technical and strategic components throughout his program.

Learning Objectives:

• Upfront and adaptive planning based on current knowledge
• Reframing activities to focus on goals and results over tasks
• Empowering team members to make critical decisions
• Individual and shared accountability
• The importance of maintaining a future mindset
• Responding quickly and efficiently to issues that arise |
• A WBS and RBS for attempting Everest
• Mental health and emotional intelligence for project managers
• Risk identification, management and response strategies
• Overcoming external and internal conflicts and adversity
• Adopting an iterative approach incorporating lessons learned
• Building psychological resilience and perseverance

The underlying message is about how we as project managers need to reach new heights in the way we think and the actions we take in order to continuously improve ourselves, our industry reputation and our teams. Alan creates a powerful and unforgettable journey for fellow project managers by integrating captivating mountaineering and adventure stories with his innovative leadership, psychology and project management experience.

About the Speaker:

Alan is an international speaker, author and performance coach who is passionate about leadership and reaching new heights in all that we do. His unique philosophy of life revolves around empowering people and embracing an agile mentality focused on relationships and results. By understanding what drives and motivates us, we are able to cultivate more innovative and effective ways of thinking and taking action. Alan holds a degree in Engineering from Queen’s University and a Masters in Psychology from Adler University, giving him a well-balanced approach to the outer and inner challenges we all face. Alan has worked internationally with large organizations as a professional engineer and project manager developing patents and solutions to complex challenges in the mining and metals industry. Living and working abroad has given him the opportunity to deepen his understanding of individual and team challenges, better appreciate cultural diversity and successfully adapt to different organizational structures. Building experience through a lifestyle of adventure and challenge, Alan embarked on the project of a lifetime and set a world record on Mount Everest along with three members of his immediate family. It was a two-month expedition through some of the most exciting yet terrifying conditions imaginable and their success demanded an unwavering perseverance and resilience in the face of adversity.