With all the talk of online “Social Networking” does that mean the "networking lunch" is over? Have you thought about what strategies you should be using in the digital networking era? Networking remains the most important step in safeguarding your career and to achieving your professional goals. Most people still struggle with it, and don’t know where to start – many are mislead by their own misconceptions as to what networking is and even more confused today when there are so many different things one should be doing. Donna Sweidan will dispel common myths about networking and talk you through the most important and effective steps to networking today. You will learn why you need to be building your network online and off. She will outline some simple strategies that will help you build your credibility and visibility online, as well as get you connected in a way you never thought possible.

As a career coach and counselor, she works privately with individuals and groups, conducts presentations and workshops throughout the tri-state area, runs an ongoing Job Search Strategy group, and regular Linkedin Learning groups. Donna's clientele spans college age students to baby boomers and she helps people in all aspects of their career development and job search. As a networking advocate and enthusiast Donna strongly believes in leveraging the power of the internet to advance and manage careers. Prior to starting her own business, CareerFolk, she was the founding director of The New School’s Office of Career Development. She served undergraduate, graduate and alumni populations and helped them in all areas of career exploration and the job search process. She has also worked and consulted at DBM Outplacement Services, REA Career Services, Baruch College, Pace University and NYU. Donna is a New York State Licensed Mental Health Counselor. She holds a MA in Counseling from New York University, a BA in Psychology from the University of Witwatersrand, and a BA, Honors in Applied Psychology from Rand University, both in Johannesburg, South Africa.

More information can be found at her Linkedin Profile http://www.linkedin.com/in/donnasweidan

"How to transition to different industries" by Career Coach Ann Maria Ditta

SimNet Meeting (Simply Networking)

Attendees: Open to all PMI members (current and future) and guests
Purpose: The #1 reason people join PMI is to network with other PMs. In this event, everyone will have a chance to speak to the entire group and say whatever they want others to know about themselves.
RSVP: Email sushil@infobrella.com to let us know you’re coming

Topic 1: Microsoft Project’s popularity cannot be attributed to its highly intuitive user-friendly interface. Thus we in the business of using project management tools must find ways to make it more palatable. Fortunately hidden beneath the enigmatic surface of MSP are a variety of customizable options that can make visible what your schedule is doing once it is under way. They can expose the ripple effect due to slippage, make it possible to use critical path analysis to recover a slipped schedule, and highlight for the project team what they must do to maintain their schedule commitments going forward.

Topic 2: Most corporations I have dealt with consider it a right of passage that a project manager must be capable of using MS Project, or its equivalent, in order to manage their projects. However there are organizations that would never think to burden their PM’s with such tedious exercises. Instead they use a 3rd party planning, tracking, reporting service to support their project managers. Interestingly, these are companies that do projects as their primary revenue source, like construction, engineering, and defense. They have to be good at project management or they’re out of business. Let’s discuss the justification for operating in the mode of these professional project management organizations.

PAI is a consulting and training company whose purpose is to help project organizations optimize their planning, tracking, and reporting capabilities through the use of project management software.
He has provided Project Administration services and training on behalf of many Fortune 1000 companies, and presented at both US and international conferences. Over the previous 4 years he has been supporting the project managers in Pepsico’s new product commercialization and engineering and technical services organizations providing planning, tracking, reporting and mentoring services. Prior to PAI Mr. Mahler worked 23 years with IBM and its clients as project manager, consultant, mentor, and participant.
The July 1991 pmNETwork showcase article (9) describes an example of his Project Administration implementation at IBM. Mr. Mahler is a PMI (Project Management Institute) certified PMP (Project Management Professional) since 1993 and founder and president of the Westchester NY chapter of PMI from August 2002 to June 2008. He was Vice President & Program Director of the New York City Chapter from 1994 though 2001 providing 74 monthly programs of speakers, industry guest vendors and recruiters, and member networking that helped the chapter grow from less than 50 to over 1200 members.

Ed can be contacted at edmahler@paiwebsite.com; 914-834-4162.

SimNet Meeting (Simply Networking)

Attendees: Open to all PMI members (current and future) and guests
Purpose: The #1 reason people join PMI is to network with other PMs. In this event, everyone will have a chance to speak to the entire group and say whatever they want others to know about themselves.
RSVP: Email sushil@infobrella.com to let us know you’re coming

Brainstorm New York – The Official Meeting place of the Business Process Management Institute

