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The Ups and Downs of Strategies for Earning PDUs

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Published: 31Aug2009
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Many of us PMPs struggle with just how to earn our required 60 PMP PDUs (Professional Development Units) every 3 years. I will not repeat the strategies for personal PDU management as listed in prior articles by me - see Earning PDUs and Maintaining PMP PgMP Status Is Easy and 6 Things to Consider in Your PDU Planning - and others, but I will talk a bit about aligning your current career strategy with your PMP PDU strategy.

Efficiency, Competence, and...STRATEGY
As busy professionals, we need to make to most of our time. We need to do things efficiently and competently. I will also add that we must do things "strategically" because this is the key to what I have in mind. I will also add that it is the area that has also been most challenging to me.

Building Your Network
Say, for example, that you want to bolster your network. One way to do that would be to volunteer and use your project management skills. You could volunteer for the PMI, if you want to network with other PMPs, and also get plugged in to the broader network in the project management community. You can get acquainted with speakers, writers, and other 'movers and shakers' in the industry. You may also want to volunteer for a non-profit or community organization that also could use your project management acumen - and fulfill some personal strategic goals as well as fulfill your PMI PDU requirement.

Building Your Knowledge and Skill
Could there be a skill area that, if you got it under your belt, would help you to get to the next level? Perhaps you need more background in business strategy. Maybe improving your communication skills in certain areas is holding you back, and some good training would help you. Perhaps there is an emerging trend, an area of focus in the business world, that, if you got up to speed, would open doors. There are plenty of opportunities to fill in the gaps of knowledge and skill.

Building Your Credentials
Our credentials are something that we can flash to the world. They include things such as where we went to school, what awards we have one, what positions we have achieved, what we have accomplished, what certifications we have, what articles or books we have written, and more. they include whatever will impress someone to want to engage with else, whether in conversation, for advice, or for employment. We can boost our credentials at any time by earning a degree or certification, winning an award, giving a speech, writing and article or even a book, and many other actions. Many, if not most, of these actions will also earn PMP PDUs for us to maintain our PMP certification.

Set Your Strategy, then Earn Your PMI PDUs
The key is to set your strategy, lay our your goals, and then fulfill your PMI PDU requirements from with that personalized framework. This is in complete alignment with building a successful career and fulfilling the PMI's ideal of continuous learning and advancement of knowledge in the field. Most importantly, it makes fulfilling the PDU requirement easy, since it if fulfilled by some other activities that you want or need to be doing anyway!

John Reiling, PMP, PE, MBA is an experienced Project Manager and certified Project Management Professional. John's web site, http://www.pmtrainingonline.com provides online project management training for beginning managers and for PMP exam prep and PDUs. John also writes regularly in his blog, PMcrunch.com (http://pmcrunch.com).

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