Learning & Teaching with the Dallas Chapter of PMI

Message for my Project Management friends--start going to the PMI Dallas Chapter events!

I went to my first monthly meeting last night, and was impressed by how much value it delivered. And I'm not even talking about the high-quality dinner buffet. What I am talking about is the quality of the people that attended. I met consultants, educators, recruiters, fellow project managers, Dallas-based corporate leaders, and more. A great mix of professionals.

Specifically, I had the pleasure of meeting two impressive people that I'm tremendously excited to collaborate with in the near future: Colleen Drabek and Beth Burnside. They are involved with the Dallas chapter's Education Committee, which develops educational programs, such as PMP Exam reviews and practical training on specific aspects of project management. The committee also networks with local universities, colleges, and other types of schools through the Student Outreach sub-committee.

As a lover of learning and teaching, I can't wait to get involved with this committee. Colleen and Beth's enthusiasm for their work only bolsters my enthusiasm to volunteer.

If education is not your thing, project managers, then opportunities exist with several other committees. The point is, us folks living in Dallas-Ft. Worth are fortunate to have such an active PMI chapter, and we should take advantage of it. I know I will.

Toyota as Educators

Check out this post from the Evolving Excellence blog: "Toyota Training the World...sort of."

They talk about Toyota investing in education and training for potential future employees in India. The term "strengthening the human supply chain" is used, and this makes a lot of sense to me. Having a stable workforce capable of thinking and learning is a HUGE part of having a stable production process. The 4M's (man, machine, material, method) are potential sources of instability, and first among them is "man." You can't really problem-solve the other 3M's without spending time on the first one.

When we went to Toyota Georgetown recently, the company's investment in people was obvious. They have a huge training facility adjacent to the factory. They offer college courses in their training facility. They offer employee day care services. They offer employee pharmacy services. They give away dozens and dozens of cars every year for perfect attendance. They have ping-pong tables and basketball goals right on the production line. The impression one gets is that Toyota really considers their employees to be their most valuable asset, an asset that must be kept in prime condition physically and mentally. An unstable workforce isn't a value-adding continuously improving workforce.