Let's Volunteer!
Bob Thomas, Carolina Hill, Ross Muller at the PMDoS-QLD Volunteer Event

Let's Volunteer!

During my career I have always volunteered at events promoted by my employers. This included working on a school renovation, raising funds for kid’s shelters in São Paulo city, Brazil. While I have no experience and expertise in gardening, painting, renovating or construction, you still try your best. Volunteering provides an opportunity to reassess your life, due to the huge emotional commitment you are making. You feel proud of your achievement for the day and sad at the same time, because is a very different reality that you know is not going to change any time soon.

This year for the first time I volunteered for a Project Management Volunteer Event, The Project Management Day of Service (PMDoS), promoted by the PMI Queensland Chapter. PMDoS Queensland is a free one day problem solving event where charities and not-for-profit organisations are matched with project management professionals.

It was my opportunity to share the skills that I have worked at building and growing over my whole professional life, into a day of concentrated effort. The charity I was paired up with was the Shell Family Inc. The brief was assist this charity to plan and organize their first Surf4Pink event.

To support all the charities and not-for-profit organizations, the PMDoS Management Team divided the consultants into 21 teams. My team was composed by Ross Muller, team leader, Bob Thomas and myself. My team of project managers comes from a diverse background of skills and experience.

Our not-for-profit organization provides assistance and support women and their families through breast cancer, so that they can focus their energy into healing and remaining positive. The organization team has focused their energy so much in getting the organization mission ongoing, that they have overlooked the Surf4Pink Event. This is their main event for the year and is the focus of their fundraising activity.

Despite none of my team members had previous experience in Event Management, we were able to develop an event management plan. We collaborated with Marcia Neaves, president and co-founder of Shell Family Inc, to develop a practical plan for the organisation to deliver to.  The scope was detailed, the most urgent tasks were directed and addressed, a preliminary timeline was put in place and structure and organized way for addressing the next steps was outlined.

The whole week preceding the event and the event day were very productive given the opportunity for self-development, for learning about new technologies, like the usage of Slack and SmartSheet, for re-discovering concepts, for sharing experience, for networking and for having fun. One of my key learnings is that it doesn’t matter what industry you have expertise in or how much technical knowledge you have in a particular field, at the end of the day you are a Project Manager and I can help people. I can confidentially say that I’ll be at the next Project Management Day of Service. 


Elise Stevens

⬆️From Analog to Agile: Equipping 50+ for Tech-Powered Success in the modern workplace

7y

Carolina, it was a fantastic event. Your article highlights how Project Managers can contribute to the community using our business skills. Thank you for sharing this.

Carolina, We are very happy to hear that the PMDoS was something valuable and educational for you. Our goal all along was to serve the charitable organisations with the help they needed and to afford people like you the opportunity to share your wisdom and experience in a rewarding manner. Thank you for your comments and all the best in your future endeavours. Looking forward to seeing you at the next PMDoS!

Thanks for sharing your experience at PMDoS Carolina. The enthusiasm and "can do" attitude that you brought to the event was amazing.

Carolina Hill, PMP,CSM

Managing Consultant * Program Manager

7y

Ross Muller, Bob Thomas

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