Too many projects, not the right projects, inconsistent approaches to projects, resource constraints, over budget and late - the anxiety-producing woes are endless.  How do you convert project woes to wins?  Andrew Longman, partner and vice president, marketing for Kepner-Tregoe, Inc., draws on his extensive international project management experience to discuss projects as both thinking and performance system challenges.

More important than project management processes, tools, and techniques is having team members think through the "why" behind them, and equipping them with sharper analytical approaches to problem solving, decision making, and priority setting.  This session presents a user-friendly model for sharpening the critical-thinking ability of teams and managing the performance context in which teams operate to produce high-impact project performance.

The Career Networking session heard a talk from a Product Development Manager in the medical device industry who has built a new R&D team from scratch, from entry level to managers.  Words of wisdom on the hiring process, and some real life examples of the good, the bad and the ugly.
Networking Session:

The Career Networking Program will present the next in the series of opportunities to focus on YOUR CAREER HEALTH.  The CNP  provided a one-hour session on response to resumes submitted for consideration.

Our respected speaker, David Vincenti is Manager / Research & Development for BD Medical.  BD Medical is in the medical device industry, and David has been involved in building a new R&D team from scratch.  Specifically, the team hired 15 people in 18 months.  He will describe the recruiting and selection process used to fill these positions. As part of the background, the department has reviewed more than 1,000 resumes and interviewed more than 100 candidates, and hired at every level from entry level to manager.  As a research and development organization, they recruit and hire only scientists or engineers from disciplines relevant to their products and technologies, and have designed outreach and recruiting campaigns to reach that audience.

Bring your business cards.