The Tech Disruption

Advertisement [Contact Us](mailto:contactus@projectmanagement.com) [About Us]( [Update Profile]( October 10, 2018 Do you know enough about disruptive technologies? Are you prepared for the era of disruption? Also in store, taking over ailing projects, managing through informational diversity, the purpose of the PMO and our PM future. The Knowledge Shelf tastes agile beer, while our blogs share three soft project benefits, name the most worthless template in the world and check in from the recent PMI Global Conference! And in our forums, readers ask about setting strategy and what's keeping you excited! Advertisement [Learn the latest in optimizing your PMO - get FREE PMO videos and ebooks]( Smartsheet invites you to view these free PMO optimization videos, tutorials, demonstrations, and user insights. You’;; learn about the latest techniques for managing project requests and approvals; automated project plan, report and dashboard provisioning; and managing portfolio reporting. [Click here for instant access.]( "You may have the universe if I may have Italy." - Giuseppe Verdi []PM HEADLINES [PMs and Disruptive Technology: Do You Know Enough?]( Disruptive technology is more than just one of the latest buzzword terms, it’s something that will change project management. Are we returning to project managers who have to be IT experts? [Are You Prepared for the Era of Disruption?]( The disruptive trends of over a dozen emerging technologies have raised the concern that many organizations and individuals will find it difficult to cope given the magnitude of impact. Like it or not, change is occurring—and it will have a disruptive influence in your professional and your personal life. [Taking Over an Ailing Project]( Have you ever been asked to take over an ailing project—one that was close to failing and completely off track? A few simple steps can help you get off to a good start with your team and all stakeholders. [Managing Through Informational Diversity]( Organizations often create cross-functional teams that enhance informational diversity, but this can present its own challenges. This practitioner shares four techniques he's developed over 25 years of handling project teams composed of “firm-minded” experts in the hopes of developing a project’s outcomes. [PMOs: Of Purpose and Problems]( The reason leaders often can’t define the purpose of the PMO is that they don’t understand the nature of the problems they want the PMO to address. How can we combat this fundamental issue? [PMI Postcards from L.A.]( Thanks to everyone who made the 2018 PMI Global Conference in Los Angeles such a success! If you want to revisit the fun—or get a taste of what you missed—check out the latest entries from our [PMI Global Insights blog](, where attendees share their experiences. Plus, see more reports in our [Voices on Project Management blog](! "One is always considered mad when one discovers something that others cannot grasp." - Ed Wood SPONSORED ANNOUNCEMENTS AND SPECIAL OFFERS The Georgetown University Master's in Project Management prepares you for success in today's business landscape. Choose from flexible options to take classes online, on campus, or through a combination of both—so you don’t have to interrupt your career to earn your degree. [Explore the program.]( [A Glimpse Into Our PM Future]( In today’s world where we are experiencing massive changes in all facets of life, our craft has become pervasive. It’s thought-provoking to consider the upcoming demand for project managers. What challenges are ahead? [Exposure Draft Open: Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures – Third Edition]( PMI’s Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures – Third Edition will be open for public review and comment starting 5 October and ending 3 November 2018. Anyone with an interest in good and accepted practices for work breakdown structures in projects and programs is welcome to participate by visiting the [exposure draft page](. []KNOWLEDGE SHELF [Can Agile Transformation Work in the World of Beer Brewing?]( We all have an agile team in our minds whenever we take on mastering any new process. Parts of your mind are similar to a product owner, a scrum master and a development team. If you can organize a team with agile, could it not also work with organizing your mind? The mission of [Knowledge Shelf]( is to help project professionals advance our practice by sharing their experiences and viewpoints. It is comprised of practitioners from a wide range of fields, covering both popular and niche topics. From lessons learned and case studies to opinion pieces and articles, this platform gives a voice to peers new to our online community, and allows for longer form contributions. For more information on how to submit your own article, please see our [Editorial Guidelines](. []THE PM POLL Is there a question you've been itching to ask? [Create a poll]( today to get some PM help from your peers! [Q: How would you rate communication skills of other project managers or project team members you've worked with over the past 3-5 years?]