Message from the Chair
This year has passed by very quickly. I guess the old
adage that "time flies when you're having fun" is true. This is the
final issue of Connections for 2007. Last month, I discussed effective
leadership briefly in order to pose a question about how a consulting body of
knowledge could help in developing effective consultants. I'll talk briefly about
the consulting body of knowledge first, and then return to effective leadership.
CSIG member Ramesh Kandadai suggested some broad areas where project management consultants need expertise. These include the abilities to sell oneself, to demonstrate that content knowledge is up-to-date, and to convey professionalism. In addition to these broad categories applicable to all project management consultants, there are topics that are primarily important to those working in very small firms - like contracting issues and marketing techniques. This is good input as a first step toward our consulting body of knowledge.
Something else Ramesh said really caught my attention. Specifically, he noted that a consultant enters an organization with a specific objective and helps the organization focus its resources on that objective. To that end, the consultant functions as "a leader within that organization". That phrase caused me to reconsider the consultant-leadership relationship.
I've done a lot of work around the leadership function, and have adopted a definition of leadership. Leadership is a process through which people (e.g., team members) are influenced in some way to accomplish goals, generally group goals. It's true that project management consultants can work at many levels in client organizations, but I suspect that all of their engagements involve the three key words in the definition of leadership - people, influence, and goals. So it seems that effective consultants really are effective leaders, and leadership development is something that all project management consultants should have as a priority. And, it should be in the Consulting SIG's consulting body of knowledge.
Regarding knowledge - I have certainly learned a lot from you during 2007. Your thoughtful (and thought-provoking) comments in response to my monthly Connections articles have been a delight. I've tried to respond to each of them, but in case I overlooked one, my apologies. My strong conviction that emerges from all of the correspondence is that the Consulting Specific Interest Group is a vibrant community, and we all gain from the shared insights of our fellow members.
Best regards and wishes for an even better 2008,
Bill
Craddock, PMP
Chair, Consulting SIG
chair@pmiconsultingsig.org
CSIG Board Election - Last Chance to Vote
The election is now underway for five offices on the CSIG Board of Directors. Please follow the link in the Go Vote images to the election ballots and candidate bios. Since there were no VP Finance candidates at the time the election opened, we are also running a separate election for those candidates. Please be sure to vote on both ballots.
| Board
Positions: Co-Chair VP Communication VP Finance VP Membership Director-at-Large Download Candidate BIOs (BIOS are also listed on the ballot) |
If you experience any problems voting, please contact the CSIG administrator. |
Using Knowledge Management for Effective Project Management
Presented by Dr. Ginger Levin, Consultant and Lecturer
The complexities and challenges of today's environment mean that knowledge is more than ever viewed as a strategic asset. As a result, project management (PM) and knowledge management (KM) are both a necessity to lead to an improved competitive advantage for each organization.
There are many commonalities between the two, and in fact, it can be argued that PM is a part of KM, or KM is a part of PM. Both are important for overall organizational success, as well as for program and project success. PM practices can facilitate the attention and dedication to KM. KM practices can enhance overall PM success in terms of fulfilling both client and team goals. With KM embedded into PM, the success rate of projects, in terms of both the client and the team, can only improve.
This
presentation discusses why PM is important to KM, describes a knowledge management
methodology for project management, and presents guidelines to implement KM
in the organization.
Registration for this webinar, and archived webinars, is located
in the Members Area. If you have a problem accessing the secure area, please
contact the CSIG
administrator.
Checkout
Job Postings on CSIG Web SiteThe CSIG posts job openings in the Members Area. If you would like to post a job or have a problem accessing the Members Area, contact the CSIG administrator.
Looking for Insight, Stories About Project Leadership, Client Relations
We are looking for "challenging projects" insights and stories. Specifically, we are looking for stories about projects that failed or had trouble due to the project manager and/or team's relationship with the client and we are looking for stories related to projects that ran into difficulties due specifically to leadership issues. If you have experience you'd like to share, we will use it anonymously in an upcoming edition of Roadmap. If you have success stories in either of these area, please tell us about those too! If you've had success with a particularly difficult client, tell us about it. Please contact Julie Stone, PMP, at communications@pmiconsultingsig.org.
Note: 4Q07 Roadmap edition will be available on Jan. 15, 2008 on our website.
Deck the Halls Without Climbing the Walls!
If
you're like many people, the holidays tend to bring much more than "Fa
la la la la." There's more to do in a short period of time - both at work
and at home, and as your To-do list grows, so does your stress level. There's
good news! If you think about your skills as a Project Manager, you actually
have a secret stress weapon in your own personal productivity holster. Project
Management has the power to transform chaos into calm. Learn
10 ways to make the holiday season more joyful and less stressful. The CSIG has partnered with Cheetah Learning to publish select articles from their monthly Know How Network column written by Michelle LaBrosse, CEO Cheetah Learning.
PMI® Says “Thanks” on International Volunteer Day
PMI
acknowledged International Volunteer Day by recognizing and thanking
its volunteers for "working hard to improve the lives of others through
the project management profession." The International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1985. Since then, governments, the UN system and civil society organizations have successfully joined volunteers around the world to celebrate the day on December 5.
To
find out more, please visit the World
Volunteer Web, a global resource that supports volunteerism on all continents.
In 2008, PMI members will elect five individuals to serve on the PMI Board of Directors as Directors-at-Large for a term spanning 2009-2011. Learn more about available positions and the nomination process>
PMI’s career framework shows practitioners the path to career advancement. This single tool can help practitioners assess their skill level and build a case for advancement or further training — better preparing them for the next step in their career. The career framework is available for PMI members and credential-holders. Learn more>
MetSIG to Offer Series of Webinars on "PMO and the Portfolio: Measuring Towards Value"
MetSIG Chair Steve Rollins, PMP will be delivering a series of 10 live, one-hour webinars on the topic of "PMO and the Portfolio: Measuring Towards Value." The MetSIG will report the PDUs for you. Complete a survey for each webinar you view and the SIG will report the PDUs each month.
These webinars are free for CSIG members, enter promo code CUSMET7!
