Calendar of Events

November 18, 2021 PM for the Berlin Air Drop

Jim Benvie PMP, “The History PM”, believes that project managers can learn valuable lessons from history. Many of his presentations combine elements of both history and project management, with topics as diverse as a medieval struggle for independence to a 20th-century humanitarian operation. In this presentation Jim examines The Berlin Airlift and the lessons for today’s project managers. The Berlin Airlift was the first round of the Cold War, and a shooting war with the Soviet Union was a very real possibility. In early 1948 the Soviets closed off all land and water transport routes to Berlin from western Germany. This left only a slender air bridge to supply the western allies and 2.4 million German civilians in West Berlin. The western political and military establishments believed the airlift would fail. But one man had done this before and believed that an airlift could succeed. This is the story of one of the most difficult but ultimately successful projects of the 20th century. Learning objectives: By the end of this session, attendees will have an enhanced understanding of: The importance of collaboration between all organizations involved in the project. The need for a balance between structure and innovation. The importance of the human factor.