Event Type: Government Community

Event Topic: Developing Soft Skills for Project Management Success

Synopsis:
Have you ever felt like you’re hitting a wall during a discussion? Project team doesn’t seem motivated; sponsors aren’t realizing potential project benefits; stakeholders aren’t buying-in to new ideas? The answer may be: you need to improve your soft skills.

Soft skills are often called “people skills”. They help project managers become leaders. Communication, negotiation, trust-building, emotional intelligence, among other skills, boost project managers capability of delivering successful results. This is particularly true in complex projects involving competing priorities. It makes sense, then, that companies seem to be searching for talent mastering soft as well as hard skills.

Knowing how to take advantage of soft skills will give you a competitive edge. Though these skills may come naturally for some people, most need to make an active effort to unleash them to their fullest potential. Join the Government Community on December 4th to learn about soft skills, the results they can achieve, and how you can continue to master them. 
  
Key Learnings: 
· Learn to communicate tangible ideas 
· Increase adaptability and compliance to change 
· Understand emotional intelligence and its advantages 
· Become a leader

Speaker Bio:

Rod Chambers is a management consultant and project management professional who inspires organizations and individuals to excel. 
From beginnings as a computer programmer with the Federal Government in Ottawa, Rod was appointed the first Head of Systems and Services with Toronto International Airport. The world's first multi-modal, multi-terminal traffic management system was implemented under Rod's leadership.  
Rod spearheaded creation of IT, CRM, and Global Systems strategies and the development of PMOs for CIBC on Bay St. and Credit Suisse on Wall St. For the UN in Geneva, Rod presented a Lesser Development Countries payment systems strategy for the UN Commission on Trade and Development or UNCTAD. Rod developed a situation study on the status of education at Newark Public Schools presenting it to 'C'-level executives of the Newark Alliance, one member of which was subsequently appointed by then President Bush to Chair the 9-11 Commission. 
Appointed the CEO of a small Bluetooth manufacturing company in LA, Rod originated and then presented strategic and financial plans to several potential investors. Part of the communication as CEO required Rod to speak with 'the press' including an on-air interview with Bloomberg radio in New York. Rod also inspired the re-engineering platform for a Boeing aircraft subsidiary in San Diego. For Maricopa County, in Phoenix Arizona, Rod provided a disaster management plan. 
Returning to Toronto in late 2009, Rod was assigned project roles with Kobo eBooks and Clear Channel Communications. Recently because of difficulties during implementation, Rod was appointed the 'relationship' manager for iHeartMedia and the first incarnation of iHeartRadio. 
Rod is an avid sports fan and has volunteered with Run for the Cure and Terry Fox cancer campaigns for over 25 years.

Dev Ramcharan, PMP, has a proven track record of planning and implementing effective, multi-level Project Management Offices. He has over 15 years of experience in managing operational and strategic initiatives, including establishing best practices, policies, and quality and efficiency metrics focused on Project, Program and Portfolio Management. Dev has over 20 years of project management experience in Banking, Telecommunications and in Health Care. 
In his private consulting practice, Dev focuses on individual and organizational change. His services include coaching in Career Transition and Optimization, Emotional Intelligence and Conflict Management and High Performance Team training. 
Dev is a Certified Project Management Professional, a Prosci Certified Change Management Practitioner, a Certified Career Transition Coach, a Minds at Work Process Facilitator, Emotional Intelligence Assessor, Trainer and Coach. 
He is the founder and lead coach for AROUCA Consulting and Career Coaching and serves on two non-profit Boards of Directors.

Robert Laurin spent his youth in Trois-Rivières Québec where he spoke only French. After graduating as a mechanical engineering technologist he moved to Vancouver to finally learn English knowing only two words, mustard and relish. Humbling experience it was to one day be on top of his game to the next not being understood and feeling socially useless. He learned English like so many others do by immersion. He joined the Canadian Armed Forces as a private 
serving through the ranks to then be commissioned by the Queen becoming an officer and reach the rank of major. He has been a soldier, a machinist, an aircraft structure technician, a recruit 
instructor, a research and rescue instructor, a survival instructor, an aerospace engineering officer, instructed officers, a standard officer, a flight commander, a liaison officer in Afghanistan, an helicopter squadron senior maintenance manager, the deputy commandant of 
the largest Royal Canadian Air Force school in Canada and now staff officer at the Canadian Forces War College. Volunteered with the Junior Achievement Program, Scouts Canada, Air Cadets, Toastmasters and Canadian Power and Sail Squadron. A cheminement that offered countless opportunities to discover, develop and improve the soft skills so necessary in human interpersonal relationships. 

Agenda:
5:30 PM - Registration, networking, and light meal
6:00 PM - Presentation starts
8:30 PM - Event closes

Fees: (Subject to HST)
PMI Toronto Members (login before registering) - $30
Non-Members and Guests - $40

Webstream registration is closed

Webstream PMI-Toronto Members - $15.00
Webstream Non-Members and Guests- $20.00

PDU: 2.5 (Leadership)

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