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A big differentiator between projects that succeed and projects that fail is the engagement and commitment of the Project Manager. Are they just going through the motions? Or are they taking charge? In this short “Appetizer” episode, we share some tasty bites which might help you re-think how you approach leadership in your project. PM HAPPY HOUR MEMBERSHIP IS HERE! We have just launched our PM Happy Hour Membership! Want easy PDU’s reported to PMI for you? Want bonus content? Webinars? Personal...
*SO* much about project success is dependent on communication that we love to have communication experts on the show. Today’s guests, authors of the new book, “How to avoid a huge Leadersh*t,” will talk us through practical methods and examples for how to use narrative to effectively communicate - from introducing yourself to a group of people, to trying to justify projects and get stakeholder buy-in. We all relate to stories, so it’s only natural to communicate with them! ABOUT OUR GUESTS, Bria...
In today’s episode, Phoenix-based head of The PMO Squad, Joe Pusz (also known in the PM community as PMO Joe) will share his knowledge on Mentorship with us. In addition to his deep experience on the topic, his organization partners with Vets to PM, a mentorship program which pairs US Veterans with experienced PMs to help them enter the PM field. PMO Joe is a master of Mentorship, and helps us understand the benefits to both the Mentor and Mentee, and shares some valuable tips for getting engage...
In today’s short-format “Appetiser” episode, we have a tasty little nugget to share about building trust. Trust is essential for building effective working relationships with your team, sponsors and stakeholders. But how do you do it? In today’s show, we talk about a couple specific techniques you can use to build - or repair- trust. TIMESTAMPS (A new feature, highlighting timestamps of key topics): 1:23 Why does building trust matter? 1:50 Why build trust with you team? 2:22 What is the value o...
Everyone has something go wrong on their projects at some point. As much as we dread breaking the news, how we communicate these problems to our stakeholders can have a greater impact on our project and long term business relationships than the problems themselves. In today’s episode we share our own horror stories about project calamities, and share some lessons learned and tips for communicating with our stakeholders and sponsors through these issues. Do it right, and you can come out the othe...
Although touched on in the PMBOK, most of us have little exposure to Monte Carlo analysis – which is a shame! Monte Carlo analysis can add a new level of credibility to our planning when the stakes are high by backing it with real science and statistical models. In this episode, we demystify this tool, discuss its benefits, when it is appropriate, and why math is our friend J From mining to professional services, contact centers and orbital battle stations, we discuss how Monte Carlo can help yo...
There is enough to deal with in project management without gender issues making it even tougher. So, today we openly talk about challenges women can face in the workplace. Rather than hit you with a bunch of statistics (which are also important), Kate will share some real-life examples of challenges she’s faced, and we talk openly about ways to address them. Guys, you should listen - you might be surprised what kind of challenges women have to deal with sometimes. MEMBERSHIP COMING SOON! Get acc...
This episode, we talk about an old stand-by in the PM world, the RAID Log. RAID Logs (Risks, Actions, Issues and Decisions) are an essential tool that every PM needs in their toolbox. Heck, you can effectively run an entire project from one! If you have never heard of them before, you need to check in – whether you have a small project or a major program, RAID logs can save your bacon. And if you’ve used them in the past, tune in for some tips to be super effective with them. FREE RAID LOG! Why ...
Microsoft Project Professional client is a staple in the industry, and is probably where most of learned what a GANTT chart is. But what about the online version for teams, Project Server? It seems to be the default PPM solution organizations think about when considering PPM, but Is it really all that? Anecdotally, a lot of organizations fail with the product. But is it the product’s fault? And why is that failure so ironic? And what other options are there out in the market? GREAT USER MAIL QUE...
We all run into those little “Yellow Lights” on projects – those moments when you think, “wait a minute… that’s not right.” All too often, we “floor it” and try to get through the light before it gets red - only to end up in a head-on collision! Today, we take a lesson from Mahan Khalsa’s great book, “Let’s Get Real or Let’s Not Play” for how to handle these critical moments when we realize that something is definitely not right. PM HAPPY HOUR MEMBERSHIP COMING!` We are going to be moving to a m...
Today we have our first Appetizer episode. What’s an appetizer? These are short format episodes – 15 minutes – in between our main shows where we hit on short, informative topics. These topics are too small to fill up a full show, or we want to see if there is enough interest from you, our PM Happy Hour listeners , to turn them into full episodes. So, if you hear an Appetizer and think, “they should make a whole meal out of that!” please let us know and we’ll be happy to do that. PM HAPPY HOUR M...
You depend on them and, let’s be honest, sometimes you abuse them. This week we talk to Ollie Hunter, the enterprise architect for a leading e-commerce firm in Europe. Ollie will share life from an architect’s perspective, and help us understand how we, as project leaders, can develop better relationships with our architects, and enable them so they can have the most impact on your project. We got so into this episode that it’s our longest one yet, at just about an hour of great stuff! And, yes,...
This week we plunge into Project Communications – the most common cause of project failure. We are joined by Jennifer Rock and Michael Voss, authors of the book “B.S., Incorporated.” Over happy hour, they share 5 insightful “tough love” tips on project communication, the way that only a BFF would. Thanks Jennifer and Michael! OUR AMAZING GUESTS Jennifer Rock and Michael Voss have a shared, lifelong passion for storytelling. They are professional communicators and have had the good fortune to wor...
This week we talk about a tough subject – how to handle an outside senior stakeholder who wants to exert influence on your project. This can be very tough when that influence is contrary to decisions already agreed in the project by senior stakeholders, or if that influence is uninformed. In this episode, Kate outlines a formula that she uses to effectively manage such requests. Following that 5 step formula results in the following response statement: Knowing that we wanted to achieve [project ...
Join us for our new podcast, the Project Management Happy Hour! In our first 5 pilot episodes (plus this bonus!) , we are going to look at the first 5 questions you need to ask whenever starting a new project. If you haven’t listened to episodes 1-5, you might want to check those out first J Question 1 helped us define success for the project, Question 2 helped us understand scope and opportunity. Question 3 helped us understand budget and value, and question 4 helped us understand the schedule ...
Join us for our new podcast, the Project Management Happy Hour! In our first 5 pilot episodes, we are going to look at the first 5 questions you need to ask whenever starting a new project, whether you are: Kicking off a fresh new project Taking over an in-flight project Scoping out a new project opportunity Performing an assessment of a project that may be in trouble Communicating an overview of a project to team members or stakeholders If you haven’t listened to episodes 1-4, you might want to...
Join us for our new podcast, the Project Management Happy Hour! In our first 5 pilot episodes, we are going to look at the first 5 questions you need to ask whenever starting a new project, whether you are: Kicking off a fresh new project Taking over an in-flight project Scoping out a new project opportunity Performing an assessment of a project that may be in trouble Communicating an overview of a project to team members or stakeholders If you haven’t listened to Episode 1, 2 and 3, you might w...
Join us for our new podcast, the Project Management Happy Hour! In our first 5 pilot episodes, we are going to look at the first 5 questions you need to ask whenever starting a new project, whether you are: Kicking off a fresh new project Taking over an in-flight project Scoping out a new project opportunity Performing an assessment of a project that may be in trouble Communicating an overview of a project to team members or stakeholders If you haven’t listened to Episode 1 & 2, you might wa...
Join us for the Project Management Happy Hour! In our first 5 pilot episodes, we are going to look at the first 5 questions you need to ask whenever starting a new project, whether you are: Kicking off a fresh new project Taking over an in-flight project Scoping out a new project opportunity Performing an assessment of a project that may be in trouble Communicating an overview of a project to team members or stakeholders If you haven’t listened to Episode 001, you might want to check that one ou...
Cheers! Join your hosts Kim Essendrup and Kate Anderson for our new podcast, the Project Management Happy Hour! In our first 5 pilot episodes, we are going to look at the first 5 questions you need to ask whenever starting a new project, whether you are: Kicking off a fresh new project Taking over an in-flight project Scoping out a new project opportunity Performing an assessment of a project that may be in trouble Communicating an overview of a project to team members or stakeholders Question 1...