( - Poor - Average - Good - Excellent TOOL SPOTLIGHT Statdash is a communication tool for working with team members on activities, tasks or projects and visually sharing statuses with clients or stakeholders. It eliminates the frustration of continually tracking down team members to get their status. [Learn More]( [Search for your solution on our Tool Finder]( []BLOG IT Voices on Project Management by Cyndee Miller The change-happy city made the perfect backdrop for PMI Global Conference! Cyndee shares more about the recent event in [Make Change Part of Your DNA](, and continues the conversation in [When Passion Meets Project Management](and [Kids These Days](. The Money Files by Elizabeth Harrin When we think about benefits, we think about the ones that relate to money. ROI, NPV, IRR and so on are often what stakeholders care most about. But not all stakeholders. In her latest video entry, our blogger shares [3 Soft Project Benefits](. Easy in Theory, Difficult in Practice by Kiron Bondale We don't invest significant effort and cost just to lose weight. We want to feel better about ourselves and gain health benefits. Similarly, agility should never be a goal until itself—we need to define what we are hoping to realize by achieving a higher level of agility. Kiron's [latest entry]( has more. Game Theory in Management by Michael Hatfield If Michael were to ask you which craft you would prefer in a dogfight—a Grumman F-14D Tomcat or a hot air balloon—which would you take? There are a couple of disruptive influences that might be taken into consideration. He shares more in [Dogfighting Hot Air Balloons](. Pragmatic Project Management by Kristina Frazier-Henry Back in Kristina's early PM days, PMOs were all the rage. It was a total parent-rebellious teenager relationship. They made the rules (governance) and we were to follow their directives (via process and templates). Kristina loves templates...except [The Most Worthless Template in the World](. The Critical Path by Marjorie Anderson It's October! At PMI GHQ, the morning air is starting to turn nice and crisp with autumn's arrival a few weeks ago, but the afternoons are still holding on to summer for just a while longer. Marjorie gets us ready for the change of season with [October Community News You Can Use](! []Q & A Did you know that help is just a click away? Our discussion forums give you access to the ProjectManagement.com community: more than 500,000 experienced minds and growing! Ask your question today or stop by to help out other members in need of advice, including these recent and ongoing discussions on... [Share Your Excitement]( "I want to hear about what's exciting in your work these days. Are you getting the opportunity to stretch yourself professionally? Are you working on something groundbreaking in your industry? Are you developing new skills to prepare for your next challenge?" [Setting Strategy]( "Each and every day, new technologies emerge with their innovative application in business, creating new and unique advantages. How difficult has this made developing and implementing a strategy?" [Agile Delivery]( "In a traditional project management methodology the project manager is the ultimate responsible for the delivery of the project scope. What is your experience with agile projects? Who takes the responsibility if there is a failure?" [Improving Communication]( "Communication management is the most important for a project manager. How can we enhance communication within the team?" "I used to dance, but now I only move." - Ben Vereen []PM ON DEMAND Did you know that we have an extensive library of PDU-earning webinars? Here's just one of the latest valuable offerings you can check out... [Lean and Six Sigma: A Blended Approach]( We have all heard of Lean and Six Sigma, but what about blending the two approaches into a complementary systemic approach to excellence? This presentation will talk about the evolution of process improvement from both lean and six sigma perspectives—and how the methods complement each other in the healthcare and service industries. Case studies from two organizations that successfully deployed Lean Sigma thinking will be presented. As always, your feedback and suggestions are welcome. How can we make your experience better? Is there something you haven't been able to find? Something you want to see that we don't have yet? [Let us know](mailto:cameron@projectmanagement.com). We'll handle it. If you do not wish to receive ProjectManagement.com's PM Insider Newsletter, you can [unsubscribe here]( or send an email to unsubscribe-pminsider@reply.projectmanagement.com and let us know. We will exclude you from future mailings. You can also change your e-mail address and other settings in [My Account](. ProjectManagement.com is located at 14 Campus Boulevard, Newtown Square, PA 19073.