July 2015

About the PMI Asia Pacific e­Link

Feature Articles

Finding the Right Cultural Fit

Flawed Assumptions

Project Highlights

WorleyParsons Receives ProjectManagement Services Contract From SaudiAramco

UAE Project Management ConferenceOpens Opportunities and Challenges inProject Management Field

Community Buzz

Upcoming Events

PMI Indonesia Symposium & Exhibition(SymEx) 2015

PMINZ 20th Annual Conference 2015

Building Tomorrow’s Project ManagementLeaders

Asia Pacific Calendar

Past Events

PMI Australian National AwardsAnnounced for 2015

You're in Good Company

Membership

Videos

Lessons from Strategic Talent Leaders

The ROI for strategic talent management isreal — as long as your whole organisation isready to rally around the issue. See three keytakeaways from PMI’s Talent Management:Powering Strategic Initiatives in the PMO.

Watch video

In The News

PMI.org Job­Board Welcomes YourRésumés and Job Postings

Change is Coming to the ContinuingCertification Requirements (CCR) Program

Marketplace

Designing a Successful KM Strategy: AGuide for the Knowledge ManagementProfessional

Planning and Control Using Microsoft®

Project 2013 & PMBOK® Guide Fifth Edition

Asia Pacific Regional Service Centre

Contact Information

Certification

Do you have a successful project, a great lesson learned or a specific topic inproject management you would like to see published in the PMI Asia Pacific e­Link?

Send us your idea!

Feature Articles

Finding the Right Cultural Fit

Organisations should look beyond skillsets to find project practitioners who align with theircultures.

Apple, Barclays, Coca­Cola — every organisation has crafted its own culture. One part organisational DNA,one part leadership vision; it guides everything from information flow to work habits. So while organisationsshould certainly vet project manager candidates for skills, they should also look for someone who alignswith the culture.

“Projects are about bringing different teams together to deliver a pre­defined end product, so cultural fit isvery important,” says Fatimah Abbouchi Del Cid, global PMO manager at ANZ, a financial servicescompany in Melbourne, Australia. Project managers accustomed to an ad hoc culture with ready access tothe C­suite, for example, may not mesh in a strict, hierarchical environment.

Finding the right match not only makes for a happier hire, it can also boost business results. A 2014 studyby PwC found that a closer cultural alignment between employer and employee could create a greatertalent ROI — and unlock US$130 billion in productivity gains in the 11 countries analysed.

Selecting the right candidate starts long before the first interview is scheduled.

Organisations should begin by examining the values of high­level leaders and then determining how thosefactors integrate with individual team dynamics, says James Brown, PMI­ACP, PMP, PgMP, director of theproject management office (PMO) at DuPont Pioneer, a plant genetics company in Johnston, Iowa, USA.DuPont Pioneer is a member of the PMI Global Executive Council.

“Hiring managers should determine which groups the project managers will interface with and identify thecultural fit in that group in advance,” he says. “For instance, in R&D, how do you schedule innovation? Thelevel of communication, negotiation and presentation changes between environments and may requiremore mature soft skills.”

With the key cultural attributes identified, organisations can flip the focus to the candidate to see ifit’s a match — or not.

“I like to do scenario­based, what­if questions in interviews,” says Francis Benito Odisi, PMP, PMOmanager at Frescatto Co., a seafood distributor based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

“I present some scenarios that reflect the company culture and others that are very different, without lettingthe applicant know which scenario applies to the job,” he says. “If he or she prefers fast decisions so the

project can go ASAP to execution, he or she would probably have a hard time in a company wheredecisions take a long time to be made.”

Mr. Brown suggests asking open­ended questions, such as:

What type of work environment or culture makes you the most productive and happy?What are the positive aspects of your current/most recent work environment?How does a company encourage you to do what’s needed to get the job done?

While a more intensive interview process can take more effort, organisations should not compromise onculture, says Ms. Abbouchi Del Cid.

“I’d prefer to have an applicant with less experience but is engaged in our organisation than have anapplicant with 20 years of experience that chooses not to be a part of the culture.”

With the right talent selection process, organisations can identify candidates who will complement theculture — and avoid those who may go against the grain.

This article was first published on 19 December 2014 in Career Central.

