PMLL Episode 0031 Project Management is a Dead-End Job. Is There Life After Project Management?

This is the MP3 Podcast of the PMlessonLearned.com PM Best Practices presentation topic of "Project Management is a Dead-End Job. Is There Life After Project Management?" as presented by Steve Blais, PMP on 20Mar2008.

Steve Blais, PMP shared with us some of the many options available to Project Managers for the "next step" in their careers.

Steve Blais is the founder of Parkson International and PM since 1969

Download or Listen to the MP3 of PMLessonsLearned.com Episode 0031
(if your computer doesn't support that link, then this Internet Archive link or this OurMedia link may work)

Notes are below, but first this...

A Project Management Cruise - vacation with other PMLL members and learn PM info at the same time! We're traveling with the New Jersey PMI Chapter - May 17, 2008 - New Jersey to Bermuda on RCL (http://pminj.org/08-sea/085smp.htm). Deadline for registration: 2/29/2008

PM Best Practice Session:

Where can we move from Project Management? Is it really a dead end job?

Steve referred to the book "What Color is Your Parachute" (see links below)

Steve also mentioned about Alpha Project Managers - the Alpha's love what they do - they're successful! (see links below)

Well, as PMs, we can move: Up, Over, or Out.

Here are some of the options that Steve discussed with us:

* Process management - keep with the product your project produced
* Business Manager - start or join a company
* Move into the aspect of Project Management you like (customer interaction, administrative)
* Business Analyst
* If you love doing Project Management, then you can stay as a PM - there's options there too:
* You can move up as a PM doing Portfolio Management or working as a Program Manager in a PMO
* You can move out: you can work as a contract Project Manager. You can travel and get into places you might not get otherwise (you may also be restricted from some assignments)
* You can move over: teaching, training, and other options

After the call recording was stopped we talked with someone who asked about how to find a specific type of project management. She was referred to a few members of the group, the local PMI chapter (see pmi.org for links to the local chapters) and the various SIGs (Special Interest Groups) that exist in a myriad of specialties including IT, Marketing, Pharmaceutical, PMO, etc. (see pmi.org for information on SIGs). Another person who was in transition asked about how to continue to learn.

References from the call:

A few links that you might find helpful:

http://www.amazon.com/What-Color-Your-Parachute-2008/dp/1580088678/

http://www.amazon.com/Alpha-Project-Managers-What-Everyone/dp/0972967338

http://www.pmstudent.com/2007/02/traits-of-alpha-project-managers.html

www.pittsburghpmi.org/documents/meetings/presentations/Alpha_Managers_2.0.ppt


About PMlessonsLearned:

Please join us for a future conference call (they're all free and open to all). We currently have several calls a month. See our calendar of future calls via the link on our website.

If you're looking for a PM job, we invite you to join our FREE PM JOB SHOP conference calls.

We highly recommend that you join the free yahoo group in order to get announcements of our calls and other information to further your PM career.

Join our Yahoo group for details, reminders of the calls, and information to help you in your PM Career. Visit the website for details.

PMLessonsLearned.com - Project Managers helping Project Managers. Open to all.

Contact Us

Contact us at one of the following email addresses:

Join the FREE Confcall: "Project Management is a Dead-End Job" 3/20/08

Steve Blaise just informed me that the topic of the discussion on the 3/20/08 PM Lessons Learned call will be "Project Management is a Dead-End Job" subtitled "Is There Life After Project Management?"

Doesn't that just peak your interest?

Here are the details:


What: This month's PM Lessons Learned (PM Best Practices) Confcall presentation - This month our speaker is Steve Blais, PMP

Who: Everyone who wants to participate - invite people you know

When: Thurs. March 20, 2008 9pm Eastern Time (U.S.)

How: Conference Dial-in: (641) 715-3200 Access Code: 675 748#

We will also take a few minutes to discuss how we can better our calls
and our group!

