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International Project Management Day
November 1^st, 2007

The international project management day is intended to encourage project based organizations worldwide or organizations who utilize project management methodologies to schedule some type of recognition event within their organizations or coordinated locally with others to truly demonstrate appreciation for the achievements of project managers and their teams.

The Importance of Recognition, Acknowledgment, and Saying Thank You.

Something that has always been in my thoughts, especially while I am traveling and have a few moments of down time, is the basic fact that, in most organizations I have worked with, project managers do not seem to receive fair recognition for the work they do. Certainly the project sponsor and maybe a few stakeholders will offer some type of thanks or appreciation upon the completion of a successful project but generally, the people who are the actual target audience of the project deliverables often go about their daily operations without any thought about how the new system that has improved their well being was provided or how their new cafeteria was designed and built, or their newly expanded parking lot was completed.

There are countless examples of projects that are completed without even a moment’s pause to celebrate the success and thank those who completed the work. As we approach International Project Management Day, 1 November, 2007 it is important to take time and think about the contributions of the many thousands of project managers and teams who work diligently and with care and professionalism to provide us with many items we take for granted. Everyone has gazed in awe at a breathtaking city skyline or experienced the thrill of an amusement park roller coaster or enjoyed a great movie. These are but a few examples of project management that touch our lives daily. Tom Peters, a well know management guru, often stated that “all work is project work.” If you think about your work environment or your home environment you will soon notice that you are surrounded by projects. We initiate, plan, execute, monitor and control, and close (to some extent) just about everything we set out to do.

Of course, not every project is successful, but even in those that don’t meet their objectives, we can find lessons learned and ways to improve. It is my sincere belief that all successful project managers should be recognized for their leadership, ability to create high performing teams, sense of purpose, and willingness to keep moving forward even during the most trying of times. International Project Management Day provides an excellent opportunity to do just that. Recognition of project teams and acknowledgment of people who do great things are key factors associated with the project manager position and I strongly urge all managers, project sponsors, project executives, and peer groups to think of some way, regardless or how simple it may be, to show appreciation for those who deliver on the expectations that have been set.

Speaking about recognition, I recently experienced something unique and completely unexpected. My partner in allPM.com, Judy Umlas, secretly developed a special “Frank Saladis PMP” edition of the allPM newsletter, allPM Today. Judy managed to obtain an assortment of letters, poems, commentary, and other very creative submissions about my involvement and dedication to the project management profession. This was done without even a hint that it was in progress. When I saw the edition, I was completely surprised, a little embarrassed (not too much, but a little), and very deeply touched that so many people actually took the time to write a few kind words. For a brief moment I was actually speechless. Those of you who know me personally may have trouble believing that but it’s true. I was stunned!

I had to read each entry several times and listen to a song that was sung by a great friend and alumnus of the PMI Leadership Institute. I can certainly assure Judi Vincent that I will remember her as well as everyone who contributed to that very special edition. A simple thank you does not seem quite enough to offer to Judy, Dr. Kerzner, Judi Vincent, Laverne Johnson, Greg Woo and the many other people who took a few minutes to offer their thoughts and good wishes. You have all boosted my desire to further contribute to the project management community and to continue to promote the value of the profession. I am sincerely grateful to everyone who had a part in that special edition and I feel extremely privileged to have such great friends and colleagues.