Martin O’Neill on volunteering with APM

As the chartered membership organisation for the project profession, we rely on the expertise and commitment of our volunteer community for the development and promotion of project, programme and portfolio management. We spoke with Martin O’ Neill, a member of APM’s Understanding Agile in Project Management steering group and Advanced Certified Scrum Master, about how volunteering has enabled him to improve the profession’s knowledge of agile.

What volunteering have you been involved with at APM?

I’ve been delighted to have been involved with Agile education and supporting research into Agile. Also, it was incredibly rewarding to help write a training course on one of my other passions, sustainability.

Why do you volunteer with APM?

I wanted to give something back to APM because it has helped me so much with my career. I felt the best way I could do that was by sharing my experiences with agile; I’ve been working in agile ways since the 1990s, and in the last 10 years or so I’ve really become a student of agile; trying different tools and techniques and soaking up all the information available. Now I’m able to broker the knowledge I’ve acquired over the years into some key learnings to share with the community; the advice I wish I could have had access to many years ago.

What do you get out of volunteering with APM?

I’ve grown both professionally and personally from volunteering. The diversity of my network has increased; I’ve been able to meet people I would never have met in my regular work and learn from their experiences. I have learnt about diverse topics such as wind farms, robotic dogs, nuclear energy, house building and artificial intelligence. With every interaction I’ve had, no matter how unrelated it seems to my current career, I find I learn something I can use professionally. 

On a personal level, I love being around people who are passionate about helping others; I truly get energised by being around fellow volunteers. Also, having to walk into a room of strangers, albeit friendly strangers, has increased my self-confidence. The challenge of meeting new people, the satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection with someone is personally incredibly rewarding for an introvert.

“Being an APM volunteer supports my passion for learning.”

What would you say to anyone thinking about volunteering with APM?

I would encourage everyone to do it! The team are lovely people and they won’t pressure you to overcommit. You will get more out of your volunteer experience than you can imagine; opportunities and learning present themselves when we least expect them. If, like me, you are passionate about doing valuable work and making a difference, I can thoroughly recommend volunteering with the APM.

Which of your achievements as a volunteer are you most proud of?

The Agile Tools and Techniques for all Projects training course is probably what I’m most proud of and also what I got the most from; seeing it transform from a concept I’d had in my head for a few years to scribbled notes and very rough drawings into a complete training course was amazing. The process of distilling what I would normally spend a full day talking about was challenging and enjoyable. It is said that the best way to master a subject is to teach it and I completely agree with that. Being an APM volunteer supports my passion for learning and enables me to challenge myself to keep learning to remain at the forefront of my profession. The feedback was fantastic too and it was really rewarding that people in the community had drawn real value from it. 

Jenny McLaughlin on volunteering with APM

Sharing knowledge and insight is at the heart of what we do as the chartered membership organisation for the project profession. We’re privileged to have a community of volunteers who help us by making their time and expertise available to others. Here, we speak with Jenny McLaughlin, Project Manager at Heathrow, about what inspired her to become an APM volunteer and the value it brings to people.

Tell us a little about your professional background

I’ve worked in aviation for 20 years, starting at East Midlands Airport where I eventually became Environment and Safeguarding Officer. After I began working at Heathrow, I had the opportunity to move onto project. The first project I picked up was aircraft de-icing. In true project manager style, I reviewed the problem statement and looked at what needed to be achieved, which ended up with us creating the first off-gate de-icing area at a UK airport! From there, I went on to I.T projects and then to infrastructure and development.

How did you come to volunteer for APM?

I’ve volunteered for APM for about two years now. I’ve written blogs on neurodiversity and project management, delivered webinars on equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and am part of a working group looking at improving the accessibility of being a disabled project manager, as I have ADHD and dyslexia. I think the role of project manager is vital in creating a more accessible inclusive world for all.

Is there anything you’ve been involved with as a volunteer that you’re especially proud of?

My proudest moment volunteering for APM is having other people reach out after reading my blogs on neurodiversity and realising they’re not the only ones, and the advantages having a brain that thinks differently can bring to project management.

