PMI Education Update. Building Professionalism in Project Management TM. In This Issue. April 2005 Volume 8, Issue , PMI-MN

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1 Building Professionalism in Project Management TM In This Issue Advanced PM Simulation PMP Certification Preparation Training April 2005 Breakfast Meeting Northeastern Wisconsin Chapter of PMI Announces First Annual Professional Development Day (PDD) April 2005 Dinner Info May 2005 Dinner Info June 2005 Dinner Info Spring 2005 PMP Application Writing Session PDD Update Calendar of Events Officer Listing Mark Your Calendar: PMI-MN PDD! See page 7 for details PMI Education Update April 2005 Volume 8, Issue , PMI-MN We are pleased to announce the following education courses for this summer. Project Management Basics May 27th Several of our members have asked us to provide a short course covering the basics of project management. Also, people planning to get PMP certification need 35 hours of formal education. This course provides 8 hours (PDUs), and coupled with the PMP Prep Course (27 hours), helps you meet the education requirements. Students will learn: Basic concepts of project management The key project management processes and knowledge areas How the people part of project management influences project success The five key project variables and how they interact Important project management concepts and tools, including project charters, estimation, project plans, risk management, project teams, positive work models, and effective questioning Registration is now open at Class size is limited so sign up now! Project Management Basics Details May 27, 2005 Time: 8:30-5:00 PM PDUs earned: 8 Registration Registration received on or before 05/29/05 PMI members $350, non-members $400 Registration ends May 20, 2005 at 2 P.M. To register, contact Ticket Works at (612) , or Cancellation policy: $50 non-refundable fee will be charged for each registration. Full refund (less $50) on cancellations through May 6th, No refund after May 13th, Registrations are transferable. Transfers from PMI members to non-members are subject to non-member fee. If a class has to be cancelled, full refunds will be provided. Doubletree Park Place Hotel, 1500 Park Place Blvd., St. Louis Park

2 Advanced PM Simulation July 14 & 15 th The Advanced Project Management Simulation workshop is an intense experience in learning and practicing today s more sophisticated project management skills. In this 2 day workshop participants learn, through lecture and computer simulation, advanced project management concepts like individual and team motivation, leadership, earned value, procurement management, stakeholder relationship management, and critical chain. These concepts are practiced and integrated into a real-life learning experience as the participants manage a project compressed into two days time. Participants use the project simulator to manage the technical (planning, controlling and executing) dimensions and lead the human side of a complex business project from start to finish. Students Will Learn: How to build trusting and productive relationships with project stakeholders How to plan and manage a project using earned value How to select and manage vendors/subcontractors Techniques for creating positive focus and asking effective questions The relationship between the five variables: schedule, cost/effort, functionality/size, quality and Productivity The key components of critical chain and how to manage a project using critical chain Registration is now open at Class size is limited so sign up now! Advanced PM Simulation Details July 14-15, 2005 Time: 8:30-5:00 PM PDUs earned: 14 Registration Registration received on or before 06/16/05 PMI members $700, non-members $775 Registration ends July 7, 2005 at 2 P.M. To register, contact Ticket Works at (612) , or Cancellation policy: $50 non-refundable fee will be charged for each registration. Full refund (less $50) on cancellations through June 23, No refund after May 13th, Registrations are transferable. Transfers from PMI members to non-members are subject to non-member fee. If a class has to be cancelled, full refunds will be provided. Doubletree Park Place Hotel, 1500 Park Place Blvd., St. Louis Park PMP Certification Preparation Training PMP Preparation Training will be offered beginning in April. The tentative location is Medtronic. Check the PMI-MN Web site for more information and to register online. Classes run from 6:00-9:00 P.M. for eight consecutive weeks for a total of 24 hours. The course includes the shared perspectives of a diverse teaching team, comprehensive study guides and sample questions. PMP candidates now need to document 35 hours of project management education in order to take the exam. These courses provide the majority of these hours. Note: This class is based on the December 2000 version of the PMBOK. PMI has released a 2004 version, but the test will not align with that version until late The first class based on the new version will be Summer Spring 2005 PMP Prep Class Date: April 5 May 24, 2005 Schedule: Tuesdays, 6:00-9:00 P.M. (8 weeks) Tentative Medtronic Location: 7000 Central Ave Fridley, MN To Register: Contact TicketWorks at (612) , (800) , or online at For more information on PMP Certification, review the listing of frequently asked questions on the PMI-MN Web site, or contact the Director of Certification. PMI-MN is a PMI Registered Education Provider. 2

