A Week of Learning, Leadership, and Community at PMI-LA

Some weeks remind us just how much project management extends beyond schedules, budgets, and status reports.

Over the course of a few days, project professionals from across the PMI-LA community came together to discuss leadership, team performance, personal growth, and lessons learned from real-world experiences. While each event covered a different topic, they all shared a common theme: helping project professionals become more effective in the way they lead, communicate, and work with others.

Looking Beyond Time Tracking

The week began with a Career Development session led by Andrew Gromenko and Konstantin Romanov.

The discussion challenged attendees to think differently about time tracking and team performance. Rather than viewing tracking as a tool for control, participants explored how visibility, accountability, and recognition can help teams make better decisions and identify issues before they become larger problems.

Perhaps the most valuable part of the session was hearing how different organizations approach the same challenge and comparing the lessons learned along the way.

Adapting Your Leadership Style

On Friday, PMI-LA joined project professionals from multiple PMI chapters for Not One Way to Lead: How to Choose the Right Leadership Style for Your Project, presented by Scott Springer, EdD, PMP.

The session explored the idea that effective leadership is rarely one-size-fits-all. Different projects, teams, and situations often require different approaches, and successful project leaders learn how to adapt accordingly.

The discussion encouraged attendees to reflect on their own leadership styles and consider how flexibility can help teams navigate challenges more effectively.

We would also like to thank Audrey Jewell and the PMI Hawaii team for hosting this collaborative event.

Lessons from the Movies

The week concluded with our PMI-LA Book Club discussion of Projectland Goes to the Movies: 22 Blockbuster Strategies for Project Success by Dawn Mahan and Jerry Manas.

The conversation highlighted how project management lessons can come from unexpected places and how storytelling can help bring familiar concepts to life in new ways.

Attendees also enjoyed a leadership presentation from Asia Bribiesca-Hedin, MBA, MPA, who shared insights on the transition from task tracker to project leader and the skills that help professionals grow their influence and impact.

Thank You

A sincere thank you to Andrew Gromenko, Konstantin Romanov, Scott Springer, Audrey Jewell, Asia Bribiesca-Hedin, our Book Club team, volunteers, and everyone who participated throughout the week.

One of the greatest strengths of the PMI-LA community is the willingness of project professionals to share experiences, ask thoughtful questions, and learn from one another. We look forward to continuing those conversations at future events.

We hope to see you at an upcoming PMI-LA event soon.