Reflections on the launch of PMI’s Agile Community

In case you missed it, the PMI announced to its leaders and to its members the official launch of a formal community dedicated to Agile Project Management. Apparently, the industry thinks this is a significant milestone. The launch was covered by InfoQ, Gantthead.com, social media guru Bas de Baar, and the Scrum Alliance

I’ve been been processing all this momentum, what it means, and where we should go with it. Here are my ponderings:

1. First, the media buzz is just beginning. Our official launch is being followed up with significant ceremony at the Agile 2009 conference. We’ll be handing out brochures, doing presentations, and hosting a celebratory reception in conjunction with Thoughtworks, Inc. (click here to RSVP for the reception). Coming out of these events, there will be more stories about the PMI Agile milestone from conference media coverage and from PMI itself. More people will hear about it, and start asking questions. If you haven’t been asked about it yet, you will be.
2. Next, this community and its momentum are a means to an end. Anyone who has experienced the transition from a traditional business culture to an agile culture knows we’re talking about real human value here. Project Managers no longer have to live in anxiety and fear over things they are expected to control but can’t. Team members no longer have to tolerate being treated as juvenile sheep. Sponsors can actually accomplish their professional goals. Agile Project Management is more than just about good financial stewardship; it’s about improving quality of worklife.
3. Finally, I intend to be shameless in asking for help. PMI members are hungry for a change away from business as usual. There are over 600,000 PMI constituents that want to know what the Agile approach is, and how to do it. To make the most of this opportunity, we need the help of Agilists from all over. We need both the advice of seasoned Agile thought leaders to guide us, and the manpower of Agile experts to spread the knowledge. Did you know that PMI has over 250 chapters in 70 countries? There’s no way the Agile message is getting to all those project managers, unless you get involved.

Certainly, I’ll be blogging from the conference next week. Tune in, and you’ll get a sense of what’s happening.