Let’s get together and join the hundreds of participants already registered! 

The congress is a privileged moment to enrich your knowledge on the transformation of the profession and meet other project management professionals. 

Exciting speakers, a wide selection of training classes, passionate exhibitors, plenty of networking opportunities and let’s be honest, really good food will fill each attendees' day !

Let’s catch up on April 21st at HEC Lausanne.

More info : congres-pm.ch

Author: Leandro Benda, PMP

We often think of the standard phases of project management, but one aspect comes up more and more to stir up trouble in the life of the project... This phenomenon is called... “Politics”

Are you intrigued in the political aspect of project management? 

Don't hesitate any longer, come and join us in this open space and discuss this fascinating subject!

You have thought about the initialization phase of your project, well prepared the planning, the management is going according to your plans and suddenly you are facing political obstacles, yes, this politics in companies which is sometimes a well submerged part of the iceberg, but which can prove to be crucial for the success of your project.

It is not always easy to identify and manage the stakeholders and their changing positions towards your project and their interests. How to act considering the risks when faced with such profiles, which are well versed in this aspect and have a strategic position within companies?

It is essential for a project manager to be involved as much as possible in the life of the project, but this often proves to be an obstacle course, particularly because of politics. What tricks exist?

In the same way, how to best exploit the mastery of this political dimension to succeed in projects and where are the limits?

We will try to find tracks with our participants on these different topics during this open space event “Winning Project Politics”, sharing your questions and / or different experiences on these situations is key.

About Open Spaces

A safe space to share experiences, tips, or discuss issues and questions you may have regarding project management. We have a variety of thought-provoking topics in store, so do come armed with some real-life problems you want to be solved by your trusted expert colleagues.

Who’s it for?

Are your PM/PMO concerns getting enough attention?

Are you creating good-quality connections online?

How often do you structure meetings radically differently than usual?  

We welcome you - anyone who has to manage projects, whatever their nature - to share the pressing points you'd like to talk about and perhaps get input for a solution.

Our main principles

Safe room - thus no recording, you are free to share and it stays within the few people in your breakout room.

Introductions in the main room by all participants - we aim to allow 15 seconds per person which is enough to share: name/position/ company or industry / what you’re coming with; in one sentence. This helps everyone to know who is who.

In small breakout rooms, it is easier to open up to a few people than to many.

Participants bring their own topics to discuss.  More topics => smaller groups => better interaction and engagement. 

In every breakout room, we want to ensure everyone gets a chance to provide at least some brief input into the question or issue.

We use the Slido tool to capture your suggestions in the Topics Backlog.

Whoever comes, is the right person.  Whatever happens, is the only thing that could have happened.

Do not hesitate to register to this Open Space which will take place online via Zoom on Tuesday, May 10th.

All our events can be found via this link: https://pmi-switzerland.ch/index.php/events

Author: Monika Keller, PMP

Years ago, I was asked to lead Project X. It would have been a big change management project, but I couldn't stand by it. It just didn't fit my understanding of sustainable and responsible business as it was clear it would not end well for the company and my colleagues. Perhaps you know what I mean. Yet I knew my sponsor had to implement it as it came straight from the top (he was showing them the effects by regularly stating facts and figures, but they had other priorities). - I looked for all kind of answers and excuses as to why I couldn't do it. At one point, my boss said, "Monika, I'm convinced you can do it. Because no matter what project I give you, it always turns out well! You have all the prerequisites to do it. The question is rather whether you want to do it..." -

He had caught me. And suddenly, the scales fell from my eyes. In fact, I didn't want to do it! And fortunately, the relationship between my boss and myself was so strong that I could be honest about it without fearing negative effects. I didn't have to say yes. I was psychologically safe and allowed to allow myself not to want to do it. All I had to do is say “no” and it would be okay. Why did I then have such a hard time saying it in the first place? The company had enough other projects for me to lead in which I could put my heart and soul into and feel comfortable with. Still there was a reason for me to be there and I could influence certain things the way I want!

Perhaps you had this situation too. How many times has your gut feeling told you, “You can’t do this”, and then you said to your boss, “Sure, no problem”, instead of asking yourself “Do I want to do this?”. You may have feared negative consequences if you had started a “real conversation” about it. It may have been embarrassing and depending on your cultural background, not appropriate to question anything that comes from your supervisor.

How about approaching the topic with a fresh mind next time and ask yourself the question “Do I want to do this?”.

If the answer is “no”, you can ask yourself why. Is it because you feel you lack training, experience and self-confidence? Then just say so and you can use it as an opportunity to grow your skills. Most likely, your company will support you by further training or give you a coach or mentor to help you advance your skills. It will be a win-win for all.

However, if your answer is “no” and the reason is your personal values that may lead to a conflict of interest, it is a different story. It may also be that you have other priorities in life at the moment that are equally important for your work-life balance, such as taking care of family members or seeing friends or doing sports or finishing that further training, and you see that this project really counteracts your deepest needs of balance. You are allowed to pause and then make a conscious decision. Have you ever thought about it that way?

Maybe you had a new year’s resolution for this year. You may want to work fewer hours in order to have more time for other things such as sports, meeting friends or doing a further education. Or you may finally want to create that “me time” to think about what you want to do the next 20 years of your life. Then you may find inspiration reading my blogs at Blog | 3C Keller (3c-keller.com). 

There is one about setting healthy boundaries that I can recommend you. As a PQ Coach, I also offer app-based self-paced learning by Positive Intelligence if you want to grow your mental fitness muscles to recover faster in challenging times, improve relationships, take laser-focused action and lead a healthier work-life balance. Just ask me for more information if that resonates with you.

Happiness starts with inner peace. If you make decisions that are in line with your values, you will be able to respect yourself. Others will also respect you more, not less, if you set healthy boundaries and advocate for change that is sustainable.

Here’s how to contact me: Kontakt | 3C Keller (3c-keller.com)

Author: Philip Springuel, PMP

Dear members and friends,

Welcome once again and thank you for being faithful readers of your monthly PMI Switzerland Chapter newsletter. Remember that you may share, access, comment and feedback on our social media platforms.

This month we open with a call to action from new Chapter President Stefan Vesenmeier. His Message from the Board informs us of the important steps initiated by the Chapter following events in Ukraine. Learn how you can help carry our spirit of volunteerism where it is most needed.

Benefit from our usual line-up of articles covering original work on subjects of critical importance for all project managers, including retrospective reporting or informative aspects of our future events. Please take careful note that your PMI Switzerland Chapter has planned many new and recurring networking events in Basel, Geneva, Lausanne and Zurich for you to re-connect and add valuable knowledge and skills to your resume. Do register early and enjoy a long awaited reunion with your peers. We are particularly honored that PMI Brightline Director Tahirou Assane Oumarou, will be speaking at PMI Switzerland's online event on 31 March, "Leading a dynamic people-centered transformation."

Most sincerely,

Philip SPRINGUEL, PMI Switzerland Newsletter Copy Editor