Back to Top

Flawed Assumptions

By Sheilina Somani, RPP, FAPM, PMP

Everyone makes assumptions — both consciously and unconsciously — based on their past experiences. Asproject managers, we predict our potential for success or failure, and anticipate problems and solutions,based on these assumptions. The challenge for each of us is to be aware of the many assumptions weoperate on.

Assumptions can be helpful at the outset of a project, but they require validation and calibration over time.Only with these quality checks do we ensure that our decision making is as accurate as it can be. Forexample, we often conduct each meeting, each interaction, with a set of assumptions about the people wework with. When we talk with colleagues, we assume they are listening and available for a conversation,interaction or meeting. We assume they care about what they do and are ready to get things done.

But sometimes an individual’s personal life can create challenges for him or her in the workplace. Forexample, a member of the team is frequently late and distracted. The team member has had conversationswith the line manager about being “always late, and really not interested.” This could lead to the projectmanager being curt, demanding or even seeking disciplinary action or removal of the team member.

However, the individual may be addressing significant personal challenges while still seeking to maintain hisor her role at work. Without taking the time to discuss and understand, the project manager’s assumptioncould lead to unnecessary action.

It’s significantly easier to adapt or change when we are already conscious of our biases. This consciousnessprovides each of us permission to check our understanding and question our stance. Referring back to theassumptions we make can help us become more resilient to comments and reactions as individuals. Forexample, if a colleague is unreceptive or dismissive, we can choose to inquire as to why the response is lessthan we’d hoped for, rather than assuming we understand his or her motivation. We then have a choice ofhow to acknowledge the response:

Exploring: Asking questions to understand his or her reasoningResponding: Choosing to extend or redirect the conversation, in the event that the phrasing or timing(or both) were unfortunateWithdrawing: Stepping back to consider the reasons this may have occurred. Checking our thinking,approach and, of course, our assumptions

Working under assumptions means we sometimes forget to be humane in our approach and can be taciturnor neglectful. While most of us have to work for a living, we generally make greater efforts and achieve ahigher level of satisfaction if we are respected, appreciated and valued as part of an effective team.

To quote actor Alan Alda, “Begin challenging your assumptions. Your assumptions are the windows on theworld. Scrub them off every once in a while or the light won’t come in.”

This article was published in the June 2015 issue of the PM Network®

Sheilina Somani, RPP, FAPM, PMP, is the owner of the U.K.­based consultancy Positively ProjectManagement, a senior project manager, a speaker and a mentor.

Back to Top

Project Highlights

WorleyParsons Receives Project Management Services Contract FromSaudi Aramco

WorleyParsons Limited, a provider of project delivery and consulting services to the resources and energysectors, has received a contract from Saudi Aramco, or Saudi Arabian Oil Company, to provide projectmanagement services for its offshore program.

Read more…

Back to Top

UAE Project Management Conference Opens Opportunities and Challengesin Project Management Field

DUBAI, 26 May, 2015 (WAM) — The first UAE Project Management Conference and Exhibition waslaunched yesterday. It was attended by speakers from the UAE, the Gulf Region and experts frominternational organisations who shared their experiences and expertise in the field of engineering.

600 participants from national and international engineering associations, engineers from governmentsectors and private entities, representatives from consultant and contracting firms, architects, designmanagers, facilities managers and project managers from 30 countries attended and witnessed the event.

Read more…

PM Port helps you keep in touch with your profession through PMI’s online global news service powered byLexisNexis.

Back to Top

In The News

PMI.org Job­Board Welcomes Your Résumés and Job Postings

Finding a new job in project management has just gotten a little easier. Check out the Project ManagementJob Board (formerly known as Career Headquarters), a niche job site with hundreds of open positions,growing each day. Search by job title, keyword, location and more. Job seekers can apply for available jobsthat they feel match their skill set. They can also set up job alerts and receive an email when new positionsare posted.

As a PMI member, you’ll have access to additional career resources, including résumé writing and critiquing,career coaching and career resources located in the Career Learning Center. As a member, you’re also ableto create a personal profile and make your résumé searchable by employers.