3 April Breakfast Meeting A Practical Approach to Implementing Earned Value Speaker: Michael Vinje, PMP In this session we will cover a brief overview of Earned Value, the value it can provide and, most importantly, how you can practically apply Earned Value techniques and principals in your organization or on your projects without the perceived added overhead or additional tools. We will also take a look at the value and benefits received by two organizations that have implemented Earned Value. Speaker Bio: Michael Vinje, PMP is co-founder and principal of Trissential LLC. His vision and passion for improving organizations planning and control processes is reflected in the Trissential business model. He is a Project Management and Project Office execution specialist with twenty-two years of experience in information technology and engineering. His expertise focuses specifically on planning, leading, measuring and controlling large risky programs. Michael also excels at leading, motivating, and mentoring project managers. Additionally he specializes in assessing and reenergizing struggling projects teams and project offices. Michael s success has been a direct result of his ability to design and implement innovative EPM products and solutions for his clients. These solutions include: enterprise portfolio selection/prioritization processes and tools, scheduling/control systems and dashboards, and Project Office infrastructures and methodologies. Michael has held the Project Management Institute s (PMI) professional certification, PMP (Project Management Professional) for over seven years. Details: Tuesday, May 10-7:00 A.M. Location: Holiday Inn - East 2201 Burns Ave St Paul, MN Northeastern Wisconsin Chapter of PMI Announces First Annual Professional Development Day (PDD) PMI-NEW: Professional Development Days, Sponsored by Greenbrier & Russel The Northeastern Wisconsin Chapter of PMI (PMI-NEW) is pleased to announce its First Annual Professional Development Day (PDD). This PDD is certain to be an important opportunity for attendees to increase knowledge of Project Management techniques, network with other Project Management professionals, as well as interact with some of the area s most well-informed, experienced professionals. The panel of presenters is comprised of professionals from Greenbrier and Russel, The Boldt Company, The U.W. Oshkosh Center for Community Partnerships, Foth & Van Dyke and others. Tim Weyenberg, CEO of Foth and Van Dyke, will deliver the key note address focusing on the value of Project Management and the PMO. Date: 5/19/2005 Location: Hilton Garden, Green Bay PDUs: Participants will receive 1.25 PDUs for each program attended. Program Topics Include: Change Management, Managing & Resolving Project Conflict, Project Portfolio Management, Choosing the Right Project Management Training Program, Leading Through Time Management, High Value Decision Making, PMP Certification Roundtable, Forensic Project Management: Recovering Projects in Trouble, Developing Enterprise Applications: A Case Study and Real Life Success Stories / Interactive Discussion. Pricing (includes breakfast & lunch): Before March 31, 2005, $250/PMI Members; $275/Non- Member Between April 1 May 6, 2005, $300/PMI Members; $325/Non-Member After May 6, 2005 and Walk-ins, $350/PMI Members; $375/Non-Member Please visit our Website ( during March or contact Steve Schilhabel (steve.schilhabel@pminew.org) for detailed information. Co-Sponsored by Integrity Project Management & The UW Oshkosh Center for Community Partnerships continued on page 4 3

4 Northeastern Wisconsin Chapter of PMI Announces First Annual Professional Development Day (PDD) continued from 3 Below is a list of the topics to be presented at the Northeastern Wisconsin Chapter of PMI Professional Development Day on May 19, The Business Value of Project Management Speaker: Tim Weyenberg, President and CEO of Foth & Van Dyke The Business Value of Project Management Making PM a Strategic Competency in a Growing Organization. Why You Cannot Thrive Without It. Change Management Speaker: Margaret Zweifel, Managing Business Consultant, and Skills Mentor with Greenbrier & Russel Change Management the people side of projects. Uncertainty and fear of change are challenges faced by organizations as they introduce new processes and technology. This overview will discuss when to begin change management activities as well as the components of managing organizational change, communication, training, reinforcement, and sustainability. This is information that is valuable to all project sponsors, project managers, managers, and project teams. Managing & Resolving Project Conflict Speaker: Nicole Gear, Sr. Organizational Development Specialist and member of the Project Management Steering Committee with Foth & Van Dyke. As a Project Manager, your goal should be to manage conflict constructively to optimize project team performance and accomplish project objectives successfully. Accordingly, Project Managers need to understand conditions leading to conflict, proactively manage conflict, recognize the potential results of conflict, and effectively apply the various methods of dealing with conflict. During this session, through small and large group discussion, Project Managers will not only learn the concepts but also have an opportunity to apply those concepts through case study. PMI Certification Roundtable Facilitated by: Steve Bodnar, Fidelity Information Services Although PMI s Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification has several requirements that must be met, the stress factor is the exam. It has 200 questions, and lasts 4 hours, and demands a significant amount of preparation. The right method of study may be different for different 4 people, and the costs vary widely. But there are some pro s and con s you may want to consider. The PMI Certification Roundtable discussion will include panel members who earned their PMP certification using different methods of study, including: Self-study Online course-work PMP class offered by PMI-NEW and taught by local chapter PMP s A professionally offered multi-day course These PMP s will share their experiences with you and answer any questions you may have about preparing for the exam. Forensic Project Management: Recovering Projects in Trouble Speaker: Sandra Hoskins, PMP Statistically, there is a greater probability that a project will fail than there is that a project will be successful. The critical success measurements being on-time delivery, under budget expenses, meeting the goal of the project, and managing the expectations of the stakeholders. When a project is in trouble, what are the issues that caused the project to go off the rails? Poor planning? Bad or no estimates? An inaccurate schedule? No controls? Learn how to apply forensic techniques to the evaluation, analysis, and recovery of a project in order to turn a potential disaster into a potential success. Developing Enterprise Applications: A Case Study Speaker: Scott Jacoby, Managing Consultant in Greenbrier & Russel s Business Intelligence Practice Managing the development of an enterprise application, such as an enterprise data warehouse, can be a daunting task. The application must satisfy the needs of many business areas, provide a measurable return on investment, and it needs to be delivered as soon as possible. The key to successfully delivering an enterprise application is through an iterative approach. A case study will be presented covering the development of an enterprise customer data warehouse for a national consumer electronics retailer. In this session, we will explore how to undertake such an effort and how you as a project manager can ensure the successful delivery of an enterprise application. continued on page 5

5 Northeastern Wisconsin Chapter of PMI Announces First Annual Professional Development Day (PDD) continued from 4 Project Management: Real Life Stories Speaker: Shelley Johnson, PMP, Managing Consultant in Greenbrier & Russel s Advanced Technologies Practice Managing projects is a very challenging, yet rewarding responsibility. It s funny how we learn our biggest lessons while enduring the most pain. A presentation will be given by walking through key phases of a project s life cycle. For each phase, the presenter will highlight obstacles encountered, lessons learned, and proven techniques to overcome these obstacles in the future. After each phase, the participants will be asked to contribute their proven techniques as well. This will be an interactive session with encouraged audience participation. Leading Through Time Management Speaker: John W. Pearson, PMP, Project Director and Associate with Foth & Van Dyke You re behind schedule, costs are over budget, your key supplier has some bad news on deliveries, your client is paging you and your boss wants to see you on this critical project. Sound familiar? If so, read on. Time is an integral part of life; however, many people and project teams do not know how to actively manage it. This interactive workshop focuses on practical strategies, tips and techniques that can be put to use today. These time management tools will show you how to keep your projects on schedule, assist other team members and to even recover from existing schedule problems. High Value Decision Making Speaker: John Koga, CVS, and Theresa Lehman AVS, Value Specialists People busily make decisions of all kinds. The outcomes are dependent upon the skill and method of the decision maker in addition to other factors. Learn about reliably making high value decisions to improve your life and your sphere of influence. 5 Choosing the Right Project Management Training Program For Your Organization Speaker: Tom Flynn, Vice President of Training for Greenbrier & Russel Organizations of all sizes today face the challenge of keeping their employees well-honed relative to their unique skill sets that directly impact the performance of the firm. Project Managers are leaders within these organizations that are constantly striving to excel in their positions. Continuing education and ongoing training are crucial to their performance and sought after by the individual. If your organization isn t currently engaged with a project management-training vendor, then chances are high that you are searching for project management training alternatives. With so many alternatives available, organizations are challenged to determine which training program is best for their objectives. This presentation will discuss the training alternatives available and suggest a strategy for selecting the project management training solution that best fits your organization. Using Project Portfolio Management (PPM) to Enable Business Alignment Speaker: Kartik Ravel, Principal Consultant in Greenbrier & Russel s National Advisory Services Practice More than half of all companies do not use an objective approach for the selection of key company projects. The lack of an objective project selection process often results in the approval of projects that are based on subjective prioritization with limited consideration on how well the projects support the organization s key goals. Without a systematic project selection process, companies risk deploying scarce resources on projects that may deliver marginal business value. Project Portfolio Management (PPM) is a disciplined methodology that provides a means to minimize risk and maximize return around the prioritization process by aligning projects with an organization s key business goals. Companies placing stronger emphasis on PPM reap greater benefits, with cost savings of 15 to 35 percent, by reducing redundant work, making better informed decisions, and allocating resources more effectively. In this session, we will review PPM fundamentals, challenges, and best practices in implementing PPM. Implementing PPM is itself a project, and it must be planned the same way a strategic project is planned - assess organizational readiness, develop goals and scope, and then communicate that information to stakeholders to manage expectations.

6 April Dinner Program: April 21, 2005 Advanced Project Estimating Techniques or ESP? Speaker: Bill Wencel Estimating Projects requires a combination of skills: Analyst, Accountant, Statistician, Historian, Mathematician, Librarian and Politician! If we estimate the project too high, we won t be believed, but if we estimate what we think, the Client will cast the estimate in stone. Estimating seems to require ESP to be done correctly! This briefing uncovers some cardinal rules of estimating projects and addresses factors that dramatically cause early project estimates to be incorrect. Estimating tasks requires the understanding that task effort does not equal task duration and a task estimating process will be presented which reduces the pain and suffering many of us have had in using Project Management Scheduling Software. Speaker Bio: Bill is the founder of PM Innovations, Inc., a North Carolina-based consulting and training corporation who leverages over 30 years of engineering, business and Information Technology skills into assisting worldwide clients into developing their abilities to manage projects in an effective and efficient manner. April Dinner Meeting April 21, :30 6:15 P.M. Registration, Local Interest Groups (LIGs), Career Networking 6:30 7:20 P.M. Dinner 7:20 7:30 P.M. PMI-MN Chapter Business / Introductions 7:30 8:20 P.M. Presentation 8:20 8:30 P.M. Questions & Answer PDUs earned: 1 Registration received on or before 04/07/05 PMI members $27, non-members $32 Registration received after 04/07/05 PMI members $32, non-members $37 Doubletree Park Place Hotel, 1500 Park Place Blvd., St. Louis Park To register, contact Ticket Works at (612) , or May Dinner Program: May 19, 2005 Changing How You Communicate During Change Speaker: Naomi Karten In uncertain times, such as those triggered by technological or organizational change, people have a strong need to know what s happening and how it will affect them. Yet, so often, communication in the form of information, empathy, reassurance and feedback is lacking. In this presentation, Naomi will describe communication caveats to help you successfully introduce change, manage change efforts, and cope with change when you re on the receiving end. She ll present models that explain both the cerebral and visceral experience of change. Using these models, we ll look at interventions to use (or avoid using) to minimize the turbulence of change and attain positive outcomes. The techniques presented will also help you more capably and confidently deliver bad news, gain buyin for your ideas, and handle the stressful circumstances that arise during your projects. Speaker Bio: Naomi Karten ( has presented seminars and presentations to more than 100,000 people internationally to help them successfully manage customer expectations, strengthen teamwork, manage change, and improve communication. 6 May Dinner Meeting May 19, :30 6:00 P.M. Career Networking Group 5:30 6:15 P.M. Registration, Local Interest Groups (LIGs), Career Networking 6:30 7:20 P.M. Dinner 7:20 7:30 P.M. PMI-MN Chapter Business / Introductions 7:30 8:20 P.M. Presentation 8:20 8:30 P.M. Questions & Answer PDUs earned: 1 Registration received on or before 05/05/05 PMI members $27, non-members $32 Registration received after 05/05/05 PMI members $32, non-members $37 Doubletree Park Place Hotel, 1500 Park Place Blvd., St. Louis Park To register, contact Ticket Works at (612) , or

7 June Dinner Program: June 17, 2005 Speaker: Andy Kaufman Speaker Bio: Andy Kaufman is an international speaker, author, and executive coach, and President of the Institute for Leadership Excellence & Development Inc. Our speaker brings a rich background of over 20 years of experience in executive management, technology, team leadership, project management, consulting, and coaching. His focus is all about transforming organizations through proven, holistic, real-world approaches. He s a certified trainer and author of Navigating the Winds of Change: Staying on Course in Business & in Life and an e-book entitled How to Organize Your Inbox & Get Rid of Clutter, both published by Zurich Press. Before founding the Institute, Andy was the Vice President of U.S. Systems for ACNielsen. He was responsible for running the Decision Support segment of ACNielsen s business. His teams were responsible for designing, developing, and implementing sophisticated market research systems for the company s clients around the world. Prior to ACNielsen, Andy was the Director of Development at CCC Information Services, Inc. and Manager of Product Development at Baxter Calendar of Events APRIL April 5 April 5-May 24 April 21 April 21 MAY May 10 May 19 May 27 JUNE June 17 JULY July OCTOBER October 4-8 Chapter Breakfast Meeting Spring 2005 PMP Prep Class PMP Application Writing Q&A Session Chapter Dinner Meeting Chapter Breakfast Meeting Chapter Dinner Program Project Management Basics Chapter Dinner Meeting Advanced PM Simulation Professional Development Days Spring 2005 PMP Application Writing Session PMI members planning to take the PMP certification exam and submit their qualifications to PMI World Headquarters are encouraged to attend a special questionand-answer session about filling out the application. PMP Application Writing Q&A Session Date: April 21, 2005 Time: 4:00 5:30 P.M. (prior to dinner meeting) Location: Doubletree Park Place Hotel, 1500 Park Place Blvd., St. Louis Park To Register: Send an to AppWritingRegistration@pmi-mn.org Indicate date for which you are registering and how many plan to attend. Registration required. PMI-MN PDD Update Mark your calendars for Professional Development Days, coming October 4-8, Five days of professional development, featuring educational classes, PMP Prep class, symposium day and a vendor fair. Be a part of the team that makes it all happen: we are currently looking for volunteers for the speaker, vendor, facilities, marketing and operations teams. Contact Terri Kimball, 2005 PDD Program Manager, at pmpdd@pmi-mn.org 7

8 2005 PMI-MN Officers Mohamed Mandour, PMP President 2005 Michelle Moodie, PMP President-Elect & Chief Operations Officer Judy Holmberg, PMP Director of Professional Development Director of Community Outreach Randy Willhite, PMP Director of Finance Bob Eckert, PMP Director of Finance-Elect Michael Vinje, PMP Director of Marketing & Communications Susan Heidorn, PMP President 2004 Director of Membership PMI-MN Office 1821 University Ave West, Ste S256 St. Paul, MN PHONE: (651) FAX: (651) WEB SITE: PMI Headquarters Four Campus Boulevard Newtown Square, PA PHONE: (610) FAX: (610) WEB SITE: Our Mission is to provide increasing value to our membership across disciplines through learning and exchanging ideas and experiences. Deadline for submissions for the PMI-MN News is the 10th of the month prior to publication. Articles may be ed to: PMI-MN Office 1821 University Ave W, Ste S256 St. Paul, MN (651) PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID MPLS., MN PERMIT NO. 4140