Positivity as a Business Strategy

Title: Positivity as a Business Strategy
Date and Time: September 25, 2024 | 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Location: University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC), Outpatient Tower Conference Center
800 Linden Avenue, Baltimore, MD  2120
PDUs:  2.5 (Power Skills)
Cost:  $30 for members; $40 for non-members
About This Event: People are at the heart of every project, so what if we put people in the center of the iron triangle? If we did that, then building healthy relationships with project stakeholders would be a priority, equal to technical, schedule, and cost performance. A healthy relationship allows us to share ideas, good and bad news, and disagreements with productive dialogue. Positivity – speaking and acting with a positive attitude – can go a long way toward establishing and maintaining the kind of relationships that make collaboration more productive, problem-solving easier, and work more fun. In this session, we’ll discuss the science of positivity, delve into its personal benefits, and how we can extend those benefits outward to the most important people on our projects – our stakeholders.

Key Takeaways:

By the time this presentation is complete, participants will be able to:

• Foster a growth mindset: Positive outlook can encourage project managers to work hard, pursue ambitious goals, and learn from setbacks.
• Turn challenges into opportunities: Positive thinkers are better at identifying solutions and viewing challenges as opportunities for growth and learning.
• Resilience: Positive thinking can help people maintain optimism, even in the face of adversity, which is a key factor in building resilience.

Presenter:   

Elizabeth “Beth” May, PMP, SSM, ITIL, HPS GRAD, AWS Business Professional Accreditation, AWS Technical Professional Accreditation
Chief Operating Officer, Project Management for Change

Beth is a seasoned public speaker, leadership expert, and certified Project Management Professional. Recently retired from a distinguished career as a government contractor, she has made significant contributions to mission-critical programs for defense, intelligence, and civil agencies in the U.S. and beyond.

With an undergraduate degree in Computer Engineering and a master’s degree in Computer Science, Beth possesses a strong technical foundation complemented by exceptional management skills. While Beth is now embracing retirement, she remains passionate about sharing her knowledge and insights as a public speaker and consultant.

Beyond her professional pursuits, Beth is an active member of her community. As the Chief Operating Officer of the nonprofit Project Management for Change, she leads an all-volunteer team in providing pro bono project management support to nonprofits worldwide. Additionally, she continues to mentor and inspire the next generation as the co-founder of Engineering Explorer Post 1010, where she coaches high school students for the UAS4STEM competition. Beth is also an award-winning Toastmaster.

Beth and her husband reside in Mount Airy, Maryland, where they are adjusting to being empty nesters since their two sons moved out. In her leisure time, Beth indulges in her passions for great food, travel, storytelling festivals, theater, yoga, writing, hiking, biking, and the exhilaration of driving her sports car, a Nissan 370Z.

Agenda:

6:00 pm (SHARP!)
6:00 pm – 6:30 pm: Dinner
6:30 pm – 9:00 pm: Presentation / Q&A
9:00 pm: Closing

Directions:

FROM THE NORTH:

Take the Baltimore Beltway to Exit 23 (I-83 South). Take I-83 to Exit 3 (Guilford Avenue). Go two blocks to Madison Street and make a right, heading west. University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown Campus is located 10 blocks on the right, one block past Howard Street.

FROM THE SOUTH:

Take the Baltimore Beltway to Exit 7A (Baltimore-Washington Parkway). Go north until the parkway ends and becomes Russell Street. Take Russell Street to Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard (located between the two Camden Yards stadium complexes). Take MLK Boulevard

past U.S. Route 40 about six blocks to Linden Avenue. Turn right; the hospital is located on the left. The Outpatient is on the right. From I-95, take Exit 53. Go to the MLK Boulevard exit and follow the directions above.

FROM THE EAST:

Take I-95 to the Ft. McHenry Tunnel exit at Route 395 and follow signs to Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard (located between the two Camden Yards stadium complexes). Take MLK Boulevard past U.S. Route 40 about six blocks to Linden Avenue. Turn right; the hospital is located on the left. The Outpatient is on the right.

FROM THE WEST:

Take the Baltimore Beltway to Exit 15A (U.S. Route 40/Baltimore National Pike). Head east toward Baltimore City. Stay on Route 40 until you reach a short stretch of highway (an unfinished interstate). Continue east until the Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard exit. Make a left on MLK Boulevard and travel north until you reach Linden Avenue. Turn right; the hospital is located on the left. The Outpatient is on the right.

Parking:

Note: PMI Members must bring their parking tickets to be validated.

When you arrive at the University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown Campus (MTC), you will park in the Madison Street Parking Garage (entrance on Linden Ave).

PMI Members are assigned to park on Level 4 and Level 5 of the Outpatient garage.

• After entering Level 4, members must make a right to enter the Outpatient Tower garage, it will say Patient Only,
• After entering Level 5, which is on the roof, make a left, then a right to enter the Outpatient Tower garage, it will say Patient Only.