Employers looking to post their open positions have access to engaged and dedicated project professionals.Employers can search the database and actively seek out candidates who meet their job qualifications, easilyspotting those PMI members who have made their résumés and profiles available. Additional services suchas “Featured Job” and “Featured Employer” offer a boost to an organization’s job posting or employer profileso job seekers can find and apply to their jobs quickly.

Back to Top

Change is Coming to the Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR)Program

These Changes Mean Even Better Ways to Advance Your Career

In just six months the new CCR program will go live. How will you earn PDUs? How will you plan yourcareer development? What do you need to do now?

Get the answers to these questions and more with our new Training tab. It includes the mostimportant topics leading up to the program launch — like the PMI Talent Triangle — so that you areprepared for the change. Stay tuned for more information in the coming months.

Reminder: All details about the program changes have been consolidated on this webpage. Pleasebookmark the page — you will be notified via email when updates are made.

Back to Top

Community Buzz

Upcoming Events

PMI Indonesia Symposium & Exhibition (SymEx) 2015

Following the success of the last four International Symposium & Exhibition (SymEx)since it was first held in 2011, the PMI Indonesia Chapter is proud to present the 5thSymEx with the theme, “Beyond or Behind: Advancing Business Transformation withInnovative Project Management,” taking place at Novotel Hotel in Bogor, Indonesia on19–20 October 2015.

The two­day symposium aims to provide insights on the impending borderless economyin ASEAN and the benefit from a project management perspective, as an applied tool for achieving businesstransformation.

Set to gather over 250 project management practitioners from various industries, includingtelecommunications, oil and gas, information and technology, construction and education, SymEx is widelyregarded as the most successful event for networking and professional growth in project management inIndonesia.

This year’s speakers include Mr. Todd Hutchinson, MCom, MBA, PMP, FPMIA, 2015 PMI Board of Directorswho will speak about Global Trends in Project Management. Mr. Alexander Rusli, CEO of PT. Indosat, Tbkand Mr. Manoj Vasudevan, MBA, who will speak about Leadership Lessons from the Mouse Trap.

Project management practitioners will be able to earn up to 16 professional development units (PDUs).

Registrations are now open! For enquiries, email symex­pr@pmi­indonesia.org

Back to Top

PMINZ 21st Annual Conference 2015

The PMI New Zealand Chapter is proud to present the2015 New Zealand Project ManagementConference. Set to take the stage on 2–4 September2015 at the Museum of New Zealand Te PapaTongarewa in Wellington, New Zealand. This year'sconference will be exploring the theme 'Shaping theFuture.’

The 2015 conference promises a great line­up of master classes, site visits, thought­provoking papers,interactive workshops and panel discussions, including keynote speakers Catherine Smithson, ManagingDirector of Being Human and internationally acclaimed speaker, consultant and trainer specializing in theapplication of leadership and communications, to achieve business success, Jim De Piante.

The 2015 New Zealand Project Management Conference is an excellent platform to gain expertise as well asnetwork with local and international experts. Delegates will also be able to earn 14 PDUs towardsmaintaining their certifications and/or credentials.

Early bird registration closes on 7 July. For more information, please visit the event website athttp://www.projectmanagementconference.org.nz/ or email your enquiries to pminz@tcc.co.nz

Back to Top

Building Tomorrow’s Project Management Leaders

2ND PROJECT MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE MALAYSIA CHAPTERINTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM & EXHIBITION 2015

17–19 August 2015, Istana Hotel, Kuala Lumpur MALAYSIA

The PMI Malaysia Chapter is proud to present its 2nd International Symposium. Set to take place at IstanaHotel, Kuala Lumpur on 17–19 August 2015 with the theme ‘Building Tomorrow’s Project ManagementLeaders.’

The two­day symposium includes a mix of presentations, panel discussions and networking to driveinteraction and knowledge sharing and will welcome international speakers: Ammar Abuzahra, Director,Plerion Solutions; Christian Jourdain, Operations Director, Fujitsu Singapore; and Julia Checchia, PMODirector, Hitachi Data Systems; President, PMI Sydney Chapter, Australia.

Simon Robertson, managing director and principal project management and trainer, Robertson ConsultingLtd, United Kingdom and Jim Lizardo, project management training consultant, The Knowledge Academy,Australia and United Kingdom will be conducting the one­day post symposium workshop on ‘Project RiskManagement­ Sharing and Gaining International Best Practices for Managing Controlling and AssessingProject Risks’ and ‘Best Practices in Managing Stakeholders for Project Success.’

