BPUG International Congress - Part 1

Feb 12, 2009 | 1 comments |
The idea of going to a seminar on this scale for the first time is quite scary really but it seemed alright. Thanks to Kate (PR manager for the event) and the APM group, it all seemed very easy.
There's a ton of things I've learnt from this seminar and yes I'm sharing it all right here. Three things you should always be ready with-
  • Your updated business card, so you are not trying to get one printed within 2 days of notice.
  • The right dress to be worn at the seminar (keeping in mind your changing waist line perhaps).
  • Your 30 second elevator speech (I took my tips from here)

Of course your passport.

Make sure to check out the location before and be there on time. The rest is really easy, you just go with the flow of the sessions and the people. However, a new country can be challenging in a lot of way. For me, being in a room full of people almost twice my height was really challenging. My height is not one of best assests.

Conversing with senior project, programme, portfolio managers and authors/experts/trainers could be really hard, specially when you are just starting out. It's such a thrill to just share the space with all of them and frankly most are really nice people only if you can master the guts to say, hello.

The most surprising part was meeting people right there who actually read my blog. Now, that was huge and inspiring.

Here are the websites of organizations present in the information booths:

More on the seminar coming up soon.

(Picture: At the Lancaster Hotel during the seminar tea and networking break)

Meeting Elizabeth Harrin

Finally I get to meet Elizabeth Harrin today at the BPUG International Congress. It was wonderful and overwhelming (as you may figure out from my clumsy expression in the picture).

Elizabeth's talk on how web 2. 0 tools can be integrated with Project Mangement was fascinating and to find her so down to earth was the best part ever.

More on the 2 day's seminar coming up soon.

(Picture: Elizabeth Harrin and me in Lancaster Hotel for the BPUG International Congress and me in Hyde Park, doing what all first time visitors do- sight seeing)

CAPM- is it time?

If you have been thinking of taking the CAPM(certified associate of project management) exam or trying to get into the profession, here are some links that might help you take the initiative and make it hassle free.

Link 1

Link 2

Link 3

You can download the CAPM handbook here and to know how it helps you in the current job market, read this.

To know more about the certification, you can always refer to the PMI site.

Lovely London

Feb 8, 2009 | 0 comments |

I'm in London and it's lovely.

Yesterday was spent in the Thames river cruise, in Oxford street and dinner at an Lebanese restaurant. It's fairly easier to go around the city if you have a map in hand and have an idea about the public transport.

Meanwhile you can listen to these videos about project management and see what you think.

Flight to London

Feb 5, 2009 | 0 comments |
I have my tickets for London and I leave tonight. The flight's really early which means I will need to be in the airport around mid -night. 

I still need to pack and my apartment right now looks like a complete mess. I need to be in office within the next couple of hours, which means I have to rush.

If you missed out the story about why I'm off to London, click here.

So, stay tuned for more updates right here. 

Reads for the Month

I promised to let you know my favorite reads for the month, here's my treasure box for you.

Project management related reads-

The article is worth reading even if you have to sign up for the free registration. So, please sign up at “projectsatwork”, if you want to get the know how to bag your first Project Management job. 

All the information you need to get into the gig. 

For those of us who need the inspiration- who said you cant be a top-notch professional in PM if you are young?

Articles that Inspire you

Just when you thought, your New Year resolution to exercise more often was failing- this will do the trick. 

If blogging/writing seems too tiring for you, here’s something to learn.

Being alone will help you think better, so stop complaining that you feel lonely and do something about it. 

Lesson Learnt (essentials of PM) - Stress and Time Management

My work week has been extremely stressful and I feel completely burnt out. I have started realizing this craziness has led me to deviate away from myself- the inner me. I have been functioning in an automated mode in creating the work list, getting work done, write reports, document change requests, email clients, fret over problems  and coming back home so late that I almost never have time for myself anymore. 

I wanted some rest (for the sake of my over alert mind) and really felt I had to slow down. I needed creativity and free thinking back in my life. 

I decided to fight out the stress- I read somewhere that challenging your mind and your self brings back creativity. I didn’t want to do Sudoku for sure, my mind was already over functioning and I had to slow it down and relax. I gave my bedroom a makeover, not new stuff, just re-arrange the furniture so it makes me feel different- feel new. I shifted my study table nearer to the window, I wanted some open air and the view of the long stretch of trees, blue sky, natural light and the birds chirping. I changed what was constant in my everyday routine. I will even be lazy today and read what I want to read, listen to some good music, catch up on movies and eliminate too much surfing on the net, tweeting, IM and try to keep my mind as free as possible. 

I always go in for a haircut when I want or feel I am ready for a personal change. Don’t ask me why, I really don’t know but it sure does pick me up. I tried the hair -cut thing but it didn’t transfer the instant pick me up feel this time. Either I was too stressed out or the bad haircut at this really expensive place made it worse.  

So, I found this great new blog  and I started reading it first thing in the morning. Sometimes, hearing or reading positive things you -already- know helps. It re-affirms your belief and soothes you over. Reading some random writings on how you can be happy was relaxing. Happiness is expensive.

I finally get this collection of everyday inspiring thoughts in a spiral bound format which I keep in my cubicle; I flip through it and read a new one the moment I feel I am starting to fret. I like what it says and it calms me down. 

So, I decide to talk it out with the System Administrator. He’s a great guy, insightful, calm, pleasant, non- judgmental and his casual, smiling, shuffled hair look makes him very approachable. We talk quite often; from discussing new ideas to “suggest me how I can focus more” and “how much do you think I’ve improved in the last 6 months”. It’s not about how insightful he is, I think simply talking about some random subject breaks the routine and brings in freshness and gets me in touch with myself that I sometimes miss. 

I think there are 2 major lessons learnt from what’s been going on - stress & time management are two essential things that you have to know to become a Project Manager. You can’t be out of touch with yourself and everyday should be a learning experience for tomorrow. After all Project Manager’s aren’t perfect, how they handle imperfection is as close as it gets in trying to be perfect!

As Raven (Young) mentioned- "Project management is more than a full-time battle...and half the battle is finding ways NOT to let the field take over your life."

(Picture : Google Images)