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If you are a facilitator, a change manager … even a program manager, then check this out! The idea of Open Space (a form of large group facilitation) has been going for over 20 years. Michael Lindfield, one of the champions of the approach, described it as ”a simple and effective way of creating an environment where things are possible”. That may sound slightly pink and fluffy but, goodness me, doesn’t it also describe the kind of thing that most organizations need in the struggle to keep a head above the economic crisis and keep in touch with the breakneck speed of social, technological and business change? This year’s World Open Space event is in London, between 11th and 14th October. Gower’s contribution to the concept is Kerry Napuk and Eddy Palmer’s Large Group Facilitator’s Manual, which will be on show at the event.
The APM PMO Special Interest Group will be meeting for their Lean & Light PMO SIG Spring Conference on April 26th in Coventry, UK.
The Conference introduction to the Lean PMO is from PMOSIG Chairman, Chris Walters with: Is my PMO doing too much – and how can we balance how lean we become before the risks become unmanageable?
Pop-Up PMOs from Sion Jones takes a look at what is needed when programmes and projects need a PMO ASAP.
Quick Wins from Peter Taylor – The Lazy Nimble PMO Manager – takes a look at what are quick wins in relation to PMOs.
The fourth session looks at agile and agile PMO from Peter Measey.
Finally they will focus on behavioural skills and look at Strategies for Creating Rapport Quickly from Dr Peter Parkes.
Throughout the day there will be opportunities to network and connect with other PMO professionals. The conference will also include the Annual General Meeting (AGM)
Peter Taylor is author of Leading Successful PMOs published by Gower.
Ireland’s higher education sector is undergoing significant change through mergers, clustering and the development of a new type of university – a technological university.
The first major event in the change process is being organised by the Higher Education Project (set up by Anto Kerins author of An Adventure in Service-Learning). This event will be taking place in the Department of Education’s Clock Tower in Dublin, on the 12 April 2012.
More information about this event can be found here.
If you wish to attend please contact Martin O’Reilly tuworkshop@dit.ie.
Just three of the burgeoning Linked-in Groups associated with Gower Authors. Why not visit our webpage Gower on Linkedin to see more about these and other Groups and if you like the look of what you see, take the plunge and join the Group?
If you are a Gower author and have set up a Linked-in Group then let us know and we’ll add the details to our web index of author Linked-in Groups.
On 23rd March, Nicola Johnson will be presenting at the LNM Inaugural Conference in Melbourne, Australia. Nicola’s presentation will be on the subject of ‘The place of theory in learning and new media research’.
Although the conference is invitational there is a public lecture by Neil Selwyn on Thursday 22 March, 6-7pm on Schools and Schooling in the Digital Age – thoughts from a UK perspective. More details can be found here.
Nicola’s book, Publishing from Your PhD is now available from Gower.
Most projects have two factors in common i.e. they involve people and they bring about change. These two factors are fundamental to the success of any project yet they are given only scant reference in the ‘models’ of project management.
The psychology of managing people and change is increasingly emerging as a significant success factor in project management. In Wellingtone’s Project Management Blog Sharon De Mascia offers a plan to ensure you pay these factors sufficient attention.
Sharon De Mascia is the Director of a business psychology consultancy by the name of ‘Cognoscenti’. She is a Chartered Occupational Psychologist and a member of the Chartered Institute of People and Development. She is also Prince2 qualified. She is a visiting Lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University and a Supervisor on the global MBA at Manchester Business School. De Mascia is the author of Project Psychology published by Gower.
How many project managers fall into the trap of focusing all their efforts on the doing of project work compared to the need to influence others to get things done? The challenge for trainers and developers is to teach project managers the value and use of good facilitation skills. Penny Pullan’s article in Project Manager Today offers practical advice on how to address this dilemma realistically. Penny Pullan is co-author of A Short Guide to Facilitating Risk Management.
The 200th episode of The Project Management Podcast is released today, celebrating 6 years of bringing project management topics to beginners and experts. The four-part episode includes interviews with twenty project management experts who all provide their unique opinions about the number-one challenge that project management is facing today. The project management gurus sharing their expertise with listeners include Mark Perry, Peter Taylor, Margaret Meloni, Andy Kaufman, Elizabeth Harrin as well as the presidents of the three leading project management associations: Mark Langley (PMI), Roberto Mori (IPMA) and Stacy Goff (ASAPM).
The show has received nearly 6 million downloads and is available for free through iTunes or The Project Management Podcast website.
Peter Taylor is author of the recently published Leading Successful PMOs and Elizabeth Harrin is author of Customer-Centric Project Management (both published by Gower).
We were delighted to meet so many Project Managers at the highly successful Synergy 2011 conference at the Indigo O2 in London. Over 600 attendees enjoyed the packed and varied programme of speakers organised by the PMI’s UK Chapter.
Dr Penny Pullan, co-author of Gower’s A Short Guide to Facilitating Risk Management made the following video diary which gives a flavour of the day: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oow972dogTE
Penny Pullan is founder of www.makingprojectswork.co.uk
Looking forward to seeing you at the UK PMI’s ’Synergy’ Project Management Conference tomorrow at London’s Indigo O2. Don’t forget all Gower titles will be on sale at a 50% discount, we are also giving away a Gower Project Management Book Library (see below) – for more information please do come and visit our stand – where we will also be holding book signings with David West, David Hillson and Peter Taylor.