Thirty leading speakers across industries from Petronas, Hitachi, AXA and the like will also be inattendance to share their insights and experiences.

This is the leading symposium for PMI members and project management practitioners in the region toattend as it provides a platform for practitioners in project management, sponsors and speakers to shareand exchange knowledge on project successes, establish useful contacts, and receive valuable insights onproject management trends to ensure that participants are at the cutting edge of project management.

Project management practitioners will be able to earn up to 22 professional development units (PDUs)towards maintaining their PMI credential.

Registrations are now open! For details please visit the website at www.pmimy.com. For enquiries, please call +603 7662 6888 or email pmimy@kwconfex.com

Back to Top

Past Events

PMI Australian National Awards announced for 2015

On 25 May, 150 guests and delegates were treated to a fun night sharing travel experiences, listening to thebooming operetta voice of David DeVito and congratulating the PMI Australian National Awards (PANA)winners for 2015. Held at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre Sky Room, this event broughttogether both young and experienced project management practitioners across a wide range of industries.

The purpose of the awards is to recognise and honour individuals, projects, project teams and sponsoringorganisations that have made outstanding contributions to the project management profession andcommunity.

For 2015 the awards had the following categories:

1. Project of the Year (Sponsored by Microsoft)2. Distinguished Contribution (Sponsored by Aurecon)3. Young Project Manager of the Year (Supported by

Microsoft)4. Contribution to Women in Project Management

(Sponsored by Planview)

Congratulations to all nominees, finalists and particularly ourwinners:

Chris Lawler for her contribution to Women in Project Management. Chris was nominated for her work at theMater Hospital and in the community.

Andrew Dick from Aurecon won the Young Project Manager of the Year, for his work with the University ofMelbourne, Melbourne School of Design, Arts West Redevelopment.

Kevin Bourke for his distinguished contribution tothe Project Management community inMelbourne, Giancarlo Serafini and the team fromBroadcast Australia for The Spectrum RestackProgram for winning the Project of the YearAward.

The judges had a wide range of excellent projectsand practitioners to choose from, which madetheir job challenging.

Special thanks to the PMI Australia ConferenceSponsors for supporting the Awards and theConference.

Back to Top

Marketplace

Title: Designing a Successful KM Strategy: A Guide for theKnowledge Management Professional

Author: Stephanie Barnes and Nick MiltonPMI Member Price: $56.50Description: Here is a practical, step­by­step guide to crafting a

knowledge management strategy that aligns withyour organisation’s larger business strategy.

The Barnes­Milton approach prepares KMprofessionals to identify strategic knowledge areas,define program scope and vision, obtain stakeholderinput and buy­in, select winning pilots, apply changemanagement principles, build a sound knowledgemanagement framework, manage content andtechnology, assemble and lead an implementationteam, and — most importantly — connect KMstrategy to business realities.

Whether you are looking to reinvigorate your currentKM program or build an effective program from theground up, Designing a Successful KM Strategy isthe comprehensive guide that will help you get itright.

Title: Planning and Control Using Microsoft® Project 2013& PMBOK® Guide Fifth Edition

Author: Paul E HarrisPMI Member Price: $46.55Description: Primarily a Microsoft Project book, it has been written

for people learning to use Microsoft Project in aproject environment applying the PMBOK® GuideFifth Edition processes. It aims to teach readers howto plan and control projects created within thesoftware package and stays focused on explaininghow to use Microsoft Project to schedule projects by:

1. Explaining which PMBOK® Guide FifthEdition processes the software will supportand which it will not support.

2. Concentrating on the core functions requiredto plan a project.

3. Presents workable solutions to real day today planning and scheduling problems andcontains practical advice on how to set up thesoftware.

4. Explains some of the important differencesbetween Microsoft Project and otherscheduling software.

5. Explains some of the more difficultcalculations often omitted in other books.

6. Includes exercises to reinforce the learningoutcomes, a large number of screen dumps,numerous tips, a detailed index andcommand list at the start of each chapter as aquick reference.

