President's Letter - September 2011

Where did the summer go? This weekend is the unofficial end of summer as the kids all prepare to go back to school. A lot of people try to cram in one last vacation before the school calendars start to add their limitations on day to day life. And for some this is a weekend of dread instead of optimistic anticipation. In many respects not too different from a project team the days before the official start of a project.

Many businesses operate using a similar calendar to that of the school year. There is a reduction, to some extent, in the work load during the summer months when many people are taking vacations. September sees a renewed interest in efforts and we as project managers need to recognize that there is more urgency to getting the projects moving. There is a subconscious pause in many managers during the summer months and a similar subconscious spark to “get back to work” once September arrives.

This is a great opportunity to try different ways of communicating with your stake holders  Look for communication that maximizes the information available while minimizing the time impact to the reader. This is not always an easy thing to do, but through a little trial and error you may be able to find a format that works for everyone.

We also need to recognize that project team members are going to be pushed to be “more productive”, more efficient with their own time. Help your team to work through the added stress of the needed efficiency, but avoid patronizing the efforts. True concern and guidance will go a long way towards making the team a more effective and trusting unit.

On a chapter level, we are one month away from our 15 year anniversary dinner on October 13. Please register early so that we can plan accordingly.  We are hoping for a big turnout and early registration is essential to keeping things smooth. Continue to check the web site for updates. We have a great group of volunteers working on this effort.

Thanks to all of you who volunteer your time and energy. The chapter would not run without you. Anyone looking for an opportunity to volunteer on a small or large scale should check the chapter website for current volunteer needs.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact any other 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