Special Rates for Westchester PMI Members

The issues, opportunities and challenges of effectively aligning IT with the business, executing and governing an organization’s Information Technology (IT) demands and resources has become a major concern of the Board and executive management in enterprises on a global basis. Much has been written and documented about the individual components of IT Governance such as strategic planning, demand (portfolio investment) management, program and project management, IT service management, strategic sourcing and outsourcing, performance management and metrics (like the balanced scorecard), compliance and others. Much less has been written about a comprehensive and integrated IT/Business Alignment, Planning, Execution and Governance approach. In this overview, Dr. Selig will provide an executive overview aimed at senior managers on how to successfully plan, implement and sustain an effective IT governance strategy and action plan. It will guide the participants through a comprehensive and phased step-by-step IT Governance framework and roadmap, which addresses the following goals:

• Align and formalize IT investments and priorities more consistently and closely with the business
• Responsible utilization of assets and resources
• Ensure that IT delivers on its plans, budgets and commitments
• Establish, clarify and/or improve accountability of all constituents
• Manage risks, change and contingencies proactively
• Improve IT organizational performance, audit-ability, compliance and maturity

Dr. Selig is the Managing Partner and founder of GPS Group, Inc., a consulting, research and education firm that focuses on strategic marketing and growth, business and technology transformation, IT strategy and governance, program/project management, innovation and strategic sourcing issues and opportunities. Dr. Gad Selig has authored three books and over 50 published articles and conference proceedings including his latest book called, “Implementing IT Governance – A Practical Guide to Global Best Practices in IT Management,” published by Van Haren. He is a dynamic and popular speaker at industry conferences in the U.S. and abroad.

SEMINAR SERIES – Hot Topics for PMs: "The Growing Role of the Project Manager in Successful Business/IT Alignment, Execution and Governance Best Practices: Why, What and How?"

1 day workshop; 8 PDU's or Contact Hours

SimNet Meeting (Simply Networking)

Attendees: Open to all PMI members (current and future) and guests
Purpose: The #1 reason people join PMI is to network with other PMs. In this event, everyone will have a chance to speak to the entire group and say whatever they want others to know about themselves.
RSVP: Email sushil@infobrella.com to let us know you’re coming

"Communications Styles"
or “How to get what you want from others”

If Project Management was an Olympic swim event, you would want your collective team to be Michael Phelps! Delivering the best quality results each time, every time. This hands-on and entertaining workshop addresses the critical area of team productivity using Whole Brain Training™. Through a guided case study method, you will participate in putting together a randomly selected team of imaginary workers to function at its highest potential.

Ms. Chawla, a former Senior Business Analyst for Fortune 100 firms in India and the US, such as Morgan Stanley and EDS, is an experienced educator. A member of American MENSA, Reenaa is an innovative, energetic, and proactive leader with vision as well as the proven ability to successfully deliver results, while adhering to rigorous quality norms. Background includes extensive experience in strategic planning, team management, project planning, and management programming and training. Excellent communication skills with proven leadership abilities. Reenaa has also authored the booklet, "Brain Fitness in Your Back Pocket".

The main objective of all organizations whether manufacturing, service, or even non-profit is to excel and thus provide ever-increasing value to each and every stakeholder. While the 'man-bites-dog' mentality of the media is focused on negative events like subprime mortgage failures, with subprime being a euphemism for 'junk' loan, there exist mainstream organizations who methodically build value everyday thereby ensuring positive returns-on-investment regardless of the vagaries of the overall economy.

In order to help sustain the growth that's demanded in today's global marketplace, Project Management Professionals can best serve their organization by becoming effective resources whose activities are fully integrated with core business objectives. This road however is often fraught with obstacles: Management has often been known to view guidelines such as GMP and ISO as 'necessary burdens' that make unfair demands and where the only certainty is inflated overhead costs. Meanwhile initiatives like Lean, Six Sigma, Continual Improvement, etc. may start with good intentions, but frequently stall after the low-hanging fruit is harvested. (While articles that proclaim: "How We Lowered Costs by Implementing a Lean Six-Sigma Program" are common in the literature, when was the last time you saw one that read: "Five Years of Lean Six Sigma and Our Breakthroughs Keep Coming Strong!")

The New Rules of Process Improvement offer a reasonable approach that's designed to provide sustainable benefits such as predictable output that's always 'On Target with Minimum Variation'! Moreover the New Rules are inherently aligned with regulatory requirements such as cGMP process validation & change management activities along with ISO-9001's emphasis on a process approach that includes preventive actions and continual improvement. Likewise organizations who have or are planning to implement Lean and Six Sigma programs will find the New Rules as the most effective way to organize the tools in their quality-management toolchest. Thus by taking advantage of these natural process alignments the New Rules will enable the Project Management Professional to overcome current inefficiencies and contribute ongoing value to their organization. The presentation will describe what the New Rules are all about as well as how they can be used to create effective GMP, ISO, Lean and Six Sigma quality systems. Quantitative case studies will also be presented.