7. It has a new chapter introducing MicrosoftProject Server.

Back to Top

You're in Good Company

Membership

There are 81, 643 members in the PMI Asia Pacific region as of May 2015, representing 17.7 percent ofthe total PMI membership.

Certifications and Credentials

There are 230,167 certification holders in the PMIAsia Pacific region as of May 2015, representing32.7 percent of the total number of PMIcertification holders.

PMP® : 223,275CAPM® : 3,938PgMP® : 199PMI­RMP® : 522PMI­SP® : 210PMI­ACP® : 1,932PfMP®: 40PMI­PBA®: 51

Add another PMI Credential or Certification to yourname!

Welcome New R.E.P.s in Asia Pacific:

Guang Dong Zhu Hai Golden Bay LNG Ltd– China5th Space – China White Bull Consulting & Services Pvt Ltd –IndiaMSME Technology Development Center(Process cum Product DevelopmentCenter) – India

There are currently 335 R.E.P. organisationsenrolled in the PMI R.E.P. Programme in the AsiaPacific region.

Registered Education Providers (R.E.P.s) areorganisations approved by PMI to offer projectmanagement training for professional developmentunits (PDUs) to maintain your PMI certifications andcredentials.

View the R.E.P. web pages on PMI.org to learnmore about R.E.P.s or log in to the new CCRSystem to find a provider of project managementeducation activities and products in your country.

Need a Project Management Consulting Firm? Project management consulting firms can help you driveimprovements in your business performance, and the PMIConsultant Registry is an easy way to find them.

A complimentary resource, the registry lists detailed contactinformation and provides information about each consultant’sofferings, saving you valuable time. You can search bygeographic location, view case studies listed by area of expertiseor industry, learn more about their competencies, and contactthem for more information.

Meet and exceed your business objectives with the PMI Consultant Registry — your one­stop resource tofind the project, programme or portfolio management consulting firm that’s perfect for your organisation.

Back to Top

Asia Pacific Calendar

EventsIf you are organising a PMI event in the Asia Pacificregion and would like us to list it in the e­Link,please contact: SoHyun KangManager, Chapter DevelopmentAsia Pacific

ExaminationsPMI's certification and credential programme is aninternationally recognised, globally accreditedprogramme that is transferable betweenmethodologies, standards and industries. Theprogramme applies valid and reliable ways to assesscompetence and is designed by project managers for

2 ­ 4 September2015 New Zealand Project ManagementConferenceWellington, New Zealand 10­12 September PMI India Project Management NationalConferenceBangalore, India 19­20 OctoberPMI Indonesia Symposium & Exhibition (SymEx)2015Jakarta, Indonesia 24­25 OctoberPMI China Congress 2015Shanghai, China 7 NovemberPMI HK Congress 2015Hong Kong 21­22 November2015 PMI Taiwan International CongressKeelung, Taiwan

project managers

All candidates for Project Management Professional(PMP)®, Certified Associate in Project Management(CAPM)®, Program Management Professional (PgMP)®, PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI­SP)®,PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI­RMP)® andPMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI­ACP)® must firstmeet specific educational and experiencerequirements and then pass an examination.

Back to Top

Asia Pacific Regional Service Centre

Contact the PMI Asia Pacific Regional Service Centre at:

Email: customercare.asiapac@pmi.org (preferred method)

Telephone: +65 6496 5501Fax: +65 6496 5599

The Asia Pacific Service Centre is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Singapore time(GMT +8).

The Asia Pacific Service Centre will be closed on the following dates due to public holidays in Singapore:

17 July — Hari Raya Puasa7–10 August — National Day (Singapore)

Check out our social media page

Back to Top

© 2015 Project Management Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

"PMI", the PMI logo, "Making project management indispensable for business results", "PMI Today", "PM Network", "Project ManagementJournal", "PMBOK", "CAPM", "Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)", "PMP", "Project Management Professional (PMP)", thePMP logo, "PgMP", "Program Management Professional (PgMP)", "PMI­RMP", "PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI­RMP)", "PMI­SP","PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI­SP)", "OPM3", "PMI­ACP", "PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI­ACP)", the PMI Educational Foundationlogo and "Empowering the future of project management" are marks of Project Management Institute, Inc.