PMI-OC Book Club

Prof. Development

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Welcome to the PMI-OC Book Club! The PMI-OC Book Club is a virtual gathering place for PMI-OC members to read and discuss books related to project management and leadership development. The goal is for participants to grow as project managers and as leaders as they read and discuss the literature selected by the Book Club.

Benefits at a Glance

  • Ease of participation through a virtual setting
  • Great way to learn and earn PDUs
  • Share relevant books you've already read to spread information and help others
  • Great way to network with like-minded professionals interested in books and growth
  • Enhance project management and leadership skills and enrich your perspective through co-mingling with others' perspectives

Book Club Details

Book Club Structure

  • The Book Club is virtual/held online.
  • Current PMI-OC members may participate in the Book Club sessions for free.
  • Non-members may participate in the Book Club sessions for a $10 fee for each session.
  • Participants must acquire their own copy of the book.
  • The Book Club meetings are held once every other month on the third Thursday (Next Meeting Date: February 20 2025).

Book Club Meeting Structure

  • Each meeting will have a facilitator to guide discussion.
  • Each meeting should be expected to last one hour.
  • No more than 300 pages should be read per Book Club session.
  • Books with more than 300 pages may be pruned down or divided into sections and those sections may be discussed over a period of 2 or more sessions.
  • After each meeting, we request that participants provide 3-5 takeaways/lessons that they learned from the book to us (mentoring@pmi-oc.org) so we may collate all of the takeaways into a singular set of notes to describe usefulness of the book in the Books Read Journal.

How to Participate

  • Participation requires registering for the book club session on the PMI-OC website.
  • Participants must have read the book/book section under selection.

Books

  • Selection Requirements

    • Should cost no more than $35.
    • Should fall under one or more PMI Talent Triangle categories.

  • Selection Process

    • Books are selected by registrants filling out a survey where they vote on their top 3 choices for the next read.
    • The survey is sent out to registrants a week before the event registration cutoff date to allow time for those registered to vote on the next book.
    • Survey participants may also nominate additional books to add to the survey in the future.
    • The top choice for the next book is revealed at the upcoming Book Club meeting.

PDUs

  • We will report 1 PDU for attending the meeting. The type of PDU reported will be based on the book content.
  • Participants may also self-report PDUs to PMI based on time they spend reading (with 1 PDU per hour read, to a maximum of 6 PDUs)
    • Click here for a general description of PDUs on the PMI website.
    • Click here for the Continuing Certification Requirements Handbook, where you will find more details on PDUs and how to self-report PDUs.

If You Have Questions/Need Help

  • If you have any questions or need help, please reach out to the Mentorship Program team at mentoring@pmi-oc.org.

Next Meeting Date/Time:

February 20th, 2025 @ 6pm PST - Click here to register for the event.

Current Book to Read:

"Leaders Eat Last" by Simon Sinek

Synopsis from Amazon

Imagine a world where almost everyone wakes up inspired to go to work, feels trusted and valued during the day, then returns home feeling fulfilled. This is not a crazy, idealized notion. Today, in many successful organizations, great leaders create environments in which people naturally work together to do remarkable things.

In his work with organizations around the world, Simon Sinek noticed that some teams trust each other so deeply that they would literally put their lives on the line for each other. Other teams, no matter what incentives are offered, are doomed to infighting, fragmentation and failure. Why?

Too many workplaces are driven by cynicism, paranoia, and self-interest. But the best ones foster trust and cooperation because their leaders build what Sinek calls a "Circle of Safety" that separates the security inside the team from the challenges outside.

Sinek illustrates his ideas with fascinating true stories that range from the military to big business, from government to investment banking.

Reviews

"This book is truly amazing. Within the pages you will learn the importance of establishing REAL long lasting relationships with those in your life as opposed to digital ones. These relationships are not just limited to the ones you love: your friends, family and so on, but also the relationships we have with our coworkers, and others around us. Simon has packed this book with practical examples of changes we can make to improve those relationships, the dangers of unchecked social media use and backs it all up with study after study. Whether or not you aspire to own a business or become a CEO, we can all learn a lot from this book and its teachings could literally make this world a better place if we could all start making small changes for the good of us all rather than what’s good for us. Learn about the “Circle Of Safety” and how it was not only relevant to humans and animals thousands of years ago but also, perhaps even more relevant today and in the future."
""Leaders Eat Last" by Simon Sinek explores the concept of leadership and its impact on the success of organizations. The main message of the book is that the best leaders prioritize the well-being and safety of their employees, creating a sense of trust and community that ultimately leads to better performance and long-term success. Sinek emphasizes the importance of creating a "circle of safety" in the workplace, where employees feel valued, supported, and connected to one another. The book delves into the biology behind human behavior, explaining how the hormone oxytocin plays a role in building trust and fostering cooperation. Sinek argues that leaders who prioritize the well-being of their employees can create an environment that stimulates the production of oxytocin, leading to a culture of trust and cooperation. The book also references the concept of servant leadership, highlighting the importance of protecting and showing empathy for others rather than simply exerting authority based on social status. Overall, "Leaders Eat Last" provides insights into what makes leaders worth following and how they can create environments that foster trust, cooperation, and peak performance. In summary, "Leaders Eat Last" by Simon Sinek focuses on the significance of prioritizing the well-being of employees, creating a culture of trust and cooperation, and the biological and historical aspects of effective leadership."