Article / Exercise : Sponsorship Stories
Category D Creating New Project Management Knowledge
Note: There are limits for Category D E and F PDUs

Working with sponsors can be:

• Interesting
• Challenging
• Frustrating
• and … Even a rewarding experience at times 😉

You have told the stories now share them with the project management community. Vicki James (LinkedIn profile, @VickiPPS), Peter Taylor (LinkedIn profile, @TheLazyPM), and Ron Rosenhead (LinkedIn profile, @RonRosenhead) are writing a new book and would love your input.

Strategies for Project Sponsorship wants your stories. They wish to make this book as authentic and true to life as possible with your help. They seek stories about your Project Sponsorship experiences. What was awful? What was great? What was the result to the overall project? We want to know.

Did you realize that PMI® will grant you PDUs for sharing your story? That’s right! Not only do you have a chance to see your story in print, but also you get credit for telling, hour for hour. The latest PMP® Credential Handbook published on February 29, 2012 asks you to give back to your profession.

We will honor all requests for anonymity. A signed waiver for non-anonymous printed stories will be required before publication. We look forward to reading your tale!

– Peter, Ron, and Vicki

Visit http://strategies4sponsors.com/call-for-stories/ for information on how to share your story.

Complete an online form or Email your stories .

Live Webinar March 15th, 2012 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EDT
Duration: 1 Hour Credits: 1 PDU Category A – Free PDU
Presented by: Watermark Learning (REP 1025)

What makes the ability to influence without authority seem so easy for some
and nearly impossible for others?

In order to be effective as business analysts, we have to influence other stakeholders, regardless of their position in the organization. Some follow the three steps which comprise the Influence Formula.

In this presentation you will be shown how the Influence Formula works and the three steps required to effectively influence without authority.

Learn:

• The distinction between influence, persuasion, and manipulation
• The relationship between authority and power
• What the Influence Formula is and why it is needed to effectively influence
• Tips for building and maintaining trust
• The importance of being prepared in order to recommend the right thing
• How to be the trusted advisor to business owners and sponsors
• The role of courage in effective influencing

Presenter: – Elizabeth Larson, PMP, CBAP CEO of Watermark Learning, Elizabeth has over 25 years of experience in business analysis, project management, training, and consulting. Rich is a frequent speaker at Business Analysis and Project Management conferences and author of CBAP Certification Study Guide (2nd Edition). Elizabeth was a lead contributor to the BABOK® Guide Version 2.0 chapter 2, Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring, PMBOK® Guide – Fourth Edition (Collect Requirements), and is the content lead for Scope Management for the PMBOK® Guide – Fifth Edition.

Click to register for The Influencing Formula: Three Steps to Influencing When You Don’t Have the Authority

Live Webinar March 14th, 2012 – 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EDT
Duration: 1 Hour Credits: 1 PDU Category C – Free PDU
Presented by Citrix Online – GoToMeeting Corporate

Given the always-on pace of business today, do you feel your organization is spinning out of control? Do you ever wish managing your organization was as simple as hitting Ctrl-Alt-Del? Perhaps it’s time for a reboot and a shift in a new direction.

End the tasks interfering with your productivity and reboot your organization with these strategies for success.

Attend this interactive webinar to learn:

• Ctrl: Why you must let go of your need to control
• Alt: Alternate solutions to common problems with resources
• Del: What needs to be erased in your company’s operations
• Shift: Changes that will move your organization in greater directions

Speaker: Holly Duckworth, (LinkedIn profile) President, Leadership Solutions International

PDU Category C documentation details:

Process Groups: Planning Executing

Knowledge Areas: 4 – Integration

• 4.1 Develop Project Charter
• 4.2 Develop Project Management Plan
• 4.3 Direct and Manage Project Execution

As a Category C, ‘Self Directed Learning’, activity remember to document your learning experience and its relationship to project management for your ‘PDU Audit Trail Folder.’

Click to register for Ctrl-Alt-Del: How to Reboot Your Organization for Success

Live Webinar March 15th, 2012 – 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EDT
Duration: 1 Hour Credits: 1 PDU Category C – Free PDU
Presented by : Modern Analyst Featured Sponsor : Jama

Businesses choose Agile to speed time to market of their products and stay nimble and responsive to constantly changing customer needs.

As development cycles accelerate, it is more important than ever for project teams to ensure development activities align with business priorities.

The challenge is making sure that everyone has a shared vision of what is being built and why throughout the development process. Both business and development teams need to be able to collaborate on key decisions affecting the product, schedule or budget at any time.

Join this event and learn key ideals of Agile and challenges faced by Business Analysts. Jama Software will focus on what they’ve heard as the top challenges of Agile development and how to solve them.

Questions answered include:

• What happens to the requirements?
• How do we keep everyone in the loop when not in the same office?
• How do we control scope?
• How do we know what the development team will deliver at the end of the Sprint?

Attend this live webinar presented by Jama Software to avoid the challenges of Agile development. All attendees will receive a PDF of Five Challenges to Agile Planning.

Presenter: Derwyn Harris (LinkedIn profile) Senior Solutions Architect Jama Software brings 12 years of software engineering and management experience to Jama with significant experience delivering enterprise-scale software applications. Derwyn blends deep technical knowledge with strong customer service and support skills to ensure a successful user experience for our customers.

PDU Category C documentation details:

Process Groups: Planning Executing

Knowledge Areas: 5 – Scope 6 – Time 10 – Communications

• 5.2 Define Scope
• 6.5 Develop Schedule
• 10.2 Plan Communications
• 10.3 Distribute Information

As a Category C ‘Self Directed Learning Activity’ remember to document your learning experience and its relationship to project management for your ‘PDU Audit Trail Folder’

Click to register for How the Business Analysts can Align Agile Development with Business Priorities

Live Webinar March 15th, 2012 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EST
Duration: 1 Hour Credits: 1 PDU Category C – Free PDU
Presented by American Management Association (REP 1294)
Note: Although the AMA is an REP  (REP 1294) this opportunity may not have a course number Contact the AMA for further information.

Research conducted by Marshall Goldsmith and Associates over a period of 10 years has identified a list of 20 attitudes and behaviors that are surefire career killers.

• Are you holding yourself back by engaging in these counterproductive behaviors…like the excessive use of sarcasm or the need to win… all the time?
• Have you hit a point where you are stuck, frustrated at why you’re not moving ahead?

In this insightful discussion, Marshall Goldsmith delves deeper into some of the worst offenders on this list and suggest ways that you can stop sabotaging yourself and your career and instead, get where you want and deserve to be in your organization.

Presenter: Marshall Goldsmith (LinkedIn profile) is widely recognized as a leading authority in helping successful leaders achieve positive, lasting change in behavior: for themselves, their people and their teams. He was named as one of the fifteen most influential business thinkers in the world and one of the 50 great thinkers and leaders who have influenced the field of management over the past 80 years. Marshall Goldsmith is the author of numerous bestselling books, including:

• What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful
• Mojo: How to Get It, How to Keep It, How to Get It Back if You Lose It The Kindle Version is a great value at only $3.79 USD
• Learn Like a Leader: Today’s Top Leaders Share Their Learning Journeys
• Succession: Are You Ready? (Memo to the Ceo)
• Best Practices in Talent Management: How the World’s Leading Corporations Manage, Develop, and Retain Top Talent (Pfeiffer Essential Resources for Training and HR Professionals)
• …. and many more Click for A Complete Listing of Dr. Marshall Goldsmith’s Books

Click to register for Avoiding Wrong Turns on Your Leadership Journey