If you can't join us, join our yahoo group at PMLessonslearned.com and get info after the call to listen to the recording!

FREE Project Management Lessons Learned call this Thurs. 3/20

Join us this Thursday March 20, 2008 for a FREE Project Management Lessons Learned call

Who: Everyone who wants to participate
When: Thurs. March 20, 2008 9pm Eastern Time (U.S.)
How: Conference Dial-in: (641) 715-3200 Access Code: 675 748#
What: A PM Lessons Learned (PM Best Practices) presentation by Steve Blais, PMP on the topic below that is decided by our yahoo group members (free to join - use this link)


Those who are current members of our free yahoo group have 24 more hours to vote on the topic. The current voting shows the topics to be placed in the following order of preference:


Current vote counts are:

1. "Is there life after being a PM?" - the different choices a PM has after successful and unsuccessful projects in terms of upward or outward mobility.
2. "Motivating teams, not individuals" - the subject of an article to be published soon by allPM.com
3. "Managing Projects Agilely" - the subject of a recent (January) article that was published

And a tie for 4th place:
4. "Managing inter-team conflict on large projects" (lessons from a consulting assignment just finished) also known as "Managing multiple teams on large projects"

4. "Managing Team Eco-systems" - managing the environment in which teams work, such as co-location, diversity, distraction, communication channels, etc.

FREE PM JOB SHOP this Thursday 3/14

PM Lessons Learned

Free PM JOB SHOP Conference Call

Get Connected

The goal of this call is to Connect Project Managers in Transition, and the Recruiters in need of Project Managers.

Thursday, March 14^th, 2008

9:00 P.M. – 10:00 P.M. (EST)

Conference Call Telephone Number: (641) 715-3200 Access Code: 675748#

Topic: Get Connected

Presented by Satnam S. Bansal, PMP

Join us on this free interactive conference call presented by Satnam S. Bansal, PMP. This forum where we encourage you the Project Manager to talk about yourself so that we (PMs, and Recruiters get to know you individually in the absence of face to face meetings. Intent here is to create as many warm contacts as you need where you can provide your experience, tips, and referrals or ask questions. Our goal is to make this as interactive as possible so your participation is very important. Some of the topics to be discussed include:

1. Introductions

2. PM – Elevator Speech

3. Recruiters – Introduction, Job Title, Location, Brief Requirements and travel if any.

4. Question and Answer Session

Presentation material for this call and past topics are available in the files section of the PMLL yahoo group. Please download prior to the call.

Visit our Web site at: http://www.pmlessonslearned.com/

PMLL Episode 0030 Quality Management (PMlessonsLearned.com PMP Exam Study Group)

These are the notes from the PMlessonLearned.com PMP Exam Study Group presentation on the PMBOK topic of Quality Management as presented by host David Radkovich, PMP.

The MP3 Podcast of the PMLessonLearned.com PMP Exam Study Group conference call from 06Mar2008 is now available.

The study topic was "Quality Management" - Presented by David Radkovich, PMP (our Host).

There is a contest as part of this conference call! You can enter!

There is an announcement of a chance to win a copy of the PMP® PMBOK® Guide Study Plan. ( http://www.premiumcast.com/PMP-Study-Plan) by writing to study ..at. pmprepcast.com (change the ..at. to the "at" sign first) before 03/31/08 and after you have listened to the podcast.

Download or Listen to the MP3 of PMLessonsLearned.com Episode 0030
(if your computer doesn't support that link, then this Internet Archive link or this OurMedia link may work)

David Radkovich, PMP, supplied a presentation file for the call. It is located in the conference call folder of the files section of our Yahoo Group (join the group for free access - details on our website: PMLessonsLearned.com).

If you're studying for the PMP Exam, you may want to listen to the MP3s of past PMP Exam Study Group conference calls. They're located in our Archive (see the link on our website).

Other Notes:

Project Management Cruises - vacation and learn at the same time!

Note: Members of PMlessonsLearned.com are going to the Seminar At Sea cruise to Bermuda!

