Gary, you are the 14th person to pass the PMP exam. What was the exam like then? How did you even know about it and why did you decide to take it?

I was working for Stokely Van Camp both developing a new process and overseeing a large oil refinery expansion and wanted to learn more about project management. I found a reference to PMI in a book, The Encyclopedia of Associations, at the library and contacted them. Turned out Lee Lambert was right up the street and was on the team putting the first PMP exam together! From that I attended their conference in Philadelphia. At the time there were about eight thousand members in PMI. I was one of ninety-five people that were qualified to take the first PMP certification exam in 1984. It was a written exam that was graded by a panel of PMI experts. We got our results by mail approximately 3 months after taking the exam. Approximately 45 people from the first exam group passed and were awarded the PMP certification. The certification numbers were assigned alphabetically, so with a name in the middle of the alphabet, I got #14!

 

How has your membership in PMI and your PMP certification benefited you in your career?

When I joined PMI, it was a small organization; it has grown to become a global organization that is recognized as the world leader in advancing the profession and discipline of project management. The PMP certification gives me credibility as a skilled project manager, and provides a framework for managing projects that allow me to ask “If everything was going great on this project, what would it look like?” From that I can identify and address risks and issues that could impact the project outcomes.

​

Gary, what are you doing these days?

I am very busy with my consulting, teaching, and mentoring practice. I work mostly with privately held companies (typically under $75 M in revenue) that have been successful but reached a “plateau” and need help to continue growing. In addition, I am always happy to give presentations about project management and change management and am currently mentoring a number of individuals. 

​

Outside of work, I love to cook for family and friends. It creates a balance with my work, and allows me to be creative, and connect with others. I learned the basics of cooking while sitting in my grandmother’s kitchen, and love to share this same experience with my kids and grandkids. A lot of what I make I give to family and friends. Some of my favorite things to make are ravioli (36 dozen at a time), pasta sauce (4 gallons) and meatballs (100). I also like to grill and smoke meats.

 

What is your interest in change management?

I’ve always been fascinated by the number of projects that “fail”, which has led to my work with Wicked Problems. PMI used to quote a statistic that 70% of projects fail. It is my belief that many of these project failures can be attributed to a lack of clear alignment and common objectives between all of the project stakeholders. My focus has been on understanding the “politics” of a project and using that insight to work with the stakeholders to build a common set of goals for the project. It has led to the development of my signature system, the Business Triad – Politics, Business Case, and Project Management

 

You have had a long and successful career and have seen a lot of changes. What advice would you give a young person just embarking on a career as a project manager?

1. Connect – first with yourself and then with others

2. Be humble – know what you can and can’t do

3. Be kind – you’ll get as much out of it as the person you are helping. Besides, you’ll get your turn in the pit-of-unfairness-of-life and having good connections will go a long way to getting back on track

4. Find your passion – find what creates spontaneity within and gets you up in the morning

5. Determine Key Principles and stick to them – create a “report card” around your passion and score activities accordingly. The Guide to the PMBOK can be a good tool in this regard.

6. Experiment – If having a hard time with 1 – 5 then try something new, even if it is difficult. There is no such things as failure, just added information to your “lessons learned.”

​