Perini has direct experience in a broad number of high technology industries including pharmaceutical, microelectronics, polymers & chemicals, aerospace & telecommunications, as well as all aspects of electrical & mechanical assembly. He has had the good fortune of serving as the chief Materials & Process Engineer for the design, production, and integration of the electronic payload employed on the GPS satellite system.

In addition to over fifteen years of professional support for quality management system (QMS) initiatives such as ISO 9001 and FDA Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Perini has run successful QMS based continual improvement programs that have resulted in sustainable cost benefit along with enhanced operational productivity. Perini has also had the opportunity to study under Donald J. Wheeler who is the author of the statistical textbooks used for the many of the section's courses including Continual Improvement using Process Behavior Analysis.

Phone: 973-628-3240 FAX: 973-628-3160 E-mail: cperini@asqnorthjersey.org

"Grab Bag!!"
or “Come pick a topic from the bag!!”

A number of studies over the years have pointed out that a large number of IT projects are considered failures. The reasons why they are considered failures vary, and the causes of failure vary as well. But the warning signs are almost always there - and many failures could be avoided if these warning signs were recognized and acted upon.

The principles and practices of Agile and Lean methods are a great mechanism for identifying and addressing risks and issues on projects. As one of the leaders in the use of Agile and Lean methods, ThoughtWorks has been called on a number of times to apply these principles and practices to help rescue projects that are in trouble. In this session Joe Zenevitch will present a case study on one such project for a client in the medical systems industry.

With the self-declared mission of revolutionizing the IT industry, ThoughtWorks has continuously been on the forefront of emerging technologies such as J2EE, .NET and Ruby on Rails, along with Agile and Lean development practices. For the better part of his 10 years with ThoughtWorks, Joe has been on the forefront of the practical application of Agile development principles and practices, in addition to providing coaching and mentoring for companies seeking to transform their software development organizations. Prior to joining ThoughtWorks Joe worked for 10 years with GE Capital, where he was instrumental in the effort to introduce Object Oriented technologies and migrate legacy mainframe applications to client server. In his spare time Joe dodges speeders on RT684 and unwisely continues to play contact sports.

He can be reached at joez@thoughtworks.com, or at his blog at http://agile-pm.blogspot.com.

"Going Green – what does it mean for a PM"

What would it mean to your stakeholders, project, and career if you could consistently get 40% more productivity and commitment from your team members? Do you think that it’s possible? Studies by Dr. Robert Hartman have shown that workers (team members, clients, stakeholders, etc.) withhold, on average, 40% of their capacity. He also discovered how to release that 40% latent reserve through “intrinsic validation”. If you could release that 40% latent reserve…

• How much more successful would your projects be if your team members gave you 40% more than they are currently?
• Do you think your quality and performance would increase?
• Would your team’s communication and cooperation be enhanced?
• Would it make a difference in your work, in your career, in your life?

After graduating from Case Western Reserve University with a bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Traci continued her education at The Ohio State University where she entered the master's program in physical education specializing in Coaching and Sports Psychology. Prior to starting her own company, Break Free Consulting, Traci worked for 20+ years in various roles from medical technologist to laboratory informatics specialist; from project manager to director of an IT consulting firm.

Traci can be reached at: traci@breakfreeconsulting.com; (Office) 832-886-6452, (Mobile) 281-381-5813

"PM vs technical experience"

Job Club

Support Group for Project Managers who are actively seeking employment led by Duff Bailey- For more information click here (meetup.com)

PMI-NYC Career Transition Event Sponsored by PMI-NYC

Click for a related article: Managing Outsourcing Projects for Success

Many companies run into trouble when they shift work offshore, but they usually persist since this process is critical to corporate success. This presentation explores this ever growing trend and will help the audience avoid the common pitfalls when outsourcing. A proven formula for project success will be outlined during the discussion. Here are some of the critical success elements to be discussed:

• Is your motivation correct?
• Choosing the right partner
• Motivating the workforce
• Assembling the team
• Investment/resource requirements; hidden costs, people, travel
• Slowing the revolving door
• Learning the culture- “a critical element of success”
• Due diligence, due diligence, due diligence!!

His efforts have helped companies successfully set up and improve operations in various countries including India, China, The Philippines and Latin America. These projects have resulted in significant reductions in operating costs along with improved service and quality. Mr. Hehl holds a BS Degree in Electrical Engineering from the New York Institute of Technology and a MS Degree in Management from the Polytechnic Institute of New York. Mark was a Delegate and featured presenter at the Third China-American Quality Symposium held in Shanghai, China and at the 2007 PMI North American Congress held in Atlanta. Mark is listed in the United Who’s Who Executive Directory.

"Budgets and Pivots"

Job Club

Support Group for Project Managers who are actively seeking employment led by Duff Bailey- For more information click here (meetup.com)

The Passion and Power of Project Management™.

