By joining our mailing list, you will be the first
to know
about:
Helpful tips, Special Offers, News and Views.
Please provide us with your email address:
* required
PM Course Sign Up:
NEWS and VIEWS...
Management Solutions Group Seminar Selected for PMI Global Congress-EMEA Gary's going to Italy!
Management
Solutions Group's popular seminar, Project Management Tools,
Techniques, Templates, and Tips was selected as one of just eight
seminars to be offered at PMI's Global Congress 2010-EMEA (Europe,
Middle East, and Africa). The seminar will be delivered by MSG
president Gary Heerkens in Milan, Italy on May 13-14. A Tip of the Guru’s Hat Management Solutions Group President gets a shout-out from Dr. Kerzner at the PMI Global Congress
As
part of his closing keynote address at the last PMI Global
Congress-North America, legendary project management guru Dr. Harold
Kerzner specifically mentioned Management Solution Group president Gary
Heerkens. Dr. Kerzner’s comments were in reference to Heerkens’ efforts
over the past several years to move project management toward becoming
a more “business-centric” discipline. Kerzner cited the now-popular
book, The Business-Savvy Project Manager, characterizing author Heerkens as “a man ahead of his time.” The Odds Are...6 out of 10 in 2010! The ‘Project Management MBA’ program slated to appear in six U.S. cities in 2010
Management Solutions Group’s popular workshop, The Project Management MBA: Two-Day Crash Course!
has been scheduled to appear in six of the ten US cities where PMI’s
SeminarsWorld series is being offered in 2010. This program has
been a top-seller for PMI, and is available as an onsite program for
any interested organization or company.
Better Sooner Than Later PM Network moves 'The Business of Projects' column up one month
Beginning
in 2010, the Project Management Institute’s monthly magazine, PM Network®, will begin publishing the quarterly column ‘The Business of
Projects’ one month earlier—in February, May, August, and
November.
Written
by Management Solutions Group president Gary Heerkens, the column
addresses the critical relationship between the world of project
management and the world of business. The business side of projects is
one of the main focus areas of MSG’s training and consulting practice.
For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow Gary Heerkens honored as a Fellow of IAPPM
Management
Solutions Group president Gary Heerkens has been honored as a Fellow of
the International Association of Project and Program Management (IAPPM).
IAPPM
is a project and program management community created for new and
practicing business professionals. It is a highly member-interactive
organization that stresses interactivity via writing articles, helping
junior members, contributing to process standards, and assisting SIG's
or chapter projects.
In
honoring him as a Fellow, IAPPM recognizes that Heerkens ‘has made a
distinguished contribution to the field of Project Management on a
Global basis’.
Stirring the Pot PMI Global Congress presentation causes a buzz
Gary
Heerkens’ presentation at the 2009 PMI Global Congress in Orlando
got the desired reaction. Entitled ‘A State of the Union Address
on Project Management: A Profession in Crisis’, the presentation
contends that project management—and project managers—have
suffered a considerable decline in respect over the past 15-20 years.
Among the many comments to be found on various blogs and on Twitter
were these:
— “For me, the most
thought-provoking--and controversial--presentation at PMI's Global
Congress was by Management Solutions Group president Gary Heerkens, who took on what he called the dark side of Project
Management, something, he says, we all know exists but no one wants to
talk about.
Let's hope Heerkens gets an invite back next
year....this was a much needed gut check for the profession and, as I
talked with others who attended the session, was one of those sessions
that just stays with you and makes you think. We need more of
those.”
— “I was very impressed by
Gary’s candor in making a presentation about such a delicate
subject. We all need to hear his message, as painful as it is,
and to start working actively to get our profession back on
course.”
— “I've been attending PMI Congresses
since 2002, in the US, EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) and AP
(Asia-Pacific), and this presentation was far and away the most
thought-provoking one I have seen to date.”
This presentation is available to any group that is seeking a dynamic speaker (and topic!) for their next event.
WELCOME…
to
the Management Solutions Group website. We sincerely hope that you
find what you are looking for on our site.
If you have any questions, comments, or improvement suggestions, would
you please take a moment to pass them along? Thanks!
FROM the TIP FILE...
(adapted from: 'The Project Management MBA', offered by Management Solutions Group)
HOW TO: Become a “Business-Savvy" Project Management Practitioner
There
are a number of “on-the-job” actions you can take to develop and
demonstrate your project ‘business-savvy’, including these: » Identify a business sponsor
for your project (the person who has the
primary accountability for the financial and
strategic impact of your project); if
one is not explicitly identified or readily
apparent, try to determine who
it should be and solicit their formal support as a
business sponsor.
» Get to know your local financial person
and ask them to teach and/or help you
in your effort to become more 'project
business-savvy' ─ assuming they have the
required knowledge and expertise.
» Learn as much as you can about the business planning processes of your company, your organization, and your clients.
» Seek out a mentor
in the form of a senior manager or
executive in your organization who
has an impressive 'business mind'.