PDU Tip: Earning PDUs Through Leveraging PDU Activities

In our current series of PDU Tips we are exploring the many ways you can earn PDUs. Today we look at how you can gain PDUs through leveraging your PDU activities.

One of the best ways to proactively plan your PDUs is to get creative and leverage one PDU opportunity upon another. For example, if you attend a Project Management Institute (PMI)^® Chapter Meeting you will earn 1 PDU in Category A. Why not piggy-back on that PDU opportunity by taking an active role as a volunteer at the registration desk? This will give you credit towards Category E PDUs as it counts towards volunteer service. You’ll be at the Chapter Meeting anyway, so it is a great opportunity to use your time wisely and get the most out of the evening.

For an even better use of your time, how about listening to the latest PM Podcast episodes in your car on the journey there and back? This will give you Category C PDUs, as this qualifies as self-directed learning.

Let’s take another example. Your Chapter is hosting an evening event which includes a panel discussion. You can volunteer to speak on the panel or to moderate the panel. Your preparation time and the time spent delivering your presentation as part of the panel both count towards Category D PDUs, giving back to the profession by creating new project management knowledge. You can take notes during the event and afterwards write up an account of the evening for the Chapter newsletter or blog. You could even turn your presentation into an article for a magazine. This will give you some more Category D PDUs. If the discussion covers topics that you know will help one of your colleagues, you can coach them on this topic and claim Category E free PDUs for volunteer service as a result. And of course, on your way to and from the panel discussion you can listen to the latest PM Podcast episodes on your iPhone or other mobile device – and claim Category C PDUs for that.

In these examples you will have used one event to generate PDUs in multiple categories. Don’t be afraid to get creative and leverage PDU opportunities as much as you can.

In next week’s tip we’ll be looking at how you can earn PDUs through formal training.