Setting the Table for Project Success

Project management is one of those terms that can mean different things to different people and organizations. Deciding on those definitions may determine whether an organization’s project management initiative succeeds or fails. But where does an organization or a project manager learn how to choose an approach that works for them?

“Some project management offices (PMOs) start and crash, and others never get off the ground,” Vu Nguyen, Ulteig’s project management director, points out. “Some start with success and drastically transform a business. That’s where, as a profession, we need to share what we learn.”

One of the ways Nguyen and other project managers accomplish that sharing is by networking through organizations such as the Project Management Institute (PMI). PMI is known as a global, professional community of project managers who want to advance the profession through education and sharing of best business practices.

Nguyen said PMI also helps show project managers that there’s no one path to effective project management processes. Instead, it’s a matter of providing insight and perspective on what could work in different situations.

“It is not about the destination as much as it is the journey itself and sharing what we have learned,” Nguyen stressed. “The most interesting part is although they are common practices, no one company can approach project management the same way. It needs to be tailored around the organization itself.” 

Nguyen said PMI has helped him in his career, and he’s looking to pass that message on to other project managers and to return the favor to the group, particularly in Minnesota and North Dakota. Nguyen believes it’s a good first step for project managers in the region to build professional support networks while becoming better project managers.

“It allows for the development of our own profession and career aspirations as project managers,” he said, “and it helps develop a community of project managers, advance our profession and provides a way to distribute information within the community.”