by Mike Ososki, PMP, Public Relations Committee
The perfect theme for Veteran’s Day holiday was celebrated last Monday at the PMI Dunwoody Dinner. Veterans Mike Williams, Dave Harrington, and Craig Bergwall made their persuasive presentation to consider vets as perhaps one of the better PM hiring choices for industry. Also presenting by video was Vanessa Richardson, owner of Cygnal Consulting, sharing her great transitional success story.
Last year, PMI joined with the Dept. of Defense’s Defense Acquisition University (DAU) to support and aid the DoD/DAU’s “...Acquisition, Technology and Logistics workforce with a professional career path and consistency of training content and opportunity.” (www.dau.mil) The variety of PMI certification specializations (BA, Project, Program, Portfolio, Risk, Agile, Schedule, Org. Maturity) translate especially well to the various military specializations.
We are now in the middle of a massive planned military RIF (Reduction-in-Force): 1.2 million personnel exiting service between 2012-2017. How will they transition? What will they do as civilians? No one argues that ex-Army, Marine, Air Force and Navy are generally well-trained in discipline, leadership, motivation, and a wide variety of valuable practical skills—and these can include project management.
Other inherent, desirable characteristics are flexibility to relocate, diversity, adaptability, high performance under pressure, security clearances / drug-free, quick learning, educated, tech-savvy, strong ability to read situations, and the famously positive can-do attitude. Here in Atlanta, we are proud that Coca-Cola and Home Depot know the value, and routinely hire veterans. Many IT industry headquarters are here, too, and may do well to implement the same practice.
One challenge is vernacular. While concepts and activities may equate, the military-to-civilian language often does not. For example:
• Project = Mission
• Troop leading procedure = Project Management process
• OPORD Paragraph 5 = Communications Mgmt Plan
• Commander’s Intent = Strategic Plan
Helpful for everyone in general, and especially in this instance, is the free PMI Lexicon of Project Mgmt terms:
http://www.pmi.org/PMBOK-Guide-and-Standards/PMI-lexicon.aspx
The world continues to change faster than ever, and military professionals are frequently at the global political-functional cutting of this movement. Stationed everywhere, these advanced change management experts routinely run cross-cultural missions (projects), employing strategy, logistics, teamwork, and execution know-how that gets the job done. Now, PMI Atlanta also offers the Military Mentorship Program to assist in PM-oriented military-to-civilian transition.
Mike Williams is your point man for this, and he believes that mentors make the world go ‘round. We will be answering PMI Tampa Chapter's challenge to #GiveThem20 (http://givethem20.org/)! Atlanta's own Delta Airlines participated in Give Them 20! So, hit the floor and give them 20 pushups, then email them to Mike!
You can view the meeting's PowerPoint pesentation here: November 2015 Dinner Meeting Presentation
"I was one of the attendees of last night's PMI meeting. First I would like to say that it was a pleasure to meet you Mr.Roy at this meeting. I would also like to personally thank you for allowing me this great opportunity to receive a glimpse of the possibilities the Project Management world consist of and some of the key steps and attributes someone needs to strive for when attempting to enter this world. You made this meeting significantly more easier to enjoy through the way you took my mentor Mrs.Gloyer and I under your guidance. I was able to fully and truly enjoy the opportunity provided to me through your attempts to place us, complete strangers and first time attendees of this charter meeting, at ease. Also thank you for your attempts to find Mr. Kay and Ms. Jessie for us and conducting the introductions, which made the meeting less awkward on my end. You also provided inside knowledge to the Project Management for which I am truly grateful." --Sherri-Ann Moe