June 2019 Chapter Meeting - Roanoke

Topic: Practical Tips and Applications of our Favorite PMBOK Tools and Techniques
PDUs: 2 Technical PDUs
Time: 6:00 -8:00pm
Location: Hollins University
Speaker: Darryl Agee, PMP,  PMI-ACP
Agenda:
6:00 – 6:45 – Networking and Food
6:45 – 7:00 – Introductions and Chapter Business
7:00 – 8:00 – Presentation

Some “So There I Was…” Project Management – Practical Tips and Applications of our Favorite PMBOK Tools and Techniques.

Summary:  So, you’re studying for or maybe even already passed the PMP exam!?!  Maybe you’ve been a PMP for many moons and have hardly even thought about the PMBOK and your PMP studying experience – perhaps you are glad to put that awful experience behind you.  

Maybe you’re new to project management and you hear that the PMBOK – the holy-grail of project management knowledge, terminology and guidance – is a book to fear and avoid until you’ve had proper preparation and guidance from those that know how to interpret the mystical document, its structure and content.

Fear Not!  The PMBOK is actually really, REALLY good stuff that you can use…..wait for it….TODAY!  Or tomorrow – as this talk/presentation/conversation about “PRACTICAL” usage of the tools and techniques will provide you things you can start using tomorrow (Wednesday – June 12th!) after you hear what Darryl has to say.

He will cherry-pick three Processes, three sets of Tools/Techniques and tie them to Three Scenarios – real life experiences – that demonstrate how to navigate through your project’s life – using the tools and techniques that the PMBOK provides.

Scenarios will include:

1. Stakeholder Engagement and Interpersonal and Team Skills – Political Awareness and managing Organizational Politics – Did you know that you, as the project manager, need to understand the politics of your organization, team and resources, and proactively manage those?  Not Red/Blue politics – but the politics of your organization.  We’ll discuss what you can do to ensure those things don’t get in the way of accomplishing your project’s goals and objectives.
2. Managing your Team – Proper use of your Interpersonal and Team Skills – Every day of your project is a day of expectations.  Typically, it starts with Monday morning and goes through Friday afternoon.  What’s the team’s plan for that week?  Do you know?  If so, do you know when that plan is derailed at the team member level?  The quicker we know, the quicker we can get things back on track.  Darryl has some stories and scenarios that will make you aware and hopefully manage these derailments in a more efficient manner.
3. Identifying Stakeholders – Stakeholder Analysis – and what do I do with it once I know? – Most of us have a Stakeholder Register on our list of “To Dos” for a new project – but what do I do with this information?  How do I make it actionable?  Real life scenarios are the best way to visualize how an effective stakeholder analysis can predict project turmoil EARLY – so you keep your project out of the ditch! 

These fun scenarios will make you laugh, cry (hopefully with laughter) and then say …. Wait a minute…, is he talking about me?    

Plan on bringing your tissues and your own stories for this fun topic!

Speaker Bio: 

Darryl Agee, PMP, PMI-ACP

Darryl Agee has been around – and consequently, been doing this project management stuff a very long time!  He is currently a project manager at Advance Auto Parts – where he PMs primarily supply-chain projects for the IT PMO.  

He also has been teaching this PM stuff for a very long time.  Back in the day when the PMP was administered on chalkboards, Darryl arrived soon after.  He’s old.  He’s seasoned.  He has stories to tell.  But bottom-line, he still loves this stuff.

Darryl holds an MBA from Auburn University at Montgomery, an MS in Computer Info Systems from the University of Phoenix, and BA in English from the Virginia Military Institute.  He is also a Project Management Professional (PMP), an Agile Certified Professional (PMI-ACP) and enjoys teaching the PMP Prep as part of his side-hustle with Big Lick Project Management Group (BLPMG) at www.biglickpmg.com.