Title:  Influence Skills for Project Managers   --  Dave Wessel, Situation Management Systems

Description: Project Managers spend much of their time and energy trying to influence other people - project sponsors, team members, functional managers, resource owners, contractors, customers, and other stakeholders - both inside and outside the organization. A typical challenge they face is influencing others without the benefit of positional power.

Project Managers must often negotiate for limited resources, lobby for project support, influence project scope, engage sub-project managers, sell realistic timelines, direct team efforts, and resolve scheduling conflicts - all without formal, organizational authority.

Effective Project Managers recognize these challenges - and overcome them - by using a variety of styles and techniques to influence others; getting project results while building positive relationships. They appreciate the style flexibility required to be successful in facing a wide range of situations.

In this presentation we will discuss the influence challenges that Project Managers face day-to-day, outline a model of influence styles, and provide guidelines for diagnosing an influence situation to determine which style would be most appropriate to use.

Participants will walk-away with:

 * A time-tested and proven model of 8 effective influence styles,

 * Insights into the influence tools they use the most,

 * Appreciation for the influence tools they could use more often, and

 * A diagnostic tool to determine which influence style to use in a given situation.

Speaker Biography: As a Senior Consultant with Situation Management Systems, Dave Wessel is responsible for the sale, design, and delivery of training programs and consulting services in the areas of influence skills, negotiation strategies, championing change, and project management.

He has over 25 years of successful experience in managing projects to:

 * Formulate and implement organizational strategy

 * Improve product quality and service capabilities

 * Enhance individual and organizational effectiveness

 * Develop new products and upgrade existing products

 * Conduct sales events and marketing campaigns

He works with client organizations in all sectors - manufacturing, service, government and non-profit, helping them achieve business results and build positive relationships.

As a trusted business advisor, Mr. Wessel has enjoyed the opportunity to work with Aetna, American Heart Association, AT&T, Ericsson, First Union, General Motors, Health Care Financing Administration, Lowe's, Nortel, Scientific-Atlanta, Sprint, the U.S. Coast Guard … and a host of other leading organizations.

Prior to joining SMS, he held positions as a Partner with Kepner-Tregoe (a training and consulting firm specializing in problem solving, decision making, project management, quality improvement and strategy); a Regional Manager for Control Data Corporation's human resources software, consulting and training programs; and several marketing and sales management positions with the College Division of Addison-Wesley Publishing Co. (a publisher of textbooks, professional reference titles and training materials).

Mr. Wessel earned his BA at Rutgers University, an MBA at Duke University's Weekend Executive MBA program and is an American Society of Quality Certified Quality Manager. He has published articles and delivered presentations in a variety of venues, including Quality Progress, The Wall Street Journal, and several trade association conferences and chapter meetings.

He lives in southern New Hampshire with his wife of 20+ years and spends as much time as possible on the Outer Banks of North Carolina with his two college-age children. His hobbies include camping, caving, foreign travel, photography, reading, and archeology.

Directions:  Wright Express Cafe, 54 Darling Ave, South Portland

• From 95 -
  Take exit for Airport onto Western Ave (south) to right on Payne Road (Maine Mall Rd.).
  Next left onto Darling Ave. 
  Right at the Wright Express building (54 Darling).

• From 295 -
  From Exit 3, take right onto Westbrook St. to Western Ave (Young's Furniture on Corner).
  Next Left onto Foden Rd.
  Next Right onto Darling Ave. 
  Left at 54 Darling Ave. at the Wright Express building

Park in rear between 1st and 2nd building. Enter through Cafe door. This is a full glass door with direct view from the Cafe.

Call the Maine Chapter Voicemail at 207-766-5514 or 766-5836 information about meeting cancellations in case of inclement weather.