A Bittersweet PMI Congress

October 26, 2011 | by Deborah Bigelow Crawford

PMI's annual conference was different this year.  As a long time member … my 21st consecutive symposium … there was an energy missing.  That energy was Eric Jennet, one of PMI’s original founders.  Eric died on Friday at the age of 86.  He was a character … he called it the way he saw it, and was not afraid to buck the tide. As a consequence, he was one of the most respected men I’ve ever known.  Eric was missed at PMI … but his legacy will live on.

The PMI Congress itself served as a perfect memorial to him. I didn’t get to many paper sessions, but I asked attendees in the hallways, on the elevators, at the events, "Have you liked the presentations you attended?”  The answer, for the most part, was a resounding “yes, they were pretty good!”  There was a lot of discussion about PMOs, how they are evolving and changing.  Agile Project Management is coming in like a lion and PMI’s new certification is positioning itself for a huge demand! The former SIGs have turned into Communities of Practice and signs of this transition still abound.

The new book just released by Kent Crawford and Jeannette Cabanis-Brewin, An Inside Look at High Performing PMOs was a hot item!  Kent’s ballroom-size class was filled with attendees who wanted to know more about the PMO of the Year winners and finalists and their best practices.

Overall, it was a good show filled with a mix of experience, wisdom, questions, and quests to discover best practices in project management. Eric would have enjoyed it ... and I'm sure he was there in spirit.

About the Author

Deborah Bigelow Crawford

Deborah Bigelow Crawford has more than 20 years of experience in business management and handles the operational and administrative functions of PM Solutions. Ms. Bigelow Crawford also serves as President of the PM College®, PM Solutions' training division, where she is responsible for the fiscal management and quality assurance of all training and professional development programs. Prior to joining PM Solutions, she served as the Executive Director of the Project Management Institute (PMI), and was instrumental in providing the foundation and infrastructure for the exponential growth that the Institute has maintained over the last 10 years. In addition, she served as the Executive Director of the PMI Educational Foundation. Over the last decade, she has authored numerous articles in PM Network, Chief Project Officer, and Optimize magazines. Ms. Bigelow Crawford is also co-author of the book Project Management Essentials. She has presented a variety of papers as a speaker at international symposia and conferences, and is a member of the National Association of Female Executives and the Project Management Institute.

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2 Comments on A Bittersweet PMI Congress

Jeannette Cabanis-Brewin says:

So sad to hear this. I had hoped Eric would be eternal! He holds a special place in my heart as someone who supported me as a “newbie” in project management when I began writing for PM Network in 1995. I treasure the letters to the editor he wrote praising my articles. He will be missed!

Posted on October 26, 2011 at 8:29 pm

Aly says:

Hi Deborah - I work for Barbecana, a risk software company here in Houston, Texas.  We were also in attendance at the PMI Congress this year - getting ready to launch our new Microsoft Add-In for schedule risk analysis, Full Monte. I agree, the Congress was a perfect memorial to one of the industry’s greatest leaders. 

Anyways, thanks for sharing your thoughts and impressions of the Congress! - Aly

Posted on October 31, 2011 at 6:57 pm

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