SNEC’s 4th annual Professional Development Event The Passion and Power of Project Management™

Connecticut Convention Center, Hartford, Connecticut

Registration is now open!

PMI Westchester members can register at the SNEC Member rate.

Creativity for Project Managers by Dr. Oliver Schlake

Dr. Oliver Schlake from the University of Maryland, College Park, Robert H. Smith School of Business is presenting a 4-hour (4 PDUs) hands-on interactive Seminar entitled:

Creativity for Project Managers

The global economy has provided organizations with many opportunities that didn’t exist even ten years ago. But it also presents organizations with many risks because of the flattening of the Earth via the internet and extensive outsourcing to countries such as China, India, Mexico and other nations. The designers of the COSO guidance commonly used for Sarbanes-Oxley Law (SOX) compliance recognized the importance of risk by including risk assessment as one element of the system of internal control.

There are four types of risk that worry an organization. Strategic risk is concerned with the inability to achieve high-level goals. Operations risk concentrates on factors that prevent the efficient use of resources. Compliance risk affects the ability to comply with legal and regulatory requirements. Organizational risk is based on the organization’s structure and is found on two levels, the entity level and the activity level

In the next part of the presentation describes a specific risk analysis methodology. First, the organization determines its risk appetite and risk tolerance so that all members of the organization can understand the risk philosophy. Once this is decided, there are tools to determine the risk level and manage the identified risks. One key tool for managing risk is an organization’s set of financial controls. These are especially important for compliance to SOX. Compliance includes financial controls at the entity and activity levels. The presentation will close with a discussion of controls from a top down, risk-based approach defined in the new SOX auditing standard.

Dr. Liebesman is a member of ISO Technical Committee 176 and the ANSI Z-1 Committee on Quality Assurance, is certified by the RABQSA International as an ISO 9000 and TL 9000 Lead Auditor and has performed over 95 ISO 9000 and TL 9000 audits at Lucent and for KEMA Registered Quality. He has presented seminars and published articles on QMS/EMS support of Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance and led the team that developed the 2005 and 2006 ASQ Sarbanes-Oxley conferences. Dr. Liebesman has an engineering degree from the United States Naval Academy and MSEE and Ph.D. (Operations Research) degrees from New York University. He taught statistics, quality control, quality management and operations research at Rutgers University. He is Chairman of the ASQ Electronics and Communications Division and was recently elected as a Fellow of ASQ.

Sandford Liebesman, Ph.D., ASQ Fellow - 69 Pippins Way Morristown, NJ 07960 973-898-0082 sandfordl@msn.com

"Project Finances"

Job Club

Support Group for Project Managers who are actively seeking employment led by Duff Bailey- For more information click here (meetup.com)

to guarantee project success, ensure that your project has an experienced, knowledgeable project manager and a business analyst assigned. The PM is focused on getting the project done, and the BA is primarily the advocate for the sponsor and software users. These professionals work closely together at the beginning of the project, documenting project objectives and scope upon which the stakeholders agree. Their roles intersect and support each other. This presentation highlights the responsibilities of each role. Learning objectives of the presentation include: The unique roles of the PM and BA

• How these roles work most effectively together
• Why is conflict between these roles good for a project
• Why defining scope is a joint task
• What issues exist if one person plays both roles on a project

A consistent, proven track record of successfully leading, developing and delivering cost effective, quality solutions that meet or exceed business goals and return on investment. Excellent communication skills with extensive experience interacting with business clients.

"How to successfully change jobs and succeed"

Job Club

Support Group for Project Managers who are actively seeking employment led by Duff Bailey- For more information click here (meetup.com)

Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) Training
Stamford, CT

This intensive two-day ScrumMaster Certification course taught by a Scrum Alliance Certified Scrum Trainer provides participants with a practical, fundamental guide to getting started with Scrum. One of the largest and fastest-growing Agile frameworks. Scrum is a simple, yet extremely powerful, technique to boost team productivity, elevate quality, and accelerate project delivery. This course comprises pragmatic, time-tested practices for managing product backlogs, long and short-range planning, project execution and progress reporting. The class provides an examination of the Scrum project lifecycle as well as an in-depth exploration of the Scrum roles, ceremonies and artifacts.

Participants will apply the experiential exercises in a discussion of advanced topics such as how to apply Scrum in multi-team environments, strategies for distributing Scrum projects and working with non-Agile teams.

Exercises, case studies and examples are interwoven to illustrate the principles and practices being taught. Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be designated "Certified ScrumMaster" (CSM) which includes a one-year membership in the Scrum Alliance where valuable ScrumMaster materials and resources are available exclusively to CSMs.

Participants of this course will be eligible to apply for 14 PDU's toward their continuing education requirements with the PMI (Project Management Institute)