Dear Practitioner,

Last month we conducted a first of its kind virtual conference that brought together all 11 chapters from India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. We have been organizing virtual events since the beginning of the pandemic, but the Common Ground Symposium on 21 and 22 November took it to a whole new level. It is an excellent example of collaboration among practitioners across the region, which is a sign of things to come.

Project managers are true change-makers, helping organizations, communities, and countries realize their goals and aspirations. However, they need to keep pace with the fast changing ecosystem and align their capabilities to the new demands.

In addition to their management capabilities, project managers will require what we call “power skills”, or skills such as collaboration, business acumen, leadership, and problem-solving, to successfully lead projects. Many of the leaders who spoke at the conference highlighted the importance of these skills. New challenges and opportunities, the need for re-skilling, and ways in which PMI is helping project managers to stay relevant were the core themes of the opening keynote address by PMI President and CEO Sunil Prashara, and the panel discussion by the PMI regional managing directors. Some of these new offerings from PMI are Wicked Problem Solving, Disciplined Agile™, and Citizen Development.

As you would know, the updated exam content for the Project Management Professional® certification comes into effect in January. The content is a reflection of the changed business environment. The conference theme, Creating New Realities, provided the right canvas to highlight real-world stories of success, grit, and determination by individuals who have accomplished extraordinary feats despite many constraints. I am sure delegates took away many life lessons from the two days at the conference. I am also grateful for the time the leaders spent in enlightening our delegates on the expectations in the new reality.

My congratulations go to the chapter leaders and volunteers for the commendable feat of successfully organizing this virtual event.

Srini Srinivasan
Managing Director, PMI South Asia