• New Jersey Chapter - May 2008 - New Jersey to Bermuda on RCL (http://pminj.org/08-sea/085smp.htm) - Registration Deadline HAS BEEN EXTENDED! - PMlessonsLearned.com members will be on this cruise
  
• Southern New England Chapter - Aug. 2008 - New York to Nova Scotia (http://www.snec-pmi.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=category&sectionid=10&id=77&Itemid=123)
• Texas Chapters - March 2008 - Galveston to Cozumel Mexico (http://www.pmiclg.org/index.phtml?menu=other_page&menu2=111)

Please join us for a future conference call (they're all free and open to all). We currently have several calls a month. See our calendar of future calls via the link on our website.

If you're looking for a PM job, we invite you to join our FREE PM JOB SHOP conference calls.

We highly recommend that you join the free yahoo group in order to get announcements of our calls and other information to further your PM career.

Join our Yahoo group for details, reminders of the calls, and information to help you in your PM Career. Visit the website for details.

PMLessonsLearned.com - Project Managers helping Project Managers. Open to all.

PMP Exam Study Group: Free confcall this Thursday 3/6 Quality Management

PM Lessons Learned

Free PMP Study Group Conference Call

Quality Management

The goal of this call is to empower Project Managers, and people studying for the PMP test.

Thursday, March 6^th, 2008

9:00 P.M. – 10:15 P.M. (EST)

Conference Call Telephone Number: (641) 715-3200 Access Code: 675748#

Topic: Quality Management

Presented by David Radkovich, PMP

Join us on this free interactive conference call presented by David Radkovich, PMP. There will be a 40 minute presentation, followed by an open forum where you can provide your experience, tips or ask questions. Our goal is to make this as interactive as possible so your participation is very important. Some of the topics to be discussed include:

¨ What is Quality

¨ The three quality processes

¨ Examples of Quality Charts and tools

¨ Key Concepts such as Total Cost of Quality

¨ Helpful Web sites

Additional topics will be presented on the 1^st Thursday of each month. The topic for April 3^rd, 2008 is TBD. We would like your input for future topics. If you are interested in presenting please let us know.

Presentation material for this call and past topics are available in the files section of the PMLL yahoo group. Please download prior to the call.

Visit our Web site at: http://www.pmlessonslearned.com/

PM JOB Openings! The phone recording is now available of PM JOB SHOP

There are PM jobs available
There are PMs looking for jobs

If you want to hear about it, listen in to the recording of last week's PM JOB SHOP call:

Listen to last confcall recording: (641) 715-3413 Access Code: 675 748#

PMP Exam Study Group: Free conference call Thursday 3/6 Quality Management

PM Lessons Learned

Free PMP Study Group Conference Call

Quality Management

The goal of this call is to empower Project Managers, and people studying for the PMP test.

Thursday, March 6^th, 2008

9:00 P.M. – 10:15 P.M. (EST)

Conference Call Telephone Number: (641) 715-3200 Access Code: 675748#

Topic: Quality Management

Presented by David Radkovich, PMP

Join us on this free interactive conference call presented by David Radkovich, PMP. There will be a 40 minute presentation, followed by an open forum where you can provide your experience, tips or ask questions. Our goal is to make this as interactive as possible so your participation is very important. Some of the topics to be discussed include:

¨ What is Quality

¨ The three quality processes

¨ Examples of Quality Charts and tools

¨ Key Concepts such as Total Cost of Quality

¨ Helpful Web sites

Additional topics will be presented on the 1^st Thursday of each month. The topic for April 3^rd, 2008 is TBD. We would like your input for future topics. If you are interested in presenting please let us know.

Presentation material for this call and past topics are available in the files section of the PMLL yahoo group. Please download prior to the call (you must be a member of our FREE yahoo group to download the presentation - see the link to join on the left side of our website).

Visit our Web site at: http://www.pmlessonslearned.com/