Calendar of Events

Presentation Description

Description of Topic/Presentation:

At this event, we will discuss the book “The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters” by Priya Parker. In this book, Parker explores why many of our gatherings fail to achieve their intended purpose and challenges the conventional ways we approach meetings, events, and other occasions that bring people together. She provides a framework for creating more purposeful and meaningful gatherings by focusing less on routine and logistics and more on why we are gathering in the first place.

Together, we’ll explore how defining a clear and specific purpose can guide decisions about who should participate, how a gathering should be structured, and what should happen once people come together. We’ll discuss Parker’s concepts of thoughtful exclusion and “generous authority,” her challenge to established conventions and routines, and the importance of intentionally opening, guiding, and closing a gathering so that it remains focused on its purpose.

In a project environment where success depends on bringing people together through status meetings, planning sessions, workshops, retrospectives, and stakeholder discussions, these principles can help project managers become more intentional about how they design and facilitate those interactions. By starting with a clear purpose and structuring each gathering around that purpose, project managers can create more focused conversations, encourage meaningful participation, and help ensure that the time people spend together contributes to moving the project forward.

Click here to learn more about the PMI-OC Book Club!

Learning Objectives from the Book:

1. Learn how to apply purpose-driven planning to project meetings and workshops.
2. Learn how to use “generous authority” to facilitate more focused and effective project interactions.
3. Learn how to design project gatherings intentionally to improve engagement and outcomes.

Learning Objectives from the Meeting:

1. Improve understanding of how to create more purposeful and meaningful gatherings by focusing less on routine and logistics and more on why we are gathering in the first place.
2. Discuss the book with others.
3. Gain more perspective through integrating the perspectives of others.

If You Have Questions/Need Help

If you have any questions or need help, please reach out to the Book Club team at book-club@pmi-oc.org.

Speaker Bio

Priya Parker:

Priya Parker works to help people create collective meaning in their lives through gatherings. She is a master facilitator, strategic advisor, acclaimed author of The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why it Matters, and the host and executive producer of the New York Times podcast, Together Apart. Trained in the field of conflict resolution, Parker has worked on race relations on American college campuses and on peace processes in the Arab world, southern Africa, and India. She studied organizational design at M.I.T., public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, and political and social thought at the University of Virginia. She lives with her husband and two children in Brooklyn, NY.

Location

This session will be delivered via online webinar. The link will be sent to all registered attendees before the book club meeting begins. 

PDU Accrual

Should you want PDUs for reading the book, you may personally report to PMI 1 PDU per hour of reading. Additionally, your attendance to the virtual meeting will result in one (1) PDU which will be reported to PMI on your behalf, via a PMI-OC volunteer, 2-3 days after the event.  The Book Club asks that you please completely read the book prior to attending the virtual event.  If you register for this event, but do not attend, you may still report PDUs for reading the book but may not report or receive additional PDUs for event engagement.

Time

5:50 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. - Early Login/Networking

6:00 p.m. - Event Start

6:00 p.m. to 6:05 p.m. - Book Club Introduction

6:05 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. - Book Overview

6:15 p.m. to 6:20 p.m. - Initial Book Rating

6:20 p.m. to 6:55 p.m. - Discussion

6:55 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. - Post-discussion Book Rating

7:00 p.m. to 7:05 p.m. - Upcoming Events

7:05 p.m. to 7:10 p.m. - Next Book, Door Prize, Feedback Survey

7:10 p.m. to 7:20 p.m. - Group Photo & Networking/LI Profile Sharing

7:20 p.m. - Event Concluded & Adjourned

Cost

Registration Cutoff Date and Time: Must register by October 13th, 2026 @ 11:59 p.m.

This will allow us time to send the meeting link to all participants at once.

PDUs: Ways of Working (1 PDU for Meeting Attendance + 1 PDU Per Hour of Reading)