Happy International Project Management Day!

Without project management, would there be chaos? You might go a little crazy if you lose your work breakdown structure, but that’s because you’re a project manager and you like order and direction and orchestrated change.

No, the world wouldn’t necessarily fall to ruin without project management, but I can’t think of a better way to deliver outcomes that align with organisational strategy, to allow stakeholders to have their issues heard and managed, to realise the benefits of change.

Interesting too is the notion that project management is recognised worldwide. Regardless of whether you’re a member of either or both global project management entities, the International Project Management Association (IPMA) or Project Management Institute (PMI), from a country with a high time orientation like Germany or one with a lower profile like Thailand, project management appears to be a universally logical way to deliver change.

So, what are you doing/did you do for IPM Day? Celebrating, or quietly appreciating project management and all its wondrous effects?

The charter for IPM Day is to:

• Provide opportunities for project-based organisations to express their appreciation for the leadership and commitment demonstrated by project managers who make significant contributions toward organisational success.
• Create connections between project management organisations to share ideas, foster professional relationships, and appreciate the value of cultural diversity in the global project environment.
• Enhance the awareness of the value of project management.
• Communicate the contributions and importance of project management and project managers to business leaders at all levels and across all industries.

Go forth—appreciate, connect, enhance and communicate, and I’ll leave you with a quote I found by Joy Gumz, senior director of US company Project Auditors:

“Operations keeps the lights on, strategy provides a light at the end of the tunnel, but project management is the train engine that moves the organisation forward.”