Episode 6: Talent Triangle

Manage This - The Project Management Podcast

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER NICK WALKER: Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers. It’s an opportunity to meet and discuss what matters to you in the world of project management. Whether you’re already a professional project manager or working toward certification in the field, our goal is to help you along the way. We want to answer your questions about preparing for and taking those certification exams, and hear some real-life stories of those who are making a difference in the industry. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are two guys who make this all happen. They are our resident experts, Andy Crowe and Bill Yates. They have the experience of seeing project management from all angles, and they want you to benefit from their experience. All right, guys? Hey, let’s get started. ANDY CROWE: Good morning. BILL YATES: Yeah, good to see you guys. ANDY CROWE: You know, even thinking that through, seeing projects from all angles is sometimes like seeing people from all angles. Some of those angles are not pleasant. Some are better than others. Everybody has a flattering side. BILL YATES: I have a good side. I have several bad sides. NICK WALKER: Well, you know, and I guess beauty sometimes is in the eye of the beholder, too, because one side might look a little bit different to one person than another. BILL YATES: That’s true. NICK WALKER: Someone might gravitate toward one side. And that’s kind of what we’re talking about today; you know? Most people probably like to gravitate toward that tactical side, carefully planned, meticulously executed, all with the goal of reaching a very clear objective. The projects themselves are where the rubber meets the road, where things get done. But it’s pretty obvious that project management is a field that is constantly evolving. You know, it’s always changing. The Project Management Institute has recognized some of those changes, and it’s recently come out with what it calls the “talent triangle.” BILL YATES: That’s right. It’s not the Bermuda Triangle. NICK WALKER: Oh, good. BILL YATES: I just want to clarify. It’s not. NICK WALKER: Okay. You don’t get lost and disappear forever. BILL YATES: No, you don’t get lost in it. There are three very clear legs, yeah. NICK WALKER: We’ll try to keep our head above water, anyway, with it. BILL YATES: There we go. NICK WALKER: Okay, guys. Why is this coming to the surface right now? Why are we hearing so much more about it right now, Bill? BILL YATES: Right, Nick. The talent triangle was rolled out – I believe it was December of 2015. It was in the fourth quarter. That’s relevant to all PMP holders, really anyone who holds a credential with PMI. Now PMI is saying you have to earn certain PDUs, hours of education, in each of these legs of the talent triangle. There are a minimum of eight that we need to earn for technical, for leadership, and now for strategic and business management, so a minimum of eight hours of education related to each of those three. NICK WALKER: And is the education available? BILL YATES: Yes, it is. I’m glad you’ve asked. Yes, sir. Have we got something for you. Yeah, one of the things that we as a registered education provider had to do, we had to take a look at our existing courses that we offer, live and online, and determine which category they fall into. And they can go across all three. So one course could count – you could divide a five-hour course into, let’s say, three hours of technical, an hour of leadership, and one hour or one PDU of strategic. So we had to categorize all of ours. And we continue to add to that. So, yeah, we do. ANDY CROWE: PMI is wise. They know that PDUs and these continuing certification requirements drive a lot of behavior. BILL YATES: Right. ANDY CROWE: So it is an interesting thing to watch them change the rudder o...