Best PMI Resources for Project Help RIGHT NOW

I am not being paid to promote any of the resources below. I am simply a satisfied user of them.

The Project Management Institute, or PMI, is a wonderful, well-respected international organization with extensive resources for current and aspiring project managers. The institute is best known for administering the Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification, but also offers many standards, documents, online courses, webinars, articles, certifications, micro-credentials, local networking opportunities, conferences, study tools, and more.

Their extensive and diverse set of resources and supports for project managers is a strength. But if you’re new to project management and PMI, you might just be looking for specific advice and best practices to help your first few projects succeed. Where, among all of their resources, do you find that? Maybe the PMP is in your future, but for now, which PMI resources will show you the solutions you need TODAY for your project challenges TODAY?

I’ve been a PMI member since 2018. I’ve leaned heavily into some of their resources and given many others a try. For a new project manager looking to solve project problems right now, here are the 3 PMI resources that will get you answers and solutions the quickest.

1. Search the digital PMBOK® Guide.

Long-respected as the best overview of best practices across the field of project management, A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, or PMBOK® Guide, explains the basics of what tends to make project managers successful across all aspects of the role. If you download a digital copy of this guide—available as an Amazon Kindle purchase to anyone or as a free PDF to PMI members—you can use the search feature of your Kindle app/device or within your PDF viewer to look up information on the specific topic you need help with.

For any given topic, you’re likely to find a few results within a few sections. One section of the guide is The Standard for Project Management, a more condensed listing of the essential current project management best practices. The remainder of the volume, considered the PMBOK® Guide proper, expounds on these best practices a bit more. And finally, you’ll likely hit some results in the index, which will reference page numbers within both parts of the book where you can find more information on the topic you’re exploring.

This approach can work well if you’re already aware of some of the standard terminology for the aspect of project management you’re trying to learn about. If your searches of this digital book aren’t turning up much, try option 3 below to help you learn the standard terminology around your topic, then come back to the PMBOK® Guide and try the search again with your newfound terms.

2. Browse the DA Browser.

The Disciplined Agile Browser is a hidden gem within PMI resources. While it is geared more toward Agile projects, some of its advice can be applicable to other project types as well.

This resource is basically a digital hierarchical diagram of the various types of project situations you might face, and the best tools or responses that project managers have used to navigate that type of situation. Even if you’re totally new to a type of situation or a specific tool, it will give you enough information about that tool to get you started so you can give it a try. There is a bit more information here in the help section on how to navigate the browser.

If you’d like more context on the best way to use and apply the ideas in the browser, you can read the relatively short Choose your WoW! book. This book gets into the philosophy of how a project manager’s real value is in choosing the right project approaches tailored to their unique project or company. And at that point, you may want to consider a DASM certification, for which the book is a major study resource. But even with none of these additional resources, the browser alone will give you a good place to start.

3. Ask PMI Infinity.

PMI Infinity is PMI’s new custom GPT (custom AI chatbot), based on OpenAI’s ChatGPT but also trained on PMI’s vast body of knowledge and resources about project management.

If you’ve used other AI chatbots, PMI Infinity is likewise great at a few things, okay at some things, not good for others. But it will give you higher-quality project management information than a generic chatbot, and it cites the PMI sources that its responses are based on, and you can click directly to learn more if its response resonates with you.

My own most helpful use case for PMI Infinity so far has been having a way to talk through a project problem in a conversational way. It will show me if my thinking is on the right track and make aware of approaches I hadn’t considered. It usually won’t be the thing that teaches me a whole new topic, but it helps me figure out where to go next.

Unfortunately, other than the DA Browser itself, all the resources I mentioned above either cost money to purchase individually and/or require a PMI membership to access, which carries an annual fee ($159/year as of this writing, plus a possible additional fee for membership to your local PMI chapter).

But! Great news! As of the publication of this post, PMI is offering a 30-day free trial membership! You can check out all the resources I highlighted above free for 30 days. Learn more and sign up here. And if your financial situation allows—or if your employer will cover the cost, as mine does—I suspect you’ll find value in remaining a PMI member for as long as you’re in a project management role. They have right-fit resources for every stage of your project, program, portfolio, or PMO management journey.

And as you take that journey, I would love to complement PMI’s globally-vetted resources for you with more personal guidance and mentorship. If you’ve found this blog helpful, I’d be happy to send a new quick, educational, and encouraging blog to your inbox every Friday, or coach you through a more unique project challenge.

Happy leading! There’s tons of support for you out there as you lead projects that accomplish great things.