In your experience, what professional advantages has the ability to think differently brought you?

I’m a naturally curious and sceptical person. I rarely take a problem statement or a solution at face value. I have an urge to understand things as much as possible, from all angles. That way, I’m more confident that the delivery method I’m choosing will achieve the desired benefit and take all considerations into account.

Would you recommend volunteering to others?

I would highly recommend volunteering for APM. You get so much out of it and it gives you many areas you can develop into and change industries with new transferable skills, such as speaking and presenting. By volunteering, I can challenge the status quo and inspire others to think differently about the projects they deliver. I also get to network with a broad spectrum of individuals and industries, which further develops my understanding of how to be the best project manager I can be.

Lanre Adebayo on volunteering with APM

“to inspire other young and upcoming project professionals to be the best they can”

Our volunteer community is an enormous asset in our mission to advance the art, science, theory and practice of project management. Lanre Adebayo ChPP, a Programme and Business Transformation Advisor from Australia, has volunteered with APM for seven years. Lanre has over 12 years’ experience and has worked for the UK Ministry of Defence, Defence Equipment and Support in Bristol, with a background in defence major projects and managing complex organisation issues. Lanre shares his story, from Melbourne.

How did you first start volunteering for APM

I started my volunteering journey publishing a piece in the Autumn edition of the APM Project Journal in 2015. I started in an ambassadorial role for APM speaking with UK undergraduate and masters students for various universities. I also write blogs and articles for the Australian Institute of Project Management, which is a partner with APM.

What made you want to volunteer?

I’m a graduate ambassador volunteer. I volunteer with APM because I thought it would be good to give back. My story may help to inspire other young and upcoming project professionals to be the best they can.

As someone from minority ethnic background, I also thought it would be a good way to show that APM has a diverse group of members and volunteers, to whom people can relate and recognise that everyone is welcome.

Do you find it rewarding?

Volunteering gives me the satisfaction that I might have made a difference by inspiring these young professionals by being a role model to a few of them. It also gives me the privilege to get an insight into the thinking of these future leaders and apply this learning in my own practice.

After events like APM’s The Project Management Unconference and Change Management, I have received LinkedIn messages and invitations to connect with people. It makes me happy to know that I have inspired and motivated emerging professionals to become a better project management professional. I’ve even had the privilege to be asked to be their mentor too.

Would you recommend volunteering to others?

I would say it is a great way to give back to the community we live in and make a difference in someone else’s life.

I cannot even tell you how big the smile is on my face, and how grateful I am to APM by providing me with an opportunity to inspire others, all the way from Australia.

David Woodhouse on volunteering with APM

As the chartered membership organisation for the project profession, we rely on the expertise and commitment of our volunteer community for the development and promotion of the project profession.  Here we speak to David Woodhouse, a civil engineer, who is a volunteer mentor with APM about his reasons for becoming a volunteer and why he would encourage others to get involved.

What volunteering have you been involved with at APM?

I have been involved with mentoring with APM since it launched its mentoring programme earlier this year. I decided to volunteer as I now have some extra free time and I wish to stay in touch with the civil engineering industry and use my experience to help others.

Why do you volunteer with APM?

I find it stimulating to hear the views of young mentees, about the challenges they are encountering in their careers, and what they wish to achieve in their professional journey.   Being a volunteer mentor allows me to draw on my own extensive experience working in projects within civil engineering; and gives me the satisfaction of someone getting value from the advice that I give them. I find it really rewarding knowing that I am helping and encouraging young engineers to advance their careers. 

What would you say to anyone thinking about volunteering with APM?

I would encourage anyone who is prepared to commit a little of their time to volunteer and to assist with such programmes with APM (and other similar associations). 

 I think APM’s mentoring programme is an extremely rewarding and worthwhile resource for both mentor and mentee.  I can thoroughly recommend volunteering with the APM.

Which of your achievements as a volunteer are you most proud of?

Working with a young civil engineer who, like I had, wanted to change her career from being a competent technician to being a competent project manager. We discussed her career to date and ambitions for over an hour, far longer than originally scheduled. The session was extremely engaging, and hopefully she will draw real value from it.