President's Letter - June 2011

As I write this, it is Memorial Day weekend and I realize what an auspicious holiday this is. I ask all of you to think about all of the men and women who have lost their lives in the defense of this country, and to remember what their sacrifice has ensured for you.

The other side of this weekend is that it is the unofficial start of summer. As project managers, we have to be aware of the interesting things that happen to our project teams during this time. We have members go on vacation, which puts some stress on the rest of the team while they are gone and everyone is glad when they return. But think of the benefit this provides. The team member returns from vacation re-energized and ready to work. Their productivity is better than when they left. The net effect is better project performance.

I mention this because there are some people who do not take vacations. They see a need to keep working though until the project work is complete. On short projects this may work, but on longer projects it may mean that someone goes for a year plus without a vacation. As project managers we need to be aware of when we have a team member who would benefit from taking some time off. Encourage them to do so. The entire team will reap the benefits.

As I have mentioned in previous letters, the 15-year anniversary of the chapter is this year, and we are planning a great dinner meeting in October to celebrate. Keep your eyes and ears open for more information on the event over the next few months.

The chapter is always looking for volunteers to assist in keeping things up and running. As an all volunteer chapter, everything we do is made possible by the volunteers who generously give of their time and talents. Thank you to all who are doing so. If you are not a volunteer, please consider becoming one. Everyone gains from the experience.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact any of the board members if you have any questions about what we are doing, or what you could be doing to help.

Sincerely,
John…

John Lombardi
President 2011
PMI Central